Book Review: "Emotional Design" by Donald A. Norman

I found Donald A. Norman's Emotional Design in a used bookstore a few months back, and read it on a plane. In the book, Norman explores 'why we love (or hate) everyday things'.

Here is the first chapter of the book.

Title: "Emotional Design"
Author: Donald A. Norman

Genre(s): Design, Business
Summary: to quote the books subtitle: "Why we love (or hate) everyday things"

Favorite Concept:

Norman argues that our feelings about design work on three levels

1. Visceral - the appearance of the design
2. Behavioral - the pleasure and effectiveness of use
3. Reflective - the self-image, memories, and personal satisfaction related to the design.

Testing these against the design of my favorite 'everyday object' - my 2005 PT Cruiser - I find the following:

1. Visceral - Yes, I enjoy the look of my car. I like the color, the roundness of line, and the 'friendly, but sporty' theme that's reinforced by the roll bar.
2. Behavioral - Yes. It's a really comfortable car to sit in. The doors have a satisfying weight to them. The 2.4 liter turbo jumps when I need it to. The convertible top is very easy to use.
3. Reflective - Well, I think of myself as a 'top-down' guy. My last three vehicles have been low-maintenance convertibles (Samurai, Sidekick, and now PT Cruiser). My hair lends itself to the wind-blown look. I love the feeling of the sun beating on me on the way home. This car definitely reinforces my self-image.

Strengths: Reading this book has made me consider - how can I design learning experiences that work at all three levels? It seems that we focus 70% of our effort on the Behavioral aspect, 20% on the visceral, and only 10% on the reflective.
Weaknesses: While I found myself nodding in agreement with the book, there were no 'a-ha' moments for me.

Conclusion: It's a solid book that will challenge me to consider the reflective impact of my offerings.

Post-it Flags: 9 flags
* Each time I find an interesting quote, model, image, or idea in a book, I mark it with a Post-it flag. The more flags, the more value I found in the book.