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Emotional Design: Why We Love (or Hate) Everyday Things Donald A. Norman. New York: Basic Books, 2004.
This is a delightfully off-beat, surprising book. The title suggests this, and the prologue, "Three Teapots," adds further proof. This is how it begins:
I have a collection of teapots. One is completely unusable, made for masochiste; one is fat and chubby; the third is not practical, made for tilting.
Why does the author value them? Because they are sculptural artwork. They lighten up his day. They are visceral, behavioral, and reflective.
We have dozens of books that discuss the production and sales of products, but this one is unique. It centers on the personality of products. Norman puts forth this argument: the personalities of products, companies, and brands need as much tending to as the products themselves.
Attractive things do work better. They create positive emotions causing mental processes to be more attractive, more tolerant of minor difficulties. In this sense, the Coke bottle IS "the real thing." When we grip it in our hands and see the name engraved on the curvaceous bottle, we have an emotional response.
Why must information be presented (as it usually is) in a dull, dreary...