Designing for Emotion: Review of Chapter 1

Hello again!

This week in PR Publications, we were asked to read the first chapter of “Designing for Emotion” and give our thoughts about it.

I really enjoyed a lot of the first chapter – I may have kept reading more than we were assigned this week, oops!  The best part of Chapter 1 for me was the discussion of the Wufoo web app, a spreadsheet/database developing application that presents bland, boring information with an appeal to human emotions based on their bright, cheerful web design.  Also intriguing was the section about Betabrand, a non-traditional online clothing store who operates their website almost as a magazine.  I took a look around their site, and the content and the design integrated well to create a fun, engaging atmosphere for potential consumers – almost taking their mind off of the somewhat exorbitant price tags!

The one thing that I noticed in this chapter that I had a little trouble swallowing was that there was a need to appeal to emotion in the “best” design or that every great design had to be the “best meal of your life.” I question this somewhat.  In fact, this made me think of an absolutely terribly designed television commercial that neither appeals to emotion or even good design strategy, but was incredibly effective at imparting the information/message that it was sending.  I am referring to the “Head on, apply directly to the forehead” commercials, which of course I have so conveniently linked to directly below this text!

So simple, so terrible, so effective.

I am looking forward to reading more of this book and also to reading my classmates opinions about it as well!

Until next time!