Donal Norman - Emotional Design

Before, I have thought that Business is the only connection to Art and Design but now I realize there is also a link between Psychology and Design. When we can feel and understand ourselves and people around, we make thing more certain and better. Emotional Design, Donald Norman, is just a so great and highly educated video for designer. It helps me to see the connection between a product, its aesthetic and function.

In general, through the video, I has known more about how the brain working whether its stress or relaxing. It is exactly right that you pay more attention on your work when you are anxious; therefore it also limits your brainstorming. And of course, neat and creative ideas only pop up when you have a fresh mind. I find this explanation fitted to both designers and consumers. A good and creative work is done when the designer feeling free and enjoyable. Or to a consumer, people often choose to go shopping when they are happy because they have a clear mind, they look for more varieties, not only focusing on one thing.

Next, I have learnt that function is not everything of a product. Sometimes, people would come up with something that has good appearance rather than its function. I am an example. I have thought how weird I am because I never put any attention on the function of product that I’m going to buy; I always look for its appearance and design first. And of course, I will rank it high if it shows a better aesthetic. Donald Norman also did the same thing, he bought a juicer but not for making juice. Or the Mini Cooper in New York is still loved even there are many faults in function. Or a lovely, gorgeous watch is sold better than an ugly good functional watch. Why is it like that? It is because those design capture emotion of customer, they make customer like, enjoy and fall for the first sight.

The Japanese knife in the video has both function and beauty, thus it is listed to be a good design. However, it is not easy to balance those two features. The product will be useless if it only has its good outta coat and sucked function or it is too boring with well function and no aesthetics. If there is somehow one choice, I would choose the appearance rather than function. It is because I never buy a thing that I don’t have a feeling with it. When people have a feeling for something, they respect and take care of it for longer. Thus, if I go for a good functional product, I think I will get bored and forget it so soon.

As an Industrial Design who always wish later to make some interior - products which bring happiness for user, I highly appreciate for this video. Through the video, I can see clear how much important the aesthetic of a product is. A good design must bring a cool and special feeling and good impression to customer. Therefore, as a designer, we are never allowed to forget understanding emotion of customer and placing it in our design.