Emotional Design : Why We Love (or Hate) Everyday Things

by Norman, Donald A.

• ISBN13: 9780465051359
• ISBN10: 0465051359
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2003-12-24
• Publisher: Perseus Books Group

Summary

Did you ever wonder why cheap wine tastes better in fancy glasses? Why sales of Macintosh computers soared when Apple introduced the colorful iMac? New research on emotion and cognition has shown that attractive things really do work better, a fact fans of Don Norman's classicThe Design of Everyday Thingscannot afford to ignore.In recent years, the design community has focused on making products easier to use. But as Norman amply demonstrates in this fascinating and important new book, design experts have vastly underestimated the role of emotion on our experience of everyday objects.Emotional Designanalyzes the profound influence of this deceptively simple idea, from our willingness to spend thousands of dollars on Gucci bags and Rolex watches to the impact of emotion on the everyday objects of tomorrow. In the future, will inanimate objects respond to human emotions? Is it possible to create emotional robots?Norman addresses these provocative questions--drawing on a wealth of examples and the latest scientific insights--in this bold exploration of the objects in our everyday world.

Author Biography

Donald A. Norman is professor of computer science and psychology at Northwestern University and co-founder of the Nielsen Norman Group, a consulting firm that promotes human-centered products and services.

Table of Contents

Prologue: Three Teapots	p. 3
The Meaning of Things
Attractive Things Work Better	p. 17
The Multiple Faces of Emotion and Design	p. 35
Design in Practice
Three Levels of Design: Visceral, Behavioral, and Reflective	p. 63
Fun and Games	p. 99
People, Places, and Things	p. 135
Emotional Machines	p. 161
The Future of Robots	p. 195
Epilogue: We Are All Designers	p. 213
Personal Reflections and Acknowledgments	p. 229
Notes	p. 235
References	p. 243
Index	p. 249
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