Emotional Design Again

1. Select a brief passage from Chapter Three of Emotional Design by Donald Norman and post it on your blog. Explain why you thought it was interesting.

"Whether we wish to admit it or not, all of us worry about the image we present to others-- or, for that matter, about the self-image that we present to ourselves. DO you sometimes avoid a purchase "because it wouldn't be right" or buy something on order to support a cause you prefer? These are reflective decisions. In fact,, even people who claim a complete lack of interest in how the are perceived-- dressing in whatever is easiest or most comfortable, refraining from purchasing new items until the ones they are using completely stop working-- make statements about themselves and the things they care about. These are all properties of reflective processing."

I chose this passage because I found reflective design, and the concept of reflective processing one of the most interesting things that Norman has talked about. Thinking this way makes me see a lot of things in my life and the lives of others that are reflective; trying to project some image of self.

2. Norman uses the terms Visceral Design, Behavioral Design, and Reflective Design. Do these categories seem useful to you? Would other names or phrases make the categories clearer?

I like these names, even though I think that some of them could be a little more clear. Visceral and behavioral design both seem like good names for the attractiveness and functionality. I think that reflective design could be a little vague and I might use a word like projective but I do like to think about as "reflective" because it makes me think of deep thought, which is like reflective design; there are lots of levels to it.

3. How could a designer decide if Visceral Design, Behavioral Design, or Reflective Design is more important for a particular product? Are some types of products more visceral, behavioral, or reflective?

I think that designers probably have a sort of shifting mental scale balancing out the 3 types of emotional design. It depends a lot on the product which one should be favored, but all three have to be present. I am trying to think of products that have only one of these design categories, but I don't think it could be done. Maybe paper could be something with purely behavioral design? "Livestrong" bracelets might be just reflective, because you don't really need one but it says out support a cause. I'm really curious about this. Comments?