Norman’s book delves into the relationship between aesthetics and user-usability in design. As he delves into such a relationship, we come to understand the importance of merging both aesthetics and usability when designing projects, ensuring that one element is not prioritized over the other. What I found really interesting is that in his discussion of the relationship between both aesthetics and usability, he brings up the concept of affect and emotion. Although some might find this cliche, we tend to forget how much a design’s aesthetic or look can impact our reactions or emotions. We can find pleasure while looking at a design, filling us with a sense of comfort. However, there are times when a design can make us strongly uncomfortable. This, in a sense, showcases the extent in which you can use design to ‘manipulate’ or bring out certain emotions in people. That being said, I believe that the author’s message of going beyond mere aesthetics and emphasizing both design and functionality when creating any project is important and is something I am definitely taking with me as we go through the second part of the semester.
Hamilton’s legacy as a pioneer in the field of software engineering created what we know today as the Apollo mission. It was really exciting to see how software developed to what it is today, especially given that its beginnings came from one of the most ambitious human projects at the time. However, something I reflected on a lot after reading this was the importance of user-experience and usability. Hamilton warned others about PO1 and the dangers that would ensue if touched by astronauts. They touched it anyway and data was lost. This reminded me of two things: Norman’s emphasis on usability and functionality in design, and the ways in which we can utilize design and aesthetics to ensure errors do not occur. Although many might say that a better solution would be utilizing code to ensure errors do not happen, I truly believe that with a combination of design, we can ensure that errors do not occur. This can be through certain design choices, emotional language, specific color and text choices. All of these things, although many might not admit it, have an impact on the ways people perceive something, which can ultimately help ensure human errors do not occur when a design is utilized.