Designing for Emotion

This week we were asked to design our first direct mailer, do a segmenting stakeholders matrix, and read a Chapter in Designing for Emotion. I thought this chapter was insightful into how design and emotion are intertwined.

One thing I agree with is the comparison of design to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. The authors remade it to have “functional” at the base and “pleasurable” at the top. If a design is pleasurable but not functional than users won’t spend much time on it, and it probably will leave a bad taste in their mouth for the organization you are working with. Also, a design may not even be able to be pleasurable if it’s not functional, reliable or usable.

Overall, I didn’t find much about this chapter that I didn’t agree with. I think the authors hit it spot on with the hierarchy of needs. And although a website may not really need to have an enjoyable experience, it is a definite plus. That’s why it’s a hierarchy. Being pleasurable is at the top and comes after making a design functional, reliable and usable. The chapter says that a pleasurable design is a “powerful way to build a positive memory”. The point of it being pleasurable is not only to make an experience using the site enjoyable, but to also make a positive imprint of the brand on a consumer.