Design Layering Concepts as Proposed by Norman
In our emotional makeup, there are several zones responsible for what we call feelings; together, these regions form the emotional system. Don Norman suggests that this emotional system consists of three different, yet linked, aspects that influence our experience of the world in various ways. These three components are visceral, behavioral, and reflective. The visceral level is where deep-rooted, unconscious, subjective, and automatic feelings stem from, largely beyond our control. The behavioral level centers on the controlled, goal-oriented actions we take, unconsciously analyzing situations to develop strategies likely to succeed. The reflective level is the realm of conscious thought, learning, and generalizations about the world. These levels, though categorized as separate entities within the emotional system, intertwine to create our overall emotional experience.
In his book, Emotional Design: Why we love (or hate) everyday things, Don Norman, a renowned academic in the areas of cognitive science, design, and usability engineering, outlines these three aspects of the emotional system and demonstrates their implications on design. Each of these aspects, while intricately connected and interwoven within the emotional system, impacts design in unique dimensions.
Visceral Design primarily focuses on the tangible qualities of a product and how they make the user feel. This level of design is about the first impression of a product, both in terms of how users perceive and experience it. To tap into users' attitudes, beliefs, feelings, and desired emotions, designers often rely on methods like branding, incorporating pictures, colors, shapes, or styles that trigger certain associations. This emotional manipulation can serve various purposes, such as improving user experience or emotionally persuading the customer to make a purchase.
Behavioral Design emphasizes the pleasure and effectiveness of product usage. Behavioral design, often referred to as usability, is interested in aspects like the practicality, ease-of-use, and user-friendliness of a product. This level of design is concerned with how users carry out their activities and tasks, how quickly and accurately they can complete them, and how well the product functions for both experienced and inexperienced users. By altering the physical features of a product, designers can manipulate performance levels to test the user's ability to adapt to changes or assess error rates. Products that enable users to achieve their goals efficiently and with minimal effort often elicit positive emotions. In contrast, products that restrict users, require complex manipulations, or demand attention can result in negative feelings.
Reflective Design, the highest level of emotional design, involves the rationalization and intellectualization of a product. This level allows users to consider a product's purpose, examine its pros and cons, and assess its impact on their self-image and pride. Reflective thinking can influence the behavioral level; for example, smartwatches are perceived as both technological innovations and luxury fashion products. Users may tolerate usability issues within a product if they believe other, non-functional benefits, such as enhanced self-expression or improved image, outweigh the drawbacks.
In a nutshell, we've introduced Don Norman's three levels of design: The visceral, behavioral, and reflective level of design. By understanding these levels and how they work together within the emotional system, designers can create products and experiences that offer sustained, positive emotional responses, leading to increased user satisfaction and loyalty.
In Don Norman's book, "Emotional Design: Why we love (or hate) everyday things", he explores the implications of these three levels of design - visceral, behavioral, and reflective - on health-and-wellness products, using science and technology to enhance user experiences.
Visceral, behavioral, and reflective design levels have definite applications in health-and-wellness technology, where tangible product qualities, usability, and intellectualized assessments respectively affect a user's emotional responses, often determining product success or failure in the health-and-wellness market.
