Emotional Design Publication

EMOTIONAL DESIGN Donald A. Norman & Trever Van Gorp

DDD 30013 Publication Jordan Taylor SF Mono SF Pro Display Swinburne University of Technology School of Design Published and Printed in Melbourne, Australia for the School of Design 2020 All rights reserved No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by means, electronic or mechanical, including photography, recording or any other information storage and retrieval system, without prior permission in writting from Swinburne University of Technology. Declaration of Originality and Copyright Unless specifically, correctly and accurately referenced in the bibliography, the publication and all other material in this publication is the original creation of the designer as the author. While very effort has been made to ensure the accuracy, the publisher does not under any circumstance accept any responsibility for error or omission. Copyright Agreement I agree for Swinburne University to use my project in this book for non commercial purposes, including: promoting the activities of the university or students: internal educational or administrative purposes: entry into appropriate awards, competitions and other related non-commercial ac=vi=es to show my work in lectures and as an example for future students online and face to face and in lectures. In some situations, this may involve re-purposing the work to meet the requirement of Swinburne’s use. I agree to grant to Swinburne exclusive worldwide, non-commercial, irrevocable and free of fee license to use this project produced in DDD30013 in any way for non-commercial purposes.

EMOTIONAL DESIGN Donald A. Norman & Trever Van Gorp

CONTENTS Part One 01 The Meaning Of Things 05 The Role of Emotion 07 Focus & Creativity 09 Objects 11 Feelings of Self

Part Two 15 Three Levels of Design 17 Visceral 21 Behavioral 25 Reflective Part Three 31 We are all Designers 35 References



Part One: The meaning of things

01 “If you want a golden rule that will fit everybody, this is it: Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful”. — William Morris The Beauty of Life, 1880 Emotional Design: Part One

The meaning of things A person’s most beloved objects may well be inexpensive trinkets, In creating a product, a designer frayed furniture, or photographs has many factors to consider: and books, often tattered, dirty, the choice of material, the or faded. A favourite object is manufacturing method, the a symbol, setting up a positive way the product is marketed, frame of mind, a reminder of cost and practicality, and how pleasant memories, or sometimes easy the product is to use, to an expression of one’s self. And understand. But what many this object always has a story, a people don’t realize is that remembrance, and something that there is also a strong emotional ties us personally to this particular component to how products are object, this particular thing. designed and put to use. In this book, I argue that the emotional Visceral, behavioural, and side of design may be more reflective: These three very critical to a product’s success different dimensions are than its practical elements. interwoven through any design. It is not possible to have design Beyond the design of an object, without all three. But more there is a personal component important, note how these as well, one that no designer or three components interweave manufacturer can provide. The both emotions and cognition. objects in our lives are more than We cognitive scientists now mere material possessions. We understand that emotion is a take pride in them, not necessarily necessary part of life, affecting because we are showing off our how you feel, how you behave, wealth or status, but because of the and how you think. Indeed, meanings they bring to our lives. emotion makes you smart. That’s the lesson of my current research. Without emotions, your decision-making ability would be impaired. Emotion is always passing judgments, presenting you with immediate information about the world: here is potential danger, there is potential comfort; this is nice, that bad. 02

03 One of the ways by which emotions work is through neurochemicals that bathe particular brain centers and modify perception, decision making, and behavior. These neurochemicals change the parameters of thought. The surprise is that we now have evidence that aesthetically pleasing objects enable you to work better. As I shall demonstrate, products and systems that make you feel good are easier to deal with and produce more harmonious results. When you wash and polish your car, doesn’t it seem to drive better? When you bathe and dress up in clean, fancy clothes, don’t you feel better? And when you use a wonderful, well- balanced, aesthetically pleasing garden or woodworking tool, tennis racket or pair of skis, don’t you perform better? Human beings are, of course, the most complex of all animals, with accordingly complex brain structures. A lot of preferences are present at birth, part of the body’s basic protective mechanisms. Emotional Design: Part One

But we also have powerful brain mechanisms for accomplishing things, for creating, and for acting. We can be skilled artists, musicians, athletes, writers, or carpenters. All this requires a much more complex brain structure than is involved in automatic responses to the world. And finally, unique among animals, we have language and art, humor and music. We are conscious of our role in the world and we can reflect upon past experiences, the better to learn; toward the future, the better to be prepared; and inwardly, the better to deal with current activities. Human responses to the everyday things of the world are complex, determined by a wide variety of factors. Some of these are outside the person, controlled by designer and manufacturer, or by advertising and such things as brand image. And some come from within, from your own, private experiences. Each of the three levels of design— visceral, behavioral, and reflective—plays its part in shaping your experience. Each is as important as the others, but each requires a different approach by the designer. 04

05 The Role of Emotion Technology often forces us into situations where we can’t live without the technology even though we may actively dislike its impact. Or we may love what the technology provides us while hating the frustrations encountered while trying to use it. Love and hate: two conflicting emotions, but commonly combined to form an enduring, if uncomfortable, relationship. These love-hate relationships can be amazingly stable. Love-hate relationships offer promise, if only the hate can be dissipated, retaining the love. The designer has some power here, but only to a limited extent, for although some of the irritation and dislike is a result of inappropriate or impoverished design, much is a result of societal norms and standards, and these can only be changed by society itself. Emotional Design: Part One

The good news is that the new We could all come to accept technologies enable us always the interuptions as a part of to feel connected, to be able to life, thinking nothing of it when share our thoughts and feelings the several members of a no matter where we are, no matter group continually enter their what we are doing, independent own private space to interact of the time or time zone. The bad with others—friends, bosses, news is, of course, those very coworkers, family, or perhaps same things. If all my friends their video game, where their were always to keep in touch, characters are in desperate need there would be no time for of help. The other direction is anything else. Life would be filled for people to learn to limit their with interruptions, twenty-four interactions, to let the tele phone hours a day. Each interaction take messages by text, video or alone would be pleasant and voice, so that the calls can be rewarding, but the total impact returned at a convenient time. I would be overwhelming. can imagine solutions designed to help facilitate this, so that the The problem, however, is technology within a telephone that the ease of short, brief might negotiate with a caller, communication with friends checking the calendars of each around the world disrupts party and setting up a time to the normal, everyday social converse, all without bothering interaction. Here, the only hope is any of the individuals. for a change in social acceptance. This can go in two directions. We need technologies that provide the rich power of interaction without the disruption: we need to regain control over our lives. Control, in fact, seems to be the common theme, whether it be to avoid the frustration, alienation, and anger we feel toward today’s technologies, or to permit us to interact with others reliably, or to keep tight the bonds between us and our family, friends, and colleagues. 06

07 Focus & Creativity The three levels interact with one another, each modulating the others. When activity is initiated from the lowest, visceral levels, it is called “bottom-up.” When the activity comes from the highest, reflective level, it is called “top- down” behavior. These terms come from the standard way of showing the processing structures of the brain, with the bottom layers associated with interpreting sensory inputs to the body and the top layers associated with higher thought processes. Bottom-up processes are those driven by perception whereas top-down are driven by thought. The brain changes its manner of operation when bathed in the liquid chemicals called neurotransmitters. A neurotransmitter does what its name implies: It changes how neurons transmit neural impulses from one nerve cell to another (that is, across synapses). Some neurotransmitters enhance transmission, some inhibit it. See, hear, feel, or otherwise sense the environment, and the affective system passes judgment, alerting other centers in the brain, and releasing neurotransmitters appropriate to the affective state. That’s bottom-up activation. Emotional Design

Think something at the The neurotransmitters bias reflective level and the thoughts the brain to focus upon are transmitted to the lower the problem and avoid levels which, in turn, triggers distractions. This is just what neurotransmitters. The result you need to do in order to is that everything you do has deal with danger. both a cognitive and an affective component—cognitive to assign When you are in a state meaning, affective to assign of positive affect, the very value. You cannot escape affect: opposite actions take place. it is always there. More important, Now, neurotransmitters the affective state, whether broaden the brain processing, positive or negative affect, the muscles can relax, changes how we think. and the brain attends to the opportunities offered When you are in a state by the positive affect. The of negative affect, feeling broadening means that you anxious or endangered, the are now far less focused, neurotransmitters focus the and far more likely to be brain processing. Focus refers receptive to interruptions to the ability to concentrate and to attending to any novel upon a topic, without distraction, idea or event. Positive affect and then to go deeper and arouses curiosity, engages deeper into the topic until some creativity, and makes the resolution is reached. Focus brain into an effective learning also implies concentration upon organism. With positive affect, the details. It is very important you are more likely to see the for survival, which is where forest than the trees, to prefer negative affect plays a major the big picture and not to role. Whenever your brain concentrate upon details. detects something that might be dangerous, whether through visceral or reflective processing, your affective system acts to tense muscles in preparation for action and to alert the behavioral and reflective levels to stop and concentrate upon the problem. 08

09 Objects This term of derision for the cheap and vulgar has been Objects That Evoke Memories applied, says the Columbia True, long-lasting emotional Electronic Encyclopedia, “since feelings take time to develop: the early 20th century to works they come from sustained considered pretentious and interaction. What do people tasteless. Exploitative commercial love and cherish, despise and objects such as Mona Lisa detest? Surface appearance and scarves and abominable plaster behavioral utility play relatively reproductions of sculptural minor roles. Instead, what matters masterpieces are described as is the history of interaction, kitsch, as are works that claim the associations that people artistic value but are weak, cheap, have with the objects, and the or sentimental.” “Sentimental” memories they evoke. means, according to the American Heritage Dictionary, “resulting Consider keepsakes and from or colored by emotion rather mementoes, postcards and than reason or realism.” “Emotion souvenir monuments. These are rather than reason”—well, yes, seldom considered beautiful, that is precisely the point. seldom thought of as works of art. In the world of art and design they are called kitsch. Emotional Design: Part One

In the world of design, we tend PHOTOGRAPHS, MORE than to associate emotion with beauty almost anything else, have a We build attractive things, cute special emotional appeal: they things, colorful things. However are personal, they tell stories. The important these attributes, they power of personal photography are not what drive people in their lies in its ability to transport the everyday lives. viewer back in time to some socially relevant event. Personal We like attractive things because photographs are mementos, of the way they make us feel. And reminders, and social instruments, in the realm of feelings, it is just as allowing memories to be shared reasonable to become attached across time, place, and people. to and love things that are ugly In the year 2000, there were as it is to dislike things that would about 200 million cameras in the be called attractive. Emotions United States alone, or around reflect our personal experiences, two cameras per household; with associations, and memories. these cameras people took around 20 billion photographs. With the advent of digital cameras, it is no longer possible to know just how many pictures are being taken, but probably a lot more. 10

11 Feelings of Self. The concept of self appears to be a fundamental human Memories reflect our attribute. It is difficult to imagine life experiences. They how it could be otherwise, remind us of families and given what we know of the friends, of experiences and mechanisms of mind and the accomplishments. They also roles that consciousness and serve to reinforce how we view emotion play. The concept is ourselves. Our self-image plays deeply rooted in the reflective a more important role in our lives level of the brain and highly than we like to admit. Even those dependent upon cultural norms. who deny any interest in how It is, therefore, difficult to deal others view them actually do with in design. care, if only by making sure that everyone else understands that In psychology, the study they don't. The way we dress and of the self has become a behave, the material objects we big industry, with books, possess, jewelry and watches, societies, journals, and cars and homes, all are public conferences. But \"self\" is expressions of our selves. a complex concept: It is culturally specific. Thus, Emotional Design: Part One Eastern and Western notions of self vary considerably, with the West placing more emphasis on the individual, the East on the group. Americans tend to want to excel as individuals, whereas Japanese wish to be good members of their groups and for others to be satisfied with their contributions. But even these characterizations are too broad and oversimplified. In fact, on the whole, people behave very similarly, given the same situation. It is culture that presents us with different situations.

Thus, Asian cultures are more likely to establish a sharing, group attitude than are the cultures of Europe and the Americas, where individualistic situations are more common. But put Asians in an individualistic situation and Europeans or Americans in a social, sharing situation, and their behaviors are remarkably similar. 12



Part Two: Three Levels of Design Working with the Three Levels

15 Visceral design > Appearance Behavioral design > The pleasure and effectiveness of use Reflective design > Self-image, personal satisfaction, memories. Emotional Design: Part Two

Three Levels of Design Sensory Motor Reflective Control Behavioral Control Reflective Three levels of processing: Visceral, Behavioral, and Reflective. The visceral level is fast: it makes rapid judgments of what is good or bad, safe or dangerous, and sends appropriate signals to the muscles (the motor system) and alerts the rest of the brain. This is the start of affective processing. These are biologically determined and can be inhibited or enhanced through control signals from above. The behavioral level is the site of most human behavior. Its actions can be enhanced or inhibited by the reflective layer and, in turn, it can enhance or inhibit the visceral layer. The highest layer is that of reflective thought. Note that it does not have direct access either to sensory input or to the control of behavior. Instead it watches over, reflects upon, and tries to bias the behavioral level. (Modified from a figure by Daniel Russell for Norman, Ortony, & Russell, 2003.) 16

17 I remember deciding to buy Apollinaris, a German mineral water, simply because I thought it would look so good on my shelves. As it turned out, it was a very good water. But I think I would have bought it even though it was not all that great. The nice interplay between the bottle's green and the label's beige and red as well as the font used for the brand turned this product of mass consumption into a decoration accessory for your kitchen. —Hugues Belanger email, 2002 Emotional Design: Part Two

Level One: Visceral. Fruits and flowers tend to be symmetrical, rounded, smooth, Visceral design is what nature pleasant to the touch, and does. We humans evolved to colorful. Flowers have pleasant coexist in the environment of odors, and most fruits taste other humans, animals, plants, sweet, the better to attract landscapes, weather, and animals and people who will eat other natural phenomena. As a them and then spread the seeds, result, we are exquisitely tuned whether by spitting or defecation. to receive powerful emotional In this co-evolution of design, signals from the environment the plants change so as to attract that get interpreted automatically animals, while the animals change at the visceral level. Thus, the so as to become attracted to the colorful plumage on male birds plants and fruits. The human love was selectively enhanced of sweet tastes and smells and through the evolutionary process of bright, highly saturated colors to be maximally attractive to probably derives from this co- female birds—as, in turn, were evolution of mutual dependence the preferences of female birds between people and plants. so as to discriminate better among male plumages. It's an The human preference for faces iterative, co-adaptive process, and bodies that are symmetrical each animal adapting over many presumably reflects selection generations to serve the other. A of the fittest; non-symmetrical similar process occurs between bodies probably are the result males and females of other of some deficiency in the genes species, between co-adaptive life or the matur tion process. forms across species, and even Humans select for size, color, and between animals and plants. appearance, and what you are biologically disposed to think of Fruits and flowers provide an as attractive derives from these excellent example of the co- considerations. Sure, culture evolution of plants and animals. plays a role, so that, for example, Nature's evolutionary process some cultures prefer fat people, made flowers to be attractive others thin; but even within those to birds and bees, the better to cultures, there is agreement on spread their pollen, and fruits what is and is not attractive, even if to be attractive to primates and too thin or too fat for specific likes. other animals, the better to spread their seeds. 18

19 When we perceive something as \"pretty,\" that judgment comes directly from the visceral level. In the world of design, \"pretty\" is generally frowned upon, denounced as petty, trite, or lacking depth and substance—but that is the designer's reflective level speaking (clearly trying to overcome an immediate visceral attraction). Because designers want their colleagues to recognize them as imaginative, creative, and deep, making something \"pretty\" or \"cute\" or \"fun\" is not well accepted. But there is a place in our lives for such things, even if they are simple. You can find visceral design in advertising, folk art and crafts, and children's items. Thus, children's toys, clothes, and furniture will often reflect visceral principles: bright, highly saturated primary colors. Is this great art? No, but it is enjoyable. Adult humans like to explore experiences far beyond the basic, biologically wired-in preferences. Emotional Design: Part Two

Thus, although bitter tastes are Today's sophistication runs the risk viscer- ally disliked (presumably of becoming tomorrow's discard. because many poisons are Great designs, like great art and bitter), adults have learned to literature, can break the rules and eat and drink numerous bitter survive forever, but only a few are things, even to prefer them. This gifted enough to be great. is an \"acquired taste,\" so called because people have had to At the visceral level, physical learn to overcome their natural features—look, feel, and sound— inclination to dislike them. So, dominate. Thus, a master chef too, with crowded, busy spaces, concentrates on presentation, or noisy ones, and discordant, arranging food artfully on the plate. nonhar- monic music, sometimes Here good graphics, cleanliness, with irregular beats: all things that and beauty play a role. Make the are viscer- ally negative but that car door feel firm and produce can be reflectively positive. a pleasant chunking sound as it closes. Make the exhaust sound The principles underlying of the Harley Davidson motorcycle visceral design are wired in, have a unique, powerful rumble. consistent across people and Make the body sleek, sexy, cultures. If you design according inviting, such as the classic 1961 to these rules, your design will Jaguar roadster of figure 3.2. Yes, always be attractive, even if we love sensuous curves, sleek somewhat simple. If you design surfaces, and solid, sturdy objects. for the sophisticated, for the reflective level, your design can readily become dated because this level is sensitive to cultural differences, trends in fashion, and continual fluctuation. 20

21 Level Two: Behavioral. Behavioral design is all about use. Appearance doesn't really matter. Rationale doesn't matter. Performance does. This is the aspect of design that practitioners in the usability community focus upon. The principles of good behavioral design are well known and often tolds. What matters here are four components of good behavioral design: function, understandability, usability, and physical feel. Sometimes the feel can be the major rationale behind the product. Emotional Design: Part Two

IN MOST behavioral design, function comes first and foremost; what does a product do, what function does it perform? If the item doesn't do anything of interest, then who cares how well it works? Even if its only function is to look good, it had better succeed. Some well designed items miss the target when it comes to fulfilling their purpose and thus deserve to fail. If a potato peeler doesn't actually peel potatoes, or a watch doesn't tell accurate time, then nothing else matters. So the very first behavioral test a product must pass is whether it fulfills needs. Good designers worry a lot about the physical feel of their products. Physical touch and feel can make a huge difference in your appreciation of their creations. Consider the delights of smooth, polished metal, or soft leather, or a solid, mechanical knob that moves precisely from position to position, with no backlash or dead zones, no wobbling or wiggling. 22

23 Physical objects have weight, texture, and surface. The design term for this is \"tangibility.\" Far too many high-technology creations have moved from real physical controls and products to ones that reside on computer screens, to be operated by touching the screen or manipulating a mouse. All the pleasure of manipulating a physical object is gone and, with it, a sense of control. Physical feel matters. We are, after all, biological creatures, with physical bodies, arms, and legs. Emotional Design: Part Two

Good behavioral design In addition, anyone involved should be human-centered, with a product is so close to the focusing upon understanding technical details, to the design and satisfying the needs of difficul• ties, and to the project the people who actually use issues that they are unable to the product. As I have said, view the product the way an the best way to discover these unattached person can. needs is through observation, when the product is being used Focus groups, questionnaires, naturally, and not in response and surveys are poor tools for to some arbitrary request to learning about behavior, for they \"show us how you would do x.\" are divorced from actual use. But observation is surprisingly Most behavior is subconscious rare. You would think that man• and what people actually do ufacturers would want to watch can be quite different from what people use their products, the they think they do. We humans better to improve them for the like to think that we know why future. But no, they are too busy we act as we do, but we don't, designing and matching the however much we like to explain features of the competition to our actions. The fact that both find out whether their products visceral and behavioral reactions are really effective and usable. are subconscious makes us unaware of our true reactions Engineers and designers explain and their causes. This is why that, being people themselves, trained professionals who they understand people, but this observe real use in real situaions argument is flawed. Engineers can often tell more about and designers simultaneously people's likes and dislikes—and know too much and too little. the reasons for them—than the They know too much about the people themselves. technology and too little about how other people live their lives and do their activities. 24

Emotional Design: Part Two25 Level Three: ReflectiveE. Reflective design covers a lot of territory. It is all about message, about culture, and about the meaning of a product or its use. For one,it is about the meaning of things, the personal remembrances something evokes. For another, very different thing, it is about self-image and the message a product sends to others. Whenever you notice that the color of someone's socks matches the rest of his or her clothes or whether those clothes are right for the occasion, you are concerned with reflective self-image. Whether we wish to admit it or not, all of us worry about the image we present to others—or, for that matter, about the self-image that we present to ourselves. Do you sometimes avoid a purchase \"because it wouldn't be right\" or buy something in order to support a cause you prefer? These are reflective decisions. In fact, even people who claim a complete lack of interest in how they are perceived— dressing in whatever is easiest or most comfortable, refraining from purchasing new items until the ones they are using completely stop working— make statements about themselves and the things they care about. These are all properties of reflective processing.

Attractiveness is a visceral-level phenomenon—the response is entirely to the surface look of an object. Beauty comes from the reflective level. Beauty looks below the surface. Beauty comes from conscious reflection and experience. It is influenced by knowledge, learning, and culture. Objects that are unattractive on the surface can give pleasure. Discordant music, for example, can be beautiful. Ugly art can be beautiful. Advertising can work at either the visceral or the reflective level. Pretty products—sexy automobiles, powerful-looking trucks, seductive bottles for drinks and perfume—play with the visceral level. Prestige, perceived rarity, and exclusiveness work at the reflective level. Raise the price of Scotch, and increase the sales. Make it difficult to get reservations to a restaurant or entrance to a club, and increase their desirability. These are reflective-level ploys. 26

27 Reflective-level operations Customer relationships play often determine a person's a major role at the reflective overall impression of a product. level, so much so that a good Here, you think back about the relationship can completely product, reflecting upon its total reverse an otherwise negative appeal and the experience of experience with the product. using it. Here is where many Thus, a company that goes out factors come into play and of its way to assist and help where the deficiencies of one disgruntled customers can often aspect can be outweighed by turn them into its most loyal fans. the strengths of another. Minor Indeed, the person who buys difficulties might very well a product and has nothing but be overlooked in the overall pleasant experiences with it may assessment—or enhanced, be less satisfied than the one who blown all out of proportion. has an unhappy experience, but is well treated by the company The overall impact of a product as it fixes the problem. This is an comes through reflection—in expensive way to win customer retrospective memory and loyalty, but it shows the power reassessment. Do you fondly of the reflective level. Reflective show your possessions to friends design is really about long- and colleagues, or do you hide term customer experience. It is them and, if you talk at all, is it about service, about providing only to complain? Things that a personal touch and a warm an owner is proud of will be interaction. When a customer displayed prominently, or, at the reflects on the product in order least, shown to people. to decide what next to purchase or to advise friends, a pleasant Emotional Design: Part Two reflective memory can overcome any prior negative experiences. Amusement park rides are a good example of the interplay between reflection and reaction. The ride appeals both to those who value the feelings that accompany high arousal and fear for its own sake and to those for whom the ride is all about the reflective power afterward.

At the visceral level, the whole Would you go on a ride if the point is to thrill riders, scaring amusement park was old and them in the process. But this shabby, with clearly broken has to be done in a reassuring components, rusty railings, and way. While the visceral system a general air of incompetence? is operating at full force, the Obviously not. The rational reflective system is a calming reassurance will not be nearly influence. This is a safe ride, it as effective. Once the reflective is telling the rest of the body. It system fails, then the appeal is only appears to be dangerous. apt to collapse as well. It is okay. During the ride, the visceral system probably wins. But in retrospect, when memory has dimmed, the reflective system wins. Now, it is a badge of honor to have experienced the ride. It provides stories to tell other people. Here an effective amusement park enhances the interaction by selling photographs of the rider at the peak of the experience. They sell photographs and souvenirs, so the riders can brag to friends. 28



Part Three: We Are All Designers

31 “A space can only be made into a place by its occupants. The best that the designer can do is put the tools into their hands.” —Steve Harrison and Paul Dourish,“Re-place-ing space.” Emotional Design: Part Three

We Are All Designers We are all designers. We were rearranged or a new table manipulate the environment, the purchased, the cup, pencil, book, better to serve our needs. We and paper would fit much more select what items to own, which naturally or the aesthetics would to have around us. We build, buy, become more pleasurable? Once arrange, and restructure: all this is a this is considered and a selection form of design. When consciously, made, you are designing. Moreover, deliberately rearranging objects on this activity is preceded by other our desks, the furniture in our living designs; namely, the design of the rooms, and the things we keep in building and the room, the selection our cars, we are designing. of the furniture and its placement, and the location of the lights and Through these personal acts of their controls. design, we transform the otherwise anonymous, commonplace things The best kind of design isn't and spaces of everyday life into our necessarily an object, a space, own things and places. Through or a structure: it's a process— our designs, we transform houses dynamic and adaptable. Many a into homes, spaces into places, college student has made a desk things into belongings. While we by placing a flat-sided door on may not have any control over the top of two filing cabinets. Boxes design of the many objects we become chairs and book cases. purchase, we do control which we Bricks and wood make shelves. select and how, where, and when Rugs become wall hangings. The they are to be used. best designs are the ones we create for ourselves. And this is the Sit down and decide where to most appropriate kind of design— put your coffee cup, your pencil, functional and aesthetic. It is the book you are reading, and the design that's in harmony with our paper you wish to write on—you are individual lifestyles. designing. Even if this seems trivial and superficial, the essence of design is present: A set of choices, some better than others, perhaps none fully satisfactory. Possibly a dramatic restructuring to make everything work much better, but at some cost in effort, money, or even skills. Maybe if the furniture 32

33 We are all designers—and have to be. Professional designers can make things that are attractive and that work well. They can create beautiful products that we fall in love with at first sight. They can create products that fulfill our needs, that are easy to understand, easy to use, and that work just the way we want them to. Pleasurable to behold, pleasurable to use. But they cannot make something personal, make something we bond to. Nobody can do that for us: we must do it for ourselves. When something gives pleasure, when it becomes a part of our lives, and when the way we interact with it helps define our place in society and in the world, then we have love. Design is part of this equation, but personal interaction is the key. Love comes by being earned, when an object's special characteristics makes it a daily part of our lives, when it deepens our satisfaction, whether because of its beauty, its behavior, or its reflective component. Emotional Design: Part Three

The words of William Morris provide a fitting close to the book, just as they provided a fitting opening: “If you want a golden rule that will fit everybody, this is it: Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.” 34

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Emotional Design