Book Review_ Emotional Design

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

Donald A. Norman

I’d read the book The Design of Everyday Things in my college. The new concepts of information design was attracted me. It’s time I want to see more about the part “emotion” he added in his new book. When the technology reached a certain level (especially in function), people started to seek for something more than the basic usability. There is the niche of emotional design. Users not only buy a product in every purchase but also buy a symbol of fashion and taste. In the age of experience economy, the factor of emotion affects enormously. The book Emotional Design just shows the trend properly.

As a master of engineering and psychology, Norman shows marvelous understanding in the communication between human beings and machines. Like the slogan of Nokia Co.— Connecting People, the interface is the best bridge between users and machines. As a communicator between information and audience, I also have to keep the spirit on my mind. How to make my information easy to be understood? How to make the focus clear? How to make the first-time-user feel comfortable when they need something from the content I provide?... The book Emotional Design gave me some new angles to think of.