Emotional Design - Full Blog

Reference:
Emotional DesignDonald A. Norman
2004 Basic Books
Summary:
Recent studies have shown that if two functionally identical items are compared that the one perceived as more aesthetically appealing is thought of as being easier to use than its rival.  Researchers have concluded that this occurs because when we are exposed to pleasing stimuli, our thinking patterns become more creative and enable us to see more solutions to a problem.  Conversely, when we are exposed to negative stimuli, our thinking becomes more focused and can cause us to miss obvious solutions.   It turns out that emotions play a role in how we receive a device.  An elegant instrument can make us completely forget any frustrating experiences we've had with similar tools in the past.  In addition, poorly made trinkets of little monetary value can elicit fond memories of a vacation.  We will often forego an easy fix or solution to a problem just so we can experience the satisfaction of doing a job ourselves.  When designing a product, we must be sure that the design appeals to three seperate levels: visceral, behavioral, and reflective.  Visceral design appeals to a user's senses, behavioral focuses on usability, and reflective endeavors to convey its meaning to the user.

Discussion:
It was odd to read Don Norman praising aesthetic designs after reading two books (since I'm in capstone) where he routinely mocks things that are built to look pretty.  I suppose that there is a distinction where a device can look good as long as it doesn't sacrifice any functionality.   Still, it could be that he's changed his philosophy since his previous works.  I also found the effects that nostalgia has to be quite fascinating.  I've been in more that one situation where I've been lost in a wave of fond memories about someting or another when I'm suddenly jerked back to reality and remembered all the frustration involved.  It is certainly important to appeal to all three levels of design, and ideally the product will ultimately be as intuitive and easy to use as a LEGO brick or a strip of velcro.