Emotional Design Expert Don Norman Discusses the Topic

In this video, Don Norman, a professor, discusses the concept of emotional design in his book, “Emotional Design: Why We Love (or Hate) Everyday Things.” As customers want more features, more controls are being necessitated. Using the car model, Norman dissects design approaches in cars. He explains the drawbacks of some designs, while backing the design models of others.

The challenge is satisfying the customer by executing on their demands. Simply giving the customer more features will not bring closure to the matter. Those controls must be delivered in a neatly wrapped and accessible package. Anything short of that is a recipe for disaster.

Much can be learned from car design development. It is an art in its own right, but it can be mastered. Knowing what to look for and how to incorporate it into the actual design should be a priority. Then, you will be able to appeal to the emotions, if the product is a quality one.