This work was awarded a Distinction for the Interaction Design module of MSc HCI Design.
THE TASK
To write a 500 word summary and commentary of Donald Norman's introduction to his book Emotional Design. This is the full essay.
SUMMARY
Emotional Design is Donald Norman’s follow-up to The Design of Everyday Things. The first book focused on the usability and function of objects and was criticised by designers for undervaluing the contribution of aesthetics to people’s judgments on usability. Emotional Design is Norman’s response to the criticism. In it, he says that not only does he view elements outside of functionality as playing an important role in users’ interactions with objects but that aesthetic and emotional properties can actually be even more impactful to a product’s popularity than efficiency is. He gives examples of three teapots he owns that are not entirely practical to use but that he loves for their visceral, behavioural and reflective design qualities and talks of how people value their most precious objects for being symbolic of the meanings and memories attached to them regardless of their usability.
Norman’s critics imply that greater functionality would lessen the beauty of their designs leading Norman to question whether it is necessary for “beauty and brains” to be viewed as opposing attributes. He goes on to demonstrate that the perception of usability improves when people enjoy using the objects.
As a cognitive scientist, when studying usability Norman had under-appreciated emotion’s role in making decisions. It is widely believed that logic is the main factor behind our decision-making but Norman cites Antonio Damasio’s research which shows that emotion and affect – our ‘instincts’ – play a large part in helping us reach decisions as they quickly interpret and pass judgment on things around us.
COMMENTARY
It is interesting that Emotional Design opens with a quote from William Morris. Norman describes how he was initially confused by the popularity of colour computer screens as they added no functional value. He was surprised to later discover that using nice objects does indeed have a positive effect on the user and presents this as an eye-opening finding, however, Morris had stated that using visually pleasing tools stimulates workers (1882, p.5) thus acknowledging the link more than one hundred years earlier.
With the above comment, Morris spoke of both the makers and users of tools. Herbert Read described potters becoming creatively expressive as soon as technology afforded it (2012, para.22). Although Emotional Design responds to criticism Norman received from designers his response focuses exclusively on users without considering the direction of the criticism or why designers object to producing designs that are “usable but ugly” (Norman, p.6). Both Morris and Read recognised that makers, not just users, receive emotional satisfaction from working with beautiful objects – a perspective Norman overlooked.
Norman and Jan Chipchase looked at people’s valued objects from slightly different angles. For Norman, items are treasured for evoking positive experiences, with functionality having little or no bearing. Chipchase’s research agreed to some extent finding that people’s most important possessions have “spiritual, emotional or functional value” (2007). Chipchase ties his prized objects – keys, money, mobile phone – to survival for ourselves and our loved ones so while they are emotionally significant, in this case the valuable items are highly practical too.
REFERENCES
Chipchase, J. (2007). The anthropology of mobile phones. [online] Ted.com. Available: https://www.ted.com/talks/jan_chipchase_on_our_mobile_phones. Last accessed 17 October 2015.
Morris, W. (1882). Hopes and Fears for Art: Five Lectures Delivered in Birmingham, London, and Nottingham, 1878-1881. Available: https://ia601402.us.archive.org/5/items/hopesandfearsfo01morrgoog/hopesan dfearsfo01morrgoog.pdf. Last accessed 17 October 2015
Norman, D.A. (2004). Emotional Design: Why We Love (or Hate) Everyday Things. Available: https://www.jnd.org/dn.mss/CH00_Prolog.pdf. Last accessed 17 October 2015
Read, H. (2012). The Meaning of Art. Available: https://plunderingtroops.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/herbert-read-the- meaning-of-art.pdf. Last accessed 17 October 2015