The Importance of Experiences and Emotions - Research Paper Example

? Running Head: Research Paper Research Paper Research Paper The importance of experiences and emotions (Norman) A good design product intends on creating pleasant experiences during the product life cycle. Don Norman looks on how emotions play a crucial role in the understanding of the world by humans and how human beings learn new things. According to Norman 2002, aesthetically pleasing objects usually appear more effectives by virtue of their sensual appeal. Don Norman has not overcomplicated the importance of emotional appreciation simply because attractive design usually comes with emotional appreciation. Actually, by reading through, one gets important insights on understanding the omnipresence of the role of design. Norman’s idea on The Invisible Computer is quite likable (Norman, 2002). Norman tries to establish that emotion which an essential part of life and states that the effective system makes judgments and helps tone to quickly determine the dangerous things in the environment. Just as indicated by Norman, it is quite true that advances in our emotional understanding have implications on design. Norman explores how emotional appreciation is attached to design. He gives an example of three different teapots and the emotions attached to them which compelled him to use them during different occasions. This explains how emotional design is attached to attractive things. From the discussion by Donald Norman, one is compelled to think exactly like him. For example, those products which are made to use when one is under stress should be designed in a way which is human centered (Norman, 2002). This design then comes with a kind of emotional appreciation from the stress people and can make them more relaxed which enhance their usability through the pleasant aesthetic design. It is quite true that attractive things only work better in situations where aesthetics matter. Visceral design is simply what nature does, and it is about how things sound, look or feel. Visceral design or aesthetic appreciation cannot be separated from emotional feelings as the feeling, and the looks of a design brings about the emotional feeling. One will surely see a design and love it depending on it use, attractiveness and the emotional feelings it brings. According to Norma 2002, the pleasurable and pleasant aspects of a design usually make a person to feel more tolerant to problems and difficulties (Norman, 2002). The positive affects of a design usually enhance creativity and this make those designs which are human centered to be essential for situations or tasks which are stressful and this how Donald Norman emphasized on the importance of design in creating pleasant emotions. 2. The philosophers tool kit (iPod and Philosophy by Wittkower) The iPod is a symbol of change which comes in the way we create and consume media and yet we are still struggling to get its meaning. The book on the iPod and Philosophy gives the theories on the iPod and brings together the older and younger minds who consider communication, entertainment technologies and impact of rapid information during the twenty first century. Each chapter in the book is a philosophical meditation of how iPodders have found the device and how it is embedded in the society and economy and has significantly changed our daily lives (Baggini and Fosl, 2011). Chapter 1: Wittgenstein’s iPod or the familiar among us and Chapter 2: The moment of the blobject has passed are the selected chapters. Epistemology is a philosopher’s tool kit used in chapter one to elaborate on science and its capabilities. The knowledge of iPod is justified, and it is scientific knowledge. Chapter one comes with questions like; what do you hear when you listen to our iPods? And what was on Wittgenstein’s iPod? All these are aimed at justifying the familiarity of the iPod to the people. Epistemology has been used in comparing listening music from iPods from listening music from Beach Boy’s classic. Intuitive knowledge as part of epistemology is evident in chapter one as people is aware in their minds on iPods and has memories and perceptions of the iPods (Baggini and Fosl, 2011). Logical analysis is philosophical toolkit used in chapter 2 to elaborate on the correct reasoning when it comes to iPods. The author elaborates of the wave of truth and beauty that comes with iPods. He considers the shit in design from blobjects to iPods, and this is a philosophical investigation on what happens in our daily lives. 3. Understanding media (Evans) “Even when you are not listening, people are talking about you.” The book explains on how different celebrities are media manufactured in that the media and the public always talk about a celebrity even when she or he is not listening. It also explains how ordinary people talk of the things about celebrities whom they obtain from the media like radios and televisions. People learn about celebrities from magazines, televisions and other media sources and this means that the media makes celebrities (Jessica and David, 2005). The above statement clearly explains how what people hear from media and what they read from the press about celebrities highly influences our opinions. Celebrity activities are presented in the media in a way which influenced the viewers and readers in that they will continue talking of the stated celebrities even in the absence of the media. This statement means that celebrities are created by the media instead of being born as ‘special’ people. ‘All media are financed by taxes or tax like levies’ This statement means that there is a high level of commercial exploitation when it comes to media technologies. The media are financed by buying and selling media products in the market which come at a high cost, a cost from taxes paid by people or tax like levies. ‘Various digital media (and analog) were developed because of the revenues derived from phonograph’ Phonographs bring about celebrity and celebrities are created by the media. When media create celebrities, they are able to earn revenues from the increased sale of media products since the advertisers know that a large number of people is watching, listening or reading a particular excerpt on the celebrities. This comes at a high cost to the advertisers a situation which has media houses transform from analog to digital. Transforming from analog to digital is expensive but through the creation of celebrities, different media are able to get the required funds to transform. References Top of Form Norman, D. A., (2002). Emotion and design: Attractive things work better. Interactions Magazine, ix (4), 36-42. Jessica E and David H., (2005). Understanding Media: Inside Celebrity. Open University Press Baggini J and Fosl P.S, (2011). The Philosopher's Toolkit: A Compendium of Philosophical Concepts and Methods. John Wiley & Sons Read More