EMOTIONAL DESIGN BY DONALD A.NORMAN

Based on my reading and understanding of emotional design by Donald A.Norman is about the main issue is that emotions have a crucial role in the human ability to understand the world, and how they learn new things. For example aesthetically pleasing objects appear to the user to be more effective, by virtue of their sensual appeal. This is due to the affinity the user feels for an object that appeals to him, due to the formation of an emotional connection with the object.

Norman's approach is based on classical ABC models of attitude.However, he changed the concept to be suitable for application in design. The three dimensions have new names visceral, behavioral and reflective level and partially new content. In the book, Norman shows that design of most objects are perceived on all three levels. Therefore a good design should address all three levels.

Donald Norman pondered a new finding in the study of affect and emotion. In his explanation, there have two separate types of emotions, namely positive and negative emotion. Norman says when we like the look of an object, we are more willing to overlook its design flaws as opposed to using something with no flaws and an ugly design. Some ugly things are loved dearly, while other beautiful things might afford no attachment at all. Beauty, as they say, is in the eyes of the beholder.As we know, human beings are complex and difficult to understand but human beings also have excellent brain for designing, creating or to think creative and innovative. Norman takes a step further from his earlier work to investigate a three level hierarchy to the way our brains process which is the visceral, behavioural and reflective. In his epilogue he states that everyone is a designer. Norman is suggesting that we model our environment to meet our individual needs and in that sense we make design decisions every day about colour and space and context.

The Attractive ones were perceived to be easier to use. Aesthetic preference is culturally dependent. Some cultures relies on tradition but some are action oriented and not its beauty. Emotion, change the human mind solves problem. Most thought of emotions a as a problem to be overcome by logical thinking. Emotion divides into two, positive and negative. Both of them is important. Emotion is very important for decision making. When people are relaxed and happy, their thought process expands, becoming more creative. On the side of negative emotion, when human get more anxious, it will increase their concentration.

Norman greatly expands his ideas about design here, breaking it down into visceral,behavioral, and reflective design. Behavioral design includes everything discussed in everyday things, visceral design is design that appeals to our most basic instincts, instincts that prefer things like primary colors, sweet tastes, round smooth objects, and smiling faces. Finally, reflective design is design that appeals to us because it's cool, or because it has a message, or it's clever, or it supports a cause we believe in, or it has prestige.

In Emotional Design  Norman updates his argument, addressing emotion as an equally important quality of meaningful and effective design. In fact, Norman now argues that the emotional side of design may be more critical to a product's success than its practical or cognitive elements. He outlines three different elements that come to play in all design with emotion and cognition interacting at each level its visceral ,an immediate reaction based on appearance.Next is behavioral ,a relationship based on pleasure or effectiveness with repeated interaction, and lastlyis reflective, the contemplative side based on interpretation or intellectualization. By analyzing such topics as souvenir significance, emotional branding, iterative product testing, customer service, anthropomorphism, and even robot ethics, Norman establishes that fun, seduction, and fulfillment should be seriously considered in user-oriented design to produce objects that are more than just possessions. The book is extremely accessible and would be useful to anyone interested in humanobject interaction, design thinking, product marketing, and even design ethics.

Three Level of Processing  is  Visceral, Behavioural and Reflective .Our brain is divided by three different level called Visceral, Behavioural, and Reflective Level. Each level plays a different role in the total functioning of people. Visceral level is the automatic, prewired layer. Behavioral level contains the brain process that control everyday behavior. Reflective level is the contemplative part of the brain. The levels are interacted to one another, for an example, reaction to falling its visceral, then using good tools effectively its behavioral. Norman's analysis of the design elements in products such as automobiles, watches and computers will pique the interest of many readers, not just those in the design or technology fields. He explores how music and sound both contribute negatively or positively to the design of electronic equipment, like the ring of a cell phone or beeps .Engineers wanted to signal that some operation had been done.

Overall an excellent book that will really make you think about design in some new ways, regardless of what kind of design you do.