Emotional Design: Why We Love Everyday Things - Book Report/Review Example

? Multimedia Design THE IMPORTANCE OF EXPERIENCES AND EMOTIONS (Norman) Personal or group experiences and emotions play asignificant role in users’ satisfaction by a product. It is thus vital that designers of multimedia systems or software take a close look and analysis on the emotional effects to be implied by a particular design of a product (Norman, 2004). Thus, a well or high profile product designs extensively promotes the experience levels of its customers all through its lifecycle resulting into a favorable consumer reaction. On the other hand, a poor product design distracts the users urge to interact with it hence resulting into an unfavorable consumer reaction to the product. It is therefore vital to acknowledge that emotional effect by a product to its users has to be made one of the focal point in the design process. Norman greatly recognizes the necessity of emotional appreciation in the available products, goods and services to the human beings (Norman, 2004). Figure 1: Key design considerations Throughout the scheme of importance of experiences and emotions, Normans has laid key emphasis on the importance of emotional appreciation. In addressing the subject, Norman divides human’s appreciation with focus laid at two notions that influence appreciation (Norman, 2004). These notions are visceral and aesthetic appreciation. Visceral appreciation engrosses a human being’s pleasure to something motivated by one’s natural intelligence or knowledge in practical circumstances where any of the stimuli sensory faculties are triggered from in or outside an individual’s body (Norman, 2004). The stimuli faculties here include an individual’s ability to hear, view around (sight), smell, equilibrium, taste and touch. Triggering of the sensory stimuli leads an individual to consider something as favorable or unfavorable. On the other aesthetic appreciation encompasses the decisive reflection on art, nature and culture driven by one’s judgment of outlook or even taste. In brief, the second Norman’s division of emotional appreciation is based on one’s sensor-emotional values (Norman, 2004). Thorough analyses of the visceral and aesthetic appreciation provide a clarified detail of each and their integration to trigger an individual’s appreciation of one thing over another (Norman, 2004). Clearly, visceral appreciation focuses keenly on one being driven by the stimulus factors in or outside one’s environs. In this sense, it clarifies that visceral appreciation significantly revolves around effects of a product or service on one or a number of the stimulus faculties. For aesthetic appreciation, emphasis is laid on an individual’s sensory implication or sentimental judgment of a product, service or things around. It is hereby clear that the two do not have to be separated since revolve almost the same notion. To be precise, I disagree with Norman’s idea of dividing emotional appreciation based on the two. Norman clearly over complicates the idea of emotional appreciation. From point of view and thorough scrutiny of the subject, I can deduct that, emotional appreciation is based on the sensory effects resulting from only stimulus faculties and experience on a product or service. In other words, this clarifies that since aesthetic appreciation focuses on sensory judgment of a thing, then it (aesthetic appreciation) must involve one or more of the stimuli faculties. Therefore, if the stimuli must be involved, then that means it (aesthetic appreciation) depends on a key component of the visceral appreciation (Norman, 2004). This is because, as analyzed earlier, visceral appreciation focuses mainly on the effects of stimulus faculties in or outside one’s body. It is in this sense that I prefer that Norman should have merged the visceral and aesthetic appreciation instead of separating them. In addition, the experience levels an individual has on a product or service with relation to another further enhances that individual’s emotional appreciation to becoming either favorable of unfavorable (Norman, 2004). THE PHILOSOPHER'S TOOL KIT II (Wittkower) Chapter 2: A moment of Blobject has passed This chapter describes a considerable technological advancement in the multimedia design field. The design process has been swinging around the poles of beauty and truth of the product or service to be delivered. That is, the design of products has been exceptionally focused on the outlook of the product (beauty) and its ability to meet the most satisfactory functionalities to its targeted users (Wittkower, 2008). The introduction of the Blobject (1990) was fundamental in characterizing the merge between and technology. However, in the rise of the IPod, (2001) the notion of a Blobject was brought to a fall. The Blobject was focused on unifying the idea that design has to focus on beauty and truth while on the other hand, introduction of the IPod focused on culminate the merge of the two. IPod design changed the whole design process focusing on beauty and functionality to enhancing a role it has to play in the lives of the users. Figure 2: IPod diagram Figure 3: Blobject design strategy All the way through the chapter analysis, a number of philosophical toolkits were captured where the writer used to deliver a message. The first philosophical toolkit discovered is the one about attitude of non-attachment to views. This philosophical toolkit engrosses the idea of being open to variety of thought experiments. This is discovered in the scenario where the writer clarifies the IPod design as changing the whole design notion from just being based on beauty and truth to playing a role in the society. In this sense, it is clear that IPod design encircles wider view of design considerations thus making it conducive to a large set of people around the globe. It further provides room for improvisation to serve all technological advancements with focus laid on customer satisfaction (Wittkower, 2008). In addition, the writer has applied a philosophical toolkit called the essence of definition. This is seen in the cases where as from the chapter outset, both the Blobject based product design and the IPod driven design methodology are clearly defined. According to the essence of design toolkit, a description of a product or a thing has to capture all the most significant qualities that clearly describe it (Wittkower, 2008). Finally and yet importantly, the law of non-contradiction philosophical toolkit has been put into close consideration in jotting down this chapter. The writer begins by clarifying what exactly the Blobject was and how it contributed to the design, processes employed. He then goes further to clarify its shortcomings and introduces the rise of the IPod driven design strategies. A clarification of the IPod design then follows. All through this chapter, the writer has explicitly explained the design procedures followed with no contradiction of one design process to another. It is vital to acknowledge that a considerable number of philosophical toolkits contained in this chapter have played a significant role in enhancing my comprehension of products design. Among the philosophical tools that are certain to enhancing my studies and thus look, be useful in my future professional practices include, openness to diversity of views and essence of definition (Wittkower, 2008). The former will play an exceptional role in opening my mind in the design profession while the latter will be more influential in ensuring that I have a thorough understanding of every aspect of my studies and future career practices at large. UNDERSTANDING MEDIA (Evans) Engrossing a fundamental comprehension of media is an integral part of one’s life long living. It refers to the acquaintance required to comprehend, put into use and create messages from a diverse of media sources (Evans, 2010). In general, whatever goes in a certain media directly or indirectly influence one’s life socially or even economically. It is thus essential that individuals have a clear understanding of the media that surrounds or encircles them. Based on the following statements, a thorough analysis is imperative to come up with a clear understanding of any media type. The statements include Evans saying that, "Even when you aren't listening, people are talking about you" (Evans, 2010). In addition, the statements, “You must participate in the dialogues. All media are financed by taxes or tax-like levies. A various digital media (and analog!) were developed because of the revenues derived from pornography” form the basis for this media comprehension paper. The above statements provide a wide set of information to analyze and interpret thus delivering a clear justification on how we understand media. To Evans’ statement that, even when an individual is not listening, people are still talking about him or her, significant message is delivered. The above statement clarifies to all individuals that, whether an individual is paying attention to a media delivering a message or not it still greatly affects or involves him or her in one way or another. It is thus vital that people try their best not to ignore any media or message type under transmission (Evans, 2010). The second statement where it goes, “You must participate in the dialogues” further clarifies that it is essential individuals participate in the discussions even if it is by just listening. It further encompasses the idea that these dialogues promote direct or indirect influence on an individual thus making it essential for the individual to participate (Evans, 2010). Finally and yet importantly, the statements, “All media are financed by taxes or tax-like levies. A various digital media (and analog) were developed because of the revenues derived from pornography” deliver a key subject as regards to necessity of media understanding. On the one about media being financed by taxes, it is clear that, even when an individual does not concentrate on media, largely this media affects one’s day-to-day way of life. It is then essential that one greatly take close adherence to the media around him or her. The second one enlightens all individuals that even the practices that are not considered as essential (pornography) have largely played a significant role in the advancement of media technologies. Generally, it is in this sense imperative to acknowledge and give significant necessities to the media that surrounds an individual (Evans, 2010). Although understanding media around one always looks as a simple subject, it largely involves a key number of issues to be brought into close consideration. In understanding the media around me, I go about a number steps. The first step is to access the message that involves be in position capture the media information that is delivered (Evans, 2010). Secondly, I critically analyze the media or message. This involves making a thorough analysis of the media source (the author or audience) and the time the media or message was made. This step focuses on gathering credibility of the message thus necessitating the need to know more about the media. Evaluation of the media then follows where I assess the points of view presented by the messages or media data. This encompasses capturing the meanings provided in the media. References Norman, D. A. (2004). Emotional design: Why we love (or hate) everyday things. New York: Basic Books. Wittkower, D. E. (2008). iPod and philosophy: ICon of an ePoch. Peru, Ill: Open Court. Evans, Liana (2010). Social media marketing: strategies for engaging in Facebook, Twitter & other social media. Read More