Here are some ideas from this wonderful book - to reflect on this weekend...
Written by Don Norman from Nielsen Norman Group, it explores the idea that design should go beyond mere usability and functionality to create products that evoke positive emotions in users.
Emotional design is achieved by creating a visceral, behavioral, and reflective level of design that taps into users' emotions and fulfills their needs and desires.
-Visceral design: The visceral level of design is the immediate, emotional reaction that a user has to a product.
It is the initial impression a product makes on a user based on its appearance, color, texture, and shape. The goal of visceral design is to create a positive emotional response that attracts users to a product.
-Behavioral design: The behavioral level of design focuses on the usability and functionality of a product.
It is concerned with how a user interacts with a product, how easy it is to use, and how well it performs.
The goal of behavioral design is to create a product that works well and is easy to use.
For me, Behavioral Design should also focus on the behaviors we are looking to drive and the levers we must use to deliver on those - using a systematic and evidence-based approach.
-Reflective design: The reflective level of design is the meaning and symbolism that a user associates with a product.
It is concerned with the user's perception of the product, the emotions and memories that it evokes, and the sense of self-expression and identity that it represents.
The goal of reflective design is to create a product that has a deeper meaning for users and helps them express who they are.
Norman argues that each level of design is important and that designers must consider all three levels in creating emotionally appealing products.
By creating products that are visually appealing, easy to use, and meaningful to users, designers can create products that users truly love and enjoy using.
My ideas for you here
To deliver better outcomes for people, you need to understand and design for the behaviors and drivers (root causes) as well as account for context, social situations, and the environment - this together with the insights from the book will give you an advantage.
You should also think about how to meet psychological needs in your design - giving autonomy, competence, and relatedness when possible - this will increase psychological needs ( I have a course coming up that will help you learn this)
Anyways, if you can pick up the book, do so...