Emotional design

Author: (USA) Don Norman
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-05-01
Features: Preface I Zhang Bo, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, graduated from the Department of Automation at Tsinghua University in 1958. He joined the university as a teacher the same year and is currently a professor at the Department of Computer Science and Technology at Tsinghua University. He is currently engaged in theoretical and applied research in artificial intelligence, neural networks, intelligent control, and pattern recognition. He has published more than 150 related papers and 4 monographs in Chinese and English, including "The Theory and Application of Problem Solving." The relationship between humans and technology (including its materialized products) has always been a topic of widespread concern. In the past, people often viewed this relationship from the perspective of technology (products), focusing on objects while ignoring human emotions. When engineers and technicians design a product, their primary consideration is its functionality rather than the user experience. In other words, between humans and technology, people emphasize technology while neglecting human psychology and emotions, as well as their role. In fact, humans are both the creators and designers of products and their ultimate users, and "human" should be the focal point of attention. With the advancement of technology, the role of humans has become increasingly evident, and people have begun to shift their focus to human beings themselves, proposing slogans such as "human-centered" or "people-oriented." Don Norman, the author of this book, is a pioneer in exploring the relationship between humans and technology from a "human-centered" perspective. His groundbreaking work reveals the subtle relationship between human emotions and products, proposing a series of novel and inspiring ideas and perspectives that have attracted widespread international interest. For example, "The Design of Everyday Things," published in 2002, was a bestseller. This book, "Emotional Design," is also a classic work. Since its publication in 2004, it has already been translated into Italian and Japanese, and translations into Chinese, Russian, Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish are underway. There are both simplified and traditional Chinese versions, showing the widespread attention it has received. This book explores the relationship between human emotions and product design. The author first points out the diversity of human emotions and, from the perspective of design psychology, not only deeply analyzes how to integrate emotions into product design but also explains how this integration can achieve a unity of aesthetics and usability, making "appealing products better to use." Using vivid language, the author reveals the hidden mysteries of emotions and design through common objects and ordinary examples. The book also discusses the emotions of machines and the future relationship between humans and emotionally intelligent machines. The author skillfully addresses the underlying issues related to emotions in these seemingly distant topics. The problems and issues raised and discussed in this book are universal and have great inspirational significance for other disciplines. For example, what constitutes an emotionally intelligent machine, how to interact with such a machine, how to design and use it. In fact, information technology professionals have long encountered similar issues. For instance, when we talk about computer network systems "cooperating" with users, providing "personalized services," and establishing natural and harmonious interaction between networks and users, users become the primary research subjects. Technology professionals are already considering how machines should understand users' emotions (expressions) and interests, as well as how to express their own emotions. Another example is the relationship between humans and robots. In the past, it was merely a topic explored in science fiction and movies. Today, in fields such as robotics, issues like "human-machine co-evolution" and "harmonious coexistence between humans and machines" are already being researched. The relationship between humans and machines is becoming increasingly complex, constantly presenting new research topics. For example, are computers, like traditional machines, only passively obedient to human commands? If executing a command causes damage to the system or other serious consequences, can computers "disobey"? Under what circumstances can they refuse to execute? In other words, how autonomous can machines be? These are no longer distant issues; today's computer networks are already filled with such frustrating problems. In summary, the various issues raised in this book regarding human emotions, product design, and the relationship between humans and machines (products) are all worth deep reflection to seek a harmonious relationship between emotions and design, as well as between humans and machines. This is a book that blends humanities and technology. As an information technology professional, I was deeply inspired after reading it. The author is both an internationally renowned cognitive psychologist and a computer expert, with the ability to explore human psychology and machines. Perhaps this is why his work is so well-received by readers across various fields. Translating this book into Chinese will allow more readers to read and understand it. Therefore, I am willing to recommend this book to a broad audience, including those in psychology, sociology, and other technical science fields. Preface II Ye Zhan, a graduate of the Department of Automation at Tsinghua University, studied in the United States and obtained a master's degree in computer science from the Illinois Institute of Technology and another master's degree in Human-Computer Interaction from Carnegie Mellon University. He is currently working as a Human-Computer Interaction Analyst/Designer at BCS Management and IT Consulting. His main research and work areas include the application of human-computer interaction theory in game design, human-computer interface design and evaluation, and software development process design and management. He is an influential expert in these fields and has been invited to present papers and speeches at major international academic conferences, including CHI. Some people are witty and humorous in writing but dull and unremarkable in person. Donald Norman is one such person. His "The Design of Everyday Things" is a must-read classic for every human-computer interaction designer. However, if you attend his conference to hear his speech out of admiration for his reputation, you are likely to be disappointed. Because his speeches are conventional and quite boring. Fortunately, we are introducing his book here, not his speech. No one doubts Donald Norman's skill in writing books. "Emotional Design" is another major work by Donald Norman following "The Design of Everyday Things." Due to the immense impact and enduring appeal of his previous work, this book received rave reviews upon its release. But unlike his earlier work, which pioneered a movement and sparked a revolution, this book follows a trend and reflects the current times. The trend revealed by "Emotional Design" is that emotionalization, artistry, and aesthetics are no longer limited to traditional entertainment and leisure products but are now valued in broader commercial fields. For example, in the software industry, when people talk about emotions, art, and beauty, they usually think of game software. Traditionally, only game software involved these factors. Game software uses stunning visuals to evoke players' emotions and create a virtual experience. However, in recent years, the design of more commercial software has moved away from dull and outdated styles, making attempts in artistic aesthetics and emotional appeal. For example, Figure 1 shows the user interface designed by the world-renowned industrial design company Frog Design (www.frogdesign.com) for SAP R/3. SAP R/3 is a commercial management software used by large companies. This software has always given users a mechanical, cold, and impersonal impression, with a color scheme dominated by gray. But Frog Design's design breaks these conventions, maximizing aesthetic appeal while ensuring functionality, introducing vibrant and soft colors into the design. The final software interface gives users a comfortable feeling at first glance. Through visual layer beautification and emotional layer soothing, it can help improve users' work efficiency. Another design award-winning work by Frog Design, the user interface of i2 (Figure 2), also reflects this trend. It can be said that for commercial software designers after 2000, usability is already a given and must be guaranteed. What they strive for at a higher level are aesthetics and emotional aspects. In a sense, this trend (though not originated by Donald Norman, but accurately captured and represented by his book) has many similarities to the Bauhaus movement in Germany around the early 20th century. The Bauhaus movement was a revolutionary force in industrial design. At that time, human society had just transitioned from craft workshops to mass-produced industrial products, and there was a urgent need to find ways to beautify life in the industrial era. The traditional craft workshops that served the royal family could no longer meet the needs of the industrial era, and a new design philosophy and system had not yet been established. Early industrial products, while functional, were rough and simple in appearance. The Bauhaus teachers explored how to beautify human life under industrial production conditions, vigorously promoting new design principles and practices. Their influence in the field of industrial design was profound. In recent years, this comprehensive focus on aesthetic and emotional factors in design has actually reflected an effort to beautify human life in the context of the information age. Donald Norman's book is written for designers. Here, "design" refers to a broad sense, including product design, software design, interaction design, game design, and so on. You won't find any specific guidance on how to design in the book. Like his previous work, this book is not a specific design manual or guide but rather an abstract conceptual explanation. The book presents a broader way of thinking and introduces you to a different perspective on things. In other words, this book is for higher-level readers. As a designer, you may have this feeling: when you first start working in design, you focus most on specific design cases and established rules, paying attention to very concrete aspects. But as you progress, you urgently need higher-level, abstract, and somewhat philosophical guidance to supplement your work. Donald Norman's book is mostly at this level. The most important concept in the book is that he clearly divides design and its goals (how users ultimately enjoy a design) into three levels: visceral, behavioral, and reflective. The visceral level refers to sensory stimuli that can bring excitement and vividness. For example, a game with stunning three-dimensional graphics that immediately impresses players with its vibrant and colorful visuals is working at the visceral level. The behavioral level refers to the skills users must learn and master to solve problems and gain a sense of achievement and satisfaction from the dynamic process. Using the example of a fighting game, the designer pre-sets the game's rules. Players need to gradually master these rules and use them to fight against other players or computer-controlled opponents, striving for victory. If the design is well-executed, players will gain a sense of satisfaction from this dynamic process. This is the behavioral level of design in action. The highest level is the reflective level. This term is difficult to translate, and I couldn't find it mentioned in any domestic books. So, I've borrowed the Japanese translation (as is often the case with many translated words in Chinese), calling it the reflective level. This level actually refers to the deeper emotions, awareness, understanding, personal experiences, cultural backgrounds, and the complex interplay of all these factors that arise in users' minds due to the influence of the first two levels. In Chinese terms, this is "feeling moved by the scene." According to the "New Stories of the World," when Huan Wen marched north, he passed by Jincheng and saw the willows he had planted in his youth had grown to a circumference of ten feet. He sighed and said, "Trees can grow like this, how much more can humans endure!" Clutching the branches and stems, he shed tears. If there were only the visceral level, the thick willows would not evoke much aesthetic response; but the presence of the reflective level made the protagonist experience strong emotional fluctuations. The importance of the reflective level is evident. The author further elaborates on the importance of the reflective level in modern product design, such as how it helps establish long-term bonds between products and users, and how it can help users build self-identity, and so on. For China, what Donald teaches in this book is particularly meaningful. In recent years, China's material progress has been nothing short of miraculous. Various products, whether for home or commercial use, are all about foreign, new, and luxurious. But beneath this extravagance, usability is often neglected, and harmony with the environment and the ability to establish long-term emotional bonds with users are overlooked. In other words, the behavioral and reflective levels are not done well enough. Donald's book has given us much to think about, many fresh ideas and perspectives, which will help us improve our design. For this reason, Chinese designers, especially those in software and industrial design, need to read this book. This book, with its unique, delicate, and humorous style, based on the three different dimensions of design—visceral, behavioral, and reflective—elaborates on the important role and position of emotions in design, deeply analyzing how to integrate emotional effects into product design. It can solve the long-standing problem that has troubled designers—conflict between usability and aesthetics, that is, useful things are often unattractive. This book is a classic work in design psychology. It cites a wealth of rich and novel examples, ranging from household appliances to computers, from personal websites to email, from computer games to movies, from modern communication tools like mobile phones to robots, covering a very broad scope. As the book points out at the end, we are all designers, and our work and lives are actually intertwined with design. This book will inspire all those engaged in design and psychology research, especially software and industrial designers.