Designing for Humans (Chapter 2)

This chapter focused on emotion and how it can effect design. The opening of the chapter discussed how emotion is the native language of all humans. It is the thing that binds us all together, and something we are all born knowing how to do. I found this to be something that sounds so basic, but something that has a massive impact on our everyday life.

The section about humans evolving to love baby faces so we wouldn’t kill them was a little crazy to me. Using cuteness as a “first line of defense” makes the entire world sound like a war zone, but I did like how that tied back into the concept of design. It is interesting to think that every design has a connection to some kind of emotional instinct and I think that is important to keep in mind.

In regards to “accidental narcism” I am a little unsure. I do understand that seeing faces and people makes something more personable, but I don’t think I look at a tree and see a face, or look for myself in everything around me. Then again maybe that’s the “accidental” part.

The sentence “Attractive things make people feel good, which in turn makes them think more creatively” seems a little conceited to me, but it does make sense. I do find myself attracted to sleek looking ads or exotic looking locations, and that is something to keep in mind as I am designing as well.