memory challenge

 

#2 - Emotional Design : Why we love or hate everyday things - Donald Norman

          Based on the book Why we love or hate everyday things by Donal Norman, it tells us about three levels of processing which is visceral, behavioral and reflective. I have read his book from chapter one until chapter three which is he continuously elaborated that process in variety of style in each chapter. For the first aspects is visceral design which concerns itself with appearances. Next, behavioral design has to do with the pleasure and effectiveness of use. Finally, reflective design considers the rationalization and intellectualization of a product. In his writing in the 1980s, The Design of Everyday Things, he was infuriated by poorly designed objects. But that attitude has changed since he understand that how emotion and cognition are thoroughly intertwined. I was intrigued on what the writer saying that everything we do, everything we think is tinged with emotion, much of subconscious. In turn, our emotions change the way we think, and serve as constant guides to appropriate behavior, steering us away  from the bad, guiding us toward the good.


          Emotion is a necessary part of life and it makes the person smart. In the mean time, its affecting feeling, behavior and someone's thoughts. If we have no emotions, our decision-making ability would be decrease. If we look to the word 'emotion', its allow us to be more imaginary person indirectly. After I read his book, I realized that Donald Norman make an 'imagination session' in this book. So that, the readers can be more feeling and understand on how to express the emotion mood. For some example in that pages, "Imagine a long narrow plank ten meters long and one meter wide. Place it on the ground. Can you walk on it? Of course. You can jump up and down, dance, and even walk along with your eyes shut. Now prop the plank up so that it is three meters off the ground. Can you walk on it? Yes, although you proceed more carefully." The paragraph obviously shows that Donald Norman raise the mood of conversations between him and the readers. Similarly as I am which is also get the feel of the imagination.


"Design is important to me." - Donald Norman

          I am quite interested when the writer said that, "If the roller coaster is so frightening, why is it so popular?". I agreed with his opinion which is there are at least two reasons. First, some people seem to love fear itself such as enjoying the high arousal and increased adrenaline rush that accompanies danger. The second is the feelings that follow the ride. So that, the pride in conquering fear and of being able to brag about it to others. If we talk about 'design', it is essentially a rational, logical, sequential process intended to solve problems. Like what the writer said that, "A successful design has to excel at all levels." I am totally agreed with that statement which is before the design process, the designer should know about do and dos 'things' that they are going to design. Design is an area of human experience, skill and knowledge which is concerned with man's ability to mould his environment to suit his material and spiritual needs. Donal Norman also have said that if the performance is inadequate, the product fails. We cannot make things that half-heartedly. The challenges should be thought of as opportunities. Designers must explore new things.


          However, there is another facets of the three levels process can be mapped to product characteristic like visceral design which is the writer considered as appearance, behavioral design regarded as the pleasure and effectiveness of use and reflective design reputed as self-image or personal satisfaction. It is quiet interesting even these simplifications are difficult to apply. So that, the designer should know for whom the product is intended. Moreover, knowing their target audience is a critical piece of design. Skills and knowledge of customer psychology will plan an important role in helping them to get a message out to consumers. As a designer, they need to keep up or be left behind. According to Donal Norman, there are large individual differences in the degree of a visceral response. Such individual differences are the basic components of personality, the distinctions among people that make each of us unique. At the visceral level, the physical appearances of the consoles and controllers need to be changed. Different markets should have different designs. Some design should be more outstanding, especially for the educational marketplace. These changes wouldn't make the product dull and unexciting.

           Hence, from my perspective view of this book, what the writer try to present mostly about emotion and three levels of design which is visceral, behavioral and reflective. I loved the way he elaborates the subjects. He elaborates that subjects with variety of view to make sure his writing will attracted the readers to get the point. On top of that, this book was quite interesting to read although the writer used some term of aesthetic word but it is easy to understand.

Assignment 1 : Letters Upon The Aesthetic Education of Man, 1794

         I have read from the book of 'Letters Upon The Aesthetic Education of Man, 1794' by J.C. Friedrich Von Schiller, the first letter to the fifth letter of the book and i have found that the writer talk about his researches upon beauty and art. He importance in the intellectual history of Germany is by no means confined to his poetry and dramas. He did notable work in history and philosophy, and in the department of esthetics especially, he made significant contributions, modifying and developing in important respects the doctrines of Kant. In the letters on "Esthetic Education", he gives the philosophic basis for his doctrine of art, and indicates clearly and persuasively his view of the place of beauty in human life.

          If we look to the first letter in first paragraph which is it said that, '..I am keenly sensible of the importance as well as of the charm and dignity of this undertaking. I shall treat a subject which is closely connected with the better portion of our happiness and not far removed from the moral nobility of human nature. I shall plead this cause of the Beautiful before a heart by which her whole power is felt and exercised, and which will take upon itself the most difficult part of my task in an investigation where one is compelled to appeal as frequently to feelings as to principles'. I am not sure that some philosophers have thought this, but it doesn't seem very plausible to describe. Thus, there is a lot of opinion about 'beautiful'. From my perspective of beauty is it can be accepted as the characteristic of a person, animal, place, object or an idea that provides a perceptual experience of pleasure or satisfaction. Beauty is also studied as part of aesthetics. The experience of "beauty" often involves the interpretation of some entity as being in balance and harmony with nature, which may lead to feelings of attraction and emotional well-being. Because this is a subjective issue, it is often said that "beauty is in the eye of the beholder". If we look to the next letter of Schiller which is in the last paragraph, he think that he can not only excuse, but even justify by solid grounds to resisting that attractive purpose and in preferring beauty to freedom.

         I am quite interested when read the third letter of Schiller which is in paragraph four '...When the mechanic has to mend a watch, he lets the wheels run out, but the living watchworks of the state have to be repaired while they act, and a wheel has to be exchanged for another during its revolutions. Accordingly props must be sought for to support society and keep it going while it is made independent of the natural condition from which it is sought to emancipate it.' I like when he trying to describe some situation by used some character like the mechanic repair a watch. Its make the reader to be more creative to imagine the situation thus, be more think out of the box. Other than that, Schiller also think that the term natural condition can be applied to every political body which owes its establishment originally to forces and not to laws, and such as a state contradicts the moral nature of a man, because lawfulness can alone have authority over this and it is quite sufficient for the physical man. At the same time, Schiller also consider that the physical man is a reality and the moral man problematical. I think that there are two different characters of a man which is one is positive character and the other is negative.

          According to the all five letters of J.C. Friedrich Von Schiller that i have read, I am randomly conclude that the writer was trying to express on how beauty and arts effect in life. How important of beauty in every person. All that kind of things was give an effect to my perception of beauty. However, this is my first time reading this kind of philosophical book which discussed issues concerning ethics and aesthetics style and also has a deep meaning in each words that the writer used. Nevertheless, this is an interesting book that i ever read so far and it give some positive attitude of beauty in life.