Emotional Design? Why it’s one of the most important aspect of any product.

Enes Cilingir
6 min readJan 20, 2025

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Before diving into this article, take a moment to look around you. Focus on the products you’ve purchased in the past and choose one object. Ask yourself: Why did you choose that particular object in a world full of various products? There is a reason why we chose every product we bought in the past.

The Crucial Role of Emotions in Design

Emotions are not just a fleeting aspect of our daily lives but integral to the design process. Incorporating emotions into design is not merely beneficial — it’s essential. The emotional side of design often has a more significant impact on a product’s success than its practical elements. Don Norman, author of “Emotional Design”, emphasizes that the objects in our everyday lives transcend mere material possessions. We cherish them not for their status but for the meanings they imbue into our lives.

Our thoughts and actions are deeply influenced by emotions, often operating subconsciously. Emotions guide our behavior, steering us away from the negative and towards the positive (p.7). Without elements like fun, pleasure, joy, excitement, anxiety, anger, fear, and rage, our lives would feel incomplete. While utility and usability are important, a design that is merely usable isn’t necessarily enjoyable to use (p.8).

Cognitive scientists have long understood that emotion is a necessary part of life, affecting how we feel, behave, and think. Emotion enhances our decision-making abilities by providing immediate judgments and information about the world. Aesthetically pleasing objects not only look good but also enable us to work better. Products and systems that make us feel good are easier to interact with and lead to more harmonious outcomes. Ever noticed how a well-maintained car seems to drive better? That’s the power of emotional design at work.

The Interplay Between Affect and Cognition

With emotion comes affect — a system that helps us make quick judgments about our environment, determining what is safe or dangerous, good or bad. The cognitive system, on the other hand, interprets and makes sense of the world around us. Affect serves as the general term for this judgmental system, whether conscious or subconscious, while emotion is the conscious experience of affect, complete with an understanding of its cause and object.

For instance, you might feel a queasy, uneasy sensation without knowing why — this is affect at work. Cognition and affect influence each other: certain emotions and affective states are driven by cognition, while affect can significantly impact cognitive processes.

Decision Making: More Than Just Logic

Most of us make decisions based on how things “feel.” When asked why we chose something, many of us respond with, “I just felt like it.” This isn’t just whimsy; a decision has to “feel good” or it gets rejected. These feelings are expressions of emotion, underscoring how deeply intertwined our choices are with our emotional states.

Aesthetic Preferences: A Cultural Canvas

Aesthetic preferences are not universal — they are culturally dependent. In the early 1900s, Herbert Read, a prolific writer on art and aesthetics, argued that finding a necessary connection between beauty and function requires a somewhat mystical theory of aesthetics. This belief still holds sway today: how can aesthetics affect usability?

We now understand that emotions influence how our minds solve problems. The emotional system can alter our cognitive state, providing clarity to what once seemed mysterious. Emotions and aesthetics work together to shape our interactions with products, making them not only functional but also delightful to use.

The Personality of Products and Brands

Just as individuals have personalities, so do products, companies, and brands. This personality is a reflection of numerous decisions about how a product looks, behaves, and is positioned through marketing and advertising. For a product’s personality to resonate, it must align with its target market segment and remain consistent. Inconsistent and erratic behavior can lead to frustration and irritation, as consumers struggle to know what to expect. Thus, the personalities of products, companies, and brands require as much attention as the products themselves (p.57).

Emotional Branding: Building Lasting Relationships

Sergio Zyman aptly describes emotional branding as the art of building relationships and providing long-term value to a brand and its products. It hinges on the unique trust established with an audience, elevating purchases from mere needs to desires. Emotional branding fosters commitment to a product or institution evokes pride in receiving a beloved brand as a gift, and enhances shopping experiences in environments where personal connections are made — like being greeted by name or receiving an unexpected gift of coffee. These feelings are at the heart of emotional branding.

Brands as Emotional Signifiers

Brands are fundamentally about emotions, and emotions are about judgment. Brands symbolize our emotional responses, making them crucial in the commercial landscape. Attractive products tend to work better because their beauty generates positive emotions, leading to more creative thinking and greater tolerance for minor issues. Norman identifies three levels of processing — visceral, behavioral, and reflective — each corresponding to different forms of design. Each level plays a critical role in human behavior and, consequently, in the design, marketing, and use of products.

The Emotional Design Model

Don Norman’s model of emotional design breaks down into three layers:

1. Visceral Design: This is the immediate, gut-level reaction to a product’s appearance. It’s what nature does, rooted in our evolutionary instincts to coexist with our environment. When we perceive something as “pretty,” it’s a visceral judgment formed instinctively.

2. Behavioral Design: This layer focuses on the product’s functionality. Appearance and rationale take a backseat to performance. Good behavioral design hinges on four components: function, understandability, usability, and physical feel. These elements influence our behavior and express our expectations when interacting with a product.

3. Reflective Design: This is about the deeper meaning and cultural significance of a product. It involves consciously analyzing the past or contemplating the future, leading to emotional engagement based on the product’s message and cultural context.

The Magic of Metaphor in Design

Metaphors hold a magical place in design because they can convey complex emotions through their inherent imprecision. Think back to those memorable advertisements from years past — some were designed to be sad, others funny or spectacular. Regardless of their intent, certain ads remain etched in our memories. Metaphors in design tap into these emotional undercurrents, making messages more relatable and impactful.

Personal Connections: Your Favorite Objects

Have you ever thought about your favorite object, like a particular bottle? It often serves as a symbol, setting a positive frame of mind, reminding you of pleasant memories, or even expressing a part of yourself. As the author states in his book, that bottle always carries a story, a remembrance, or an emotional connection with you. These personal ties highlight how deeply our emotions are woven into the products we choose and cherish.

Conclusion

Emotional design is more than a trend; it’s a fundamental aspect of how we interact with the world around us. By understanding and leveraging the intricate dance between emotion and cognition, designers can create products that not only serve their intended purpose but also resonate deeply with users. In a marketplace saturated with choices, it’s the emotional connections that set products apart, making them beloved companions in our everyday lives.

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Enes Cilingir
Enes Cilingir

Written by Enes Cilingir

Brand Identity Design since 2017 | Interaction Design Student

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