Don Norman: Emotional design

 

        Don Norman's talk on Emotional design discusses the importance of positive human viseral and behavioural response when choosing and using a product. "Pleasant things work better" a statement by Norman which suggests beauty, playfulness and positive aesthetic should be intrinsic within all products. 

He names the three emotional cues that a well-designed product must hit to succeed.  

Visceral: The most immediatel level of processing, is an subconscious experience in which we can perceive before significant interaction occurs.Visceral processing helps us make rapid decisions about what is good, bad, safe, or dangerous. It is apart of our animal instinct to respond, seen also within nature  the dart frog is one of the most the deadliest animals and has bright, neon purple and yellow skin to warn others.

“When a user interface promises ease of use at the visceral level—or whatever else the visceral promise of an interaction may be—it should then be sure to deliver on that promise at the behavioral level.”-Norman

Behavioural: The middle level of processing that lets us manage simple, everyday behaviors, which according to Norman, constitute the majority of human activity. Research on the human brain suggest intense fear paralyzes the brain from working. Interestingly  the surrounding fun or emotional environment can greatly effect our ability to function at differet tasks both positively and negatively. Communication=Acting Design that "speaks" is important for people, interacting with brings control and connection with the things we do.

“Designing for the behavioral level means designing product behaviors that complement a user’s own behaviors, implicit assumptions, and mental models.”-Norman

Reflective: —The least immediate level of processing, which involves conscious consideration and reflection on past experiences. Reflective processing can enhance or inhibit behavioral processing, but has no direct access to visceral reactions. This level of cognitive processing is accessible only via memory, not through direct interaction or perception. The most interesting aspect of reflective processing as it relates to design is that, through reflection, we are able to integrate our experiences with designed artifacts into our broader life experiences and, over time, associate meaning and value with the artifacts themselves.

“Designing for the reflective level means designing to build long-term product relationships.”-Norman