Emotions
#88 - Nov.2023
Our brains are complex.
Our perception of what's a good or bad design flows through different conscious and unconscious pathways. As designers, we should consider these pathways when creating a product or service.
I particularly like the way Donald Norman separates the different levels for processing an experience: Visceral, Behavioral, and Reflective. Each one has its role in how a user discovers, uses, and remembers such experience.
The visceral response, the most immediate of the reactions, is mostly unconscious. It's our body responding to the perception of what's appealing to us. Designing for this response involves leveraging colors, harmony, and structure. Bringing order to chaos.
The behavioral level, the most critical, is about holding our promise to the expectation of using the product or service. Committing to this promise gives a sense of control and knowledge to users. It's about clarity and feedback.
The reflective stage is the cognitive and slow thinking. It molds the emotions that came from the experience of using the product or service. These are the memories left from the positive or negative outcomes. It is what drives engagement.
Design is about navigating at all levels, leveraging emotions, and managing cognitive thoughts.
Emotions trigger thoughts. Thoughts trigger emotions.
Consider both.
