Norman’s Three Levels of Emotional Design
When people think of products, they often think of how important the functionality is — which it is. But with so many competitive products out there, it's also important for a product to appeal to emotion in order to be successful. I just started reading Emotional Design by Don Norman which discusses why products elicit certain emotions and how to be a better designer by appealing to the emotions.
Don Norman’s Three Levels of Design looks at three different levels of emotional and cognitive processing that determine how a person feels about an object. The three levels are interconnected and have specific ways of influencing how a person experiences the world. They are known as visceral, behavioral (which both process things unconsciously), and reflective. Together, if all three levels provide a positive emotional experience, the user is likely to form an emotional attachment to the product.
Visceral
The visceral is the automatic, prewired level where the brain analyzes the world and responds. Many people know it as the gut level. Animals such as lizards, who simply respond to threats and opportunities, are operating at this level. In humans, it’s responsible for the unconscious and almost animalistic biologically wired behaviors that draw people to basic, primal needs such as food, protection, and reproduction.
Visceral design aims to get a reaction based on appearances. It sets to invoke an emotional response in the person by how it makes them feel. This is essentially the branding, as the goal is to appeal to the user’s attitudes, beliefs, and emotions as well as get their attention.
Tips on designing for the visceral level
- People perceive the whole rather than individual parts so rather than focusing solely on individual attributes, it's important to focus on how each attribute contributes to the whole
- To get the right aesthetic, understanding what appeals to the target audience’s attitudes, beliefs and emotions is key
- It's important to consider all five senses as they play an important part in the overall aesthetic
Behavioral
The behavioral level of the brain controls everyday behavior by analyzing a situation and altering behavior accordingly. This level is where mammals such as dogs operate. It is also considered not conscious. This is the level responsible for everyday actions such as walking, eating, drinking, etc.
Behavioral design aims to interact at the right moment to affect emotions. Performance is what matters here with the main components being function, understandability, usability, and physical feel. Behavioral design is essentially the same as usability which is generally the level most designers focus on.
Tips for designing for the behavioral level
- Assure that interactive elements are obvious and easily accessible to the user when needed
- Provide accurate conceptual models, or high-level models that show the user the system’s uses and how it functions
- Make sure the product responds to the user’s interactions and provides them with results as well as inform the user of the success of their actions
Reflective
The reflective level is where the highest levels of feeling, emotions, and cognitions reside. This is the most vulnerable to variability through differences in experiences, education, culture, and individual. The reflective is the conscious, contemplative part of the brain in that it thinks about its own operations.
Reflective design aims to form lasting relationships with the user and reflects the user’s self-image. Customer interaction and service are important at this level. The product should give the user a feeling of satisfaction by owning, displaying, and using the product. It is considered the most challenging level to design for
Tips for designing for the reflective level
- Build trust by being completely transparent with users.
- Have a deep understanding of the people the product caters to, how they see themselves and how they want to see themselves in order to reflect upon this.
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