Wednesday, March 14, 2012
As for the second assignment in Reading For Blogging, we were asked to read this book Emotional Design by Donald Norman who is a professor of computer science at Northwestern and a cognitive scientist. By this book he represents his research in the study of affect and emotion. Norman approach that emotions, have a crucial role in the human ability to understand the world, and how they learn things. In this view I personally accept as agree that human react basically by their emotion on how they feel and what they thought. By the first chapter, Norman said emotions, were known can changes the way human solves problems and this were related with the cognitive system operates. It’s believed that related findings has to do with the role of aesthetics in product design which is, attractive things make people feel good when it simple to use and it was easier for people find the solution while make a question. Modern cognitive science research has demonstrated that cognition and affective processing truly are interwoven and inseparable, and that in many respects the affective reaction establishes priorities. Everything has a cognitive component, to assign meaning, and an affective component, to assign value. Therefore, the manifestation of the two in behavior (functionality) means that good product design must accommodate the integration of affective, behavioral, and cognitive reactions. People, assign their habit by choosing things depends on their expectations of the brands, products, and services they are consume. Which by the three levels of processing that have told in the book Visceral, Behavioral, and Reflective. This three levels were in part reflect the biological origins of the brain that each level plays a different role. As a human who live with brain, muscle, heart which is beat and breath by the air who always have desire we cannot avoid from have affect which is neither in a positive or negative affect. This is how a design affect people. At the Visceral level, people would react as good or bad? Is it safe or dangerous? Did it pretty or ugly? Because they will affective response triggered by appearance: sight, sound, smell, feel. This part of brain were the automatic, prewired layer that give fast, automatic, unconscious, inalterable which is every person were very similar although their individual differences in magnitude. The part that contains the brain processes that control everyday behavior known as Behavioral level. The pleasure and effectiveness of use were shown here triggered by the visceral response, neither it good or bad. When "Bad" leads to muscle tensing, "escape" syndrome and "Good" leads to enhanced productivity and when they not conscious neither it show the tools are invisible it’s just flow from their mind. This effect by their experiences and education in three facets that is function, performance and usability. In next level, which is the contemplative part of the brain, or the Reflective level was the intellectualization and rationalization of a choice after through the process of understanding the product and by the pride of the ownership, integration into self image. It can moderate the behavioral reactions, but not really the affective way. It is also most vulnerable to cultural variability on surroundings. Norman shows that design of most objects are perceived on all three levels (dimensions). Therefore a good design should address all three levels. Good design means that beauty and usability are in balance. An object that is beautiful to the core is no better than one that is only pretty if they both lack usability. In the quest for enhancement of life, let us not be usability bigots. Yes, products must be usable. But all the many factors of design must be in harmony. Marketing considerations must be accounted for, aesthetic appeal, manufacturability -- all are important. The products must be affordable, functional, and pleasurable. And above all a pleasure to own, a pleasure to use. After all, attractive things work better. In my conclusion, that aesthetically pleasing object will influence people emotion and often attract people.
