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

Description

Did you ever wonder why cheap wine tastes better in fancy glasses? Why sales of Macintosh computers soared when Apple introduced the colorful iMac? New research on emotion and cognition has shown that attractive things really do work better, as Donald Norman amply demonstrates in this fascinating book, which has garnered acclaim everywhere from Scientific American to The New Yorker. Emotional Design articulates the profound influence of the feelings that objects evoke, from our willingness to spend thousands of dollars on Gucci bags and Rolex watches, to the impact of emotion on the everyday objects of tomorrow. Norman draws on a wealth of examples and the latest scientific insights to present a bold exploration of the objects in our everyday world. Emotional Design will appeal not only to designers and manufacturers but also to managers, psychologists, and general readers who love to think about their stuff.

Donald A. Norman is a cognitive scientist and cofounder of the Nielsen Norman Group, an executive consulting firm that helps companies produce human-centred products and services. His many books include The Design of Everyday Things, Things That Make Us Smart and The Invisible Computer. He lives in Illinois, USA.

"Amazing...Norman does a wonderful job making these ideas come alive."--Daniel Bobrow, Research Fellow, Palo Alto Research Center "Don Norman does it again! He asks the important questions and gives the right answers. I wish this insightful book had been available forty years ago so that I could have done a much better job as a designer."--Dr. Robert Blaich, former Senior Vice President of Corporate Design, Royal Philips Electronics "Donald Norman's relentless and exacting exploration of the universe of everyday objects has brought him to the final frontier of design: emotions. His exquisite psychological analysis provides a solid and reliable reference and a most valuable tool." --Paola Antonelli, Curator of Architecture and Design, Museum of Modern Art "Norman's analysis of people's emotional reactions to material objects is a delightful process...His readers will take away insights galore about why shoppers say, 'I want that.'"--Booklist "Norman's analysis of the design elements in products such as automobiles, watches and computers will pique the interest of many readers, not just those in the design or technology fields."--Publishers Weekly "The book pops with fresh paradigms, applying scientific rigor to our romance with the inanimate. You'll never see housewares the same way again."--Wired "This is a valuable book... It will help the design world to do great work." --Patrick Whitney, Director, Institute of Design, Illinois Institute of Technology