3.0 Emotional Design Why we Love Or Hate everyday things - Donald Norman

Now.. try look to your right, to your left and around you.. What you can see? There are many creatures and objects to talk about. If we open our eyes and minds wider, we would find many miracle things in this world that are difficult to interpret and explain.  Similarly, each objects in this world that contains variety of color, shape and function. There are all very subjective. Not everyone thought the same thing when they see an object. For example, when we gave ‘X’ shape, one person will tell us that he/she see it as a symbol of multiply. Another person will tell us that he/she see it as wrong message. When the ‘X’ colored by red, other person tell us it is dangerous sign. One other person will say it is icon in computer as ‘exit’. Nobody right and nobody wrong in this case. Through my reading from a fantastic book written by Donald Norman (2004), entitled "Emotional Design: Why We Love or Hate Everyday Things", I can see many different views in each object created in this world especially in design perspective and principle. It is influenced by the mental modal generated since we were born. They all share one property, however the condition can be recognized simply by the sensory information. The visceral level is incapable of reasoning, of comparing a situation with past history.

Sometimes, I always asked to myself and friends, why when we look and touch an object, we could distinguish the feeling either we like it or not the object. Do we love the shape, decoration or the way it is colored ??. Through this book I realized that the design also can affect feelings towards human. It is happen when emotions, moods, traits and personality are all aspects of the different ways in which people’s mind work especially along the affective emotional domain. Therefore, we can see and differentiate the products produced by a person while he is happy, sad, lonely or excited. Sometimes, the several levels of cognitive and emotional system arguing among themselves. Therefore, we often experience that is too hard to choose when we are going for shopping. For example, we love a shirt which is good in design and style, but unfortunately we do not like the color. Finally, we will fell disappointed and sad.Still, emotions win.

There are also the designs that influence belief and the spirit of a people such as the statues and sculptures on the island of Bali. Each sculpture in stone and wood bring a thousand and one of great significance to the people there. Design also may reflect the power and greatness of a person or an organization. For example, a logo design by team will choose strong and powerful form. They also use bright and vivid colors. It showed them a team that is unmatched by other teams and it will enhance their spirit to win.

Satisfying people’s true needs, interest and requirement is difficult. In this case, designer plays a very important role. They must be aware of the sensitivity of each culture, religion and belief that the resulting design can be accepted by all classes of society and level of age. Designer has to always think creatively and critically. This is because; every human has a different level of thinking. To some designers, the challenge seems overwhelming but for others it inspires. Designer have to brave to use every opportunity, space and time available to create something meaningful and useful  although the design is very simple. They also need to try something new and not depends to only one perspective. Sometimes they have to become a researcher or investigator. To produce something that useful and meaningful, this is closely related to the usability, which describes the ease with the user of the product can understand how it works and how to get it to perform. For this matter, the user experience is highly considered. It is because, confuse or frustrated of the person who is using the product will perform emotions negative result. It is not good for those we called designer.

  

Every people have their own appreciation or point of view on something. It is human being right since they have been brought to this beauty world. Different perspective, comments, ideas, gives us variety of fresh knowledge. If we just easily agree and stick to just one answer, WHAT IS THE BEAUTY IN OUR LIVE? MEAN ANYMORE? Based on my post ON THE AESTHETIC EDUCATION ON MAN, what I am trying to say that, live with a lots of options and choices is so much fun! We will be more open minded about everything, gain a lot more knowledge and live in the colorful of life. I feel very pity for those who live in cliché life. They really love to live just in the comfort zone. 

Here, try to consider Donald A. Norman brilliant perception; he said that   “A major theme for of this book is that much of human behavior is subconscious, beneath conscious awareness. Conscious comes late, both in evolution and also in the way the brain processes information; many judgments have already been determined before they reach consciousness. The affective system makes judgments and quickly helps you determined which things in the environment are dangerous or safe, good or bad. ”

Very deep huh?

My dream is to become a designer who can produce a product or services that is not only useful at present, but it is flexibility to be used for ten or twenty years that contains the values of emotions, fresh, far from cliché , aesthetic (from my understanding), creative and more .  In summary, through this book I can understand the need for a design that is closely linked with feelings and emotions.  Not only the design that is designed in accordance with the principles and conditions only.I believe, by guiding with this fantastic knowledge from the book of Emotional Design Why we Love Or Hate everyday things by Donald Norman,I do learn a lot of thing that change and improve my visions towards design world and i really enjoy reading it.

" Beauty and brains, pleasure and usability - they should go hand in hand" - Donald Norman

Thank You.

MUHAMMAD AFFIFUDDIN BIN MD IBHARIM

D201110047239

THIS SPACE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK.