Don Norman on 3 ways good design makes you happy | Video on TED.com

Don Norman on 3 ways good design makes you happy | Video on TED.com

My reflection:

In this video, Don Norman conveys a good views of how design of a product should consider its beauty, functionality as well as how it can creates story for the people who use it. This video gives me an insights of how a product can be attractive and innovative eventhough it doesn't function to what we expected.

Norman expresses that the emotion of the users plays a very important role to the success of its design. We as users are often affected by our subconscious feeling that cleverly set by the designers. Though it is not a new concept, as a designer, this is very helpful thing to be always reminded that we should design a product that creates happy and emotional attach to the users as it fits better to the society.

The example that Norman shows in his video about the table tennis table that are projected (so that it looks like an aquarium) conveys a real fact that people care more about the fun and pleasant experience that the products can create rather than its normal functionality, because as we can see, it is surely not a good way of playing table tennis but people loves it because it creates pleasant experience in an unusual way. but on the other hand, i am personally not persuaded because as a user i would feel the lacking of design which then lower the sense of fun and emotional pleasure.

Moreover, Norman's video has encouraged me to be a designer that consider small details and how to creatively improve every small elements to create a fun, pleasant, and innovative products. His argument of how pleasant things can work better reminds me of how apple company has a very simple design, however its success shows that people love the experience that the apple products can create.

As an industrial designer, it will be good if we are not neglecting this truth, but instead use this fact to help us improve the design of products that already exist in society.

At the end, Human emotions(subconscious mind, behavioural, reflective behaviour) shows that the reason why people buy the products is to fulfill their needs in wanting to control different situations and feelings.
For example: people wants to buy a potato masher, so that they can mash their potatoes easily. moreover, people want a good design and comfortable handle for their potato masher. Because not only, they want to have control on things, the users also want a sense of pride and belonging that may not be consciously felt by them but there's always small voice at their head telling these things.

Finally, there are so many strange designs that we as normal human may not be understand why the designers design it, but the stories and concept behind all designs can change the whole design. In the end, people accept the stories behind a design.