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Theory

Emotional design

A theory that explains how a product stirs emotions on three levels at once: what you feel when you see it, what you experience when you use it and what it means to the person who owns it.

In Spanish
Diseño emocional
Origin
Norman (2004)

What problem it addresses

It explains why two products that work the same aren’t experienced the same, and why an attractive object seems easier to use.

An example

An illustrative example: two kettles that heat water equally well.

It just works
It boils water, but it’s clunky and nobody leaves it on display. It goes in a cupboard.
It works and it pleases
It does the same, but it’s a pleasure to look at and use, and it says something about whoever chose it. It stays in the kitchen.

With the same function, the one that stirs emotions gets used more, forgiven more and kept longer.

Why it happens

  1. At first sight, shape, color and touch trigger an immediate reaction.

  2. When you use it, feeling that it works and that you’re in control is satisfying.

  3. Over time, the object comes to say something about its owner and their memories.

Applications in design

  • Use it like this

    Review your design on all three levels, first impression, use and meaning, not just function.

  • Avoid

    Covering up a hard-to-use product with an attractive finish.

  • Don’t fall for it

    Looking easy doesn’t mean it is: check it with people who use it.

0.59 → 0.92

What the research says

With 26 ATM designs, the more attractive a design looked, the easier people believed it was to use. The relationship was 0.59 in Japan and 0.92 when the study was repeated in Israel (Kurosu and Kashimura, 1995; Tractinsky, 1997).

Debated evidence. The studies measure how easy the product seems before it is used, not how easy it really is. And the strength of the relationship changes with culture and task.

Connections

Used in

Related to

Authors and works

  1. 2004

    Donald A. Norman

    Proposed the three levels at which a product affects us: visceral, behavioral and reflective, and argued that attractive things work better.

  2. 1995

    Masaaki Kurosu and Kaori Kashimura

    Asked 252 people to rate 26 ATM designs and found that perceived beauty went hand in hand with perceived ease of use.

  3. 1997

    Noam Tractinsky

    Repeated the study in Israel with the same designs and found an even stronger relationship.

Sources

Original sources

  • Norman, D. A. (2004). Emotional design: Why we love (or hate) everyday things. Basic Books. View source: Norman, D. A. (2004)
  • Kurosu, M., & Kashimura, K. (1995). Apparent usability vs. inherent usability: Experimental analysis on the determinants of the apparent usability. In CHI '95 Conference Companion (pp. 292–293). ACM. View source: Kurosu, M., & Kashimura, K. (1995)
  • Tractinsky, N. (1997). Aesthetics and apparent usability: Empirically assessing cultural and methodological issues. In Proceedings of CHI '97 (pp. 115–122). ACM. View source: Tractinsky, N. (1997)

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