I have always questioned the relationship between aesthetics and usability/functionality. In many of the designs that exist, I feel like people value the appearance more than the functionality of the design. Therefore, some designs failed to fulfill the purpose they were supposed to serve. In this case, although the design adds color and taste to the environment, I feel like they are not useful since they do not satisfy the role they should.
Donald A. Norman in his writing said “Although poor design is never excusable, when people are in a relaxed situation, the pleasant pleasurable aspects of the design will make them more tolerant of difficulties and problems in the interface” (page 5-6). Although I prioritize functionality over aesthetics, I found myself agreeing with what the author said. When my emotions are chill and I am in a relaxed situation, I become more tolerant and easygoing about designs that do not satisfy my needs. Whether or not I am pleased with the usability of the design, if I am in a “good mood” I forget about the the poor design and am convinced that it is a good design. Therefore, the mood of a person plays a big role in determining the quality of the design.
Similarly, when I am in a bad mood, small issues with the design seem big and they irritate me. Just as the author said, good human-centered designs are especially important in stressful situations and designers must find ways to create designs that will not make the users want to stop using them.
In all, I realized that there are a lot of factors that we have to consider when designing. Following up with previous readings, human emotion is a factor that greatly affects the quality and usability of designs. Due to the fluctuation in human emotion, I found the designer’s job very difficult and I wonder what other factors designers consider before releasing the design to the public.