Interesting thoughts and meanderings, but less concrete or cohesive than The Design of Everyday Things. ( )

In the epilogue of this book, Don Norman expresses his gratitude to a myriad of people who helped him organize many years worth of disparate notes into a cohesive book. For me, ‘Emotional Design’ remained rather disconnected. Not in an altogether bad way, the book reads like the (slightly rambling) classroom lecture from a venerable guru …with the reader left to pull it all together.Norman offers an illuminating model - distinguishing between 3 layers of design: visceral, behavioral and reflective - to understand why people like the objects they do. And like ‘Design of Everyday Things’ he explores this model with numerous fun and apropos examples. But soon the book wanders from discussion of this cognitive model to pondering on the future of design. According to Norman this future will be marked by our increased dependence on smart robots in every facet of life, where the more we grow to depend on these servants of our own making – functionally and emotionally - the more the line between man and robot will become less and less clear. All this talk of material stuff and robotic servitude makes ‘Emotional Design’ a testament to American consumerism and I was moderately disappointed by the lack of freshness here. A worthwhile read from the man who brought us ‘The Design of Everyday Things’, but ultimately one that falls in the category of ‘plane book’. That is, the type of book I read on a plane because I know I’ll have no other escape. ( )

1935, professor emeritus of cognitive science at University of California, San Diego and a Professor of Computer Science at Northwestern University.
Pros: interesting subject matter
Cons: the author has 1 or 2 simple and obvious points to make but extend it into a full book of repetitive and boring elaboration. Nothing insightful. ( )

Started off strong, but seemed to lose cohesion as it progressed.

There are three levels of design:

*Visceral Design - Appearance
*Behavioral Design - The pleasure and effectiveness of use
*Reflective Design - Self-image, personal satisfaction, memories ( )

Norman's title asks an interesting question. Why do we love or hate things? Unfortunately, the book does not even hint at answering that question.

Instead, the author painfully rambles on topics well beyond his expertise (text messages, console games, ...). Norman rediscovers the basic facts of marketing and reiterates its tired textbook examples. Only pointy-haired bosses will be enlightened. Why did I not like this book? Because it promised expertise but contained pomposity and banalities.

Your time is better spent (re-)reading Norman's classic The Design of Everyday Things. ( )