Emotional Design

Emotional Design

Don A. Norman

Source

Summary: 

Chapter 1: Attractive Things Work Better. In this opening chapter, Norman exposes the idea that attractive things work better, like the title says. He claims when a device is aesthetically more attractive than another, but both share the same functionality, users will prefer to use and will rate higher the one that is more attractive. He also discusses the three level of processing: visceral, behavioral, and reflective.

Chapter 2: The Multiple Faces of Emotion and Design. Norman discusses how the three levels the cognitive and emotional system work together to provide the user an overall experience of the product. He also discusses objects that evoke memories and the effect they have for example souvenirs and photographs. The feelings that design, marketing, and the use of products bring to individuals and how they change the way we think of ourselves.

Chapter 3: Three Levels of Design: Visceral, Behavioral, and Reflective. Norman explores more in depth of what factors are considered and affect these three levels of design. Visceral design consists of emotions, appearance, and the first impression of an object. It is important because it hooks the user's attention, sometimes without knowing what the item really is or what it is for. Behavioral design is concerned with usability - basically the topic of The Design of Everyday Things. And finally, reflective design relates to our perspective to the product. How it affects our lives, culture and other factors may affect this level of design.

Discussion: I really enjoyed reading about aesthetic design from Norman's point of view, since in The Design of Everyday Things he completely ignored and even made it seem irrelevant compared to usability. I was curious about how this change came about, so I skimmed through the prologue and found that Norman states he has actually changed his mind and now understands how important the aesthetic part is.

Reflecting on the examples given by Norman, about the personality of items (video game consoles) and how the use of different things makes us feel (cake mix), and they are true. There are still many products that are designed and geared for only part of the population, but other people still use them. However, there are others that have changed. My computer is pink! Just like its cover, and my backpack! I usually don't like buying products marked with the "Just add water!" phrase because I think they are only for those who want to avoid the hazel of going through the process, and personally I don't think they taste the same way (I may be wrong).

It is a big change from the readings from The Design of Everyday Things, but at the same time Norman is integrating both sides of design, and understanding not only usability is important. "I want it, I don't know what it is, but I want it." I've heard this before, from me and from others... my little cousins and their toys, they don't even what the toy is for, but they want it. I do think that appearance is a major part of design that is how users' attention is called in the first place.