Month: March 2024

I remember when I first pledged my allegiance to the iOS subsystem, denouncing Android once and for all. I recall my uncle, a staunch supporter of Android, berating me for my lack of evidence supporting the superiority of iOS. All I had to say to defend myself was that iOS displays simply looked better. I was 13 at the time and I pondered whether I simply wasn’t tech-savvy enough. 10 years later, I still hold the same opinion and have never considered leaving the iOS cult. Aesthetics are, indeed, an important complement to usability, as Norman says. I am less likely to yell at my iPhone when it lags than I am at an Android. Its seamless design is enticing enough to suppress the negative affect of the anxiety of working through the occasional lags and confusion of working with technology.

This also reminded me of the invention of a GUI in place of the regular terminal. There is no inherent usability or advantage of using a GUI as an interface over the terminal. In fact, I would argue that for certain needs, the terminal may provide faster access to data and processes on the user’s computer in addition to greater control. To be fair, terminal commands do require a bit of learning but they could be easily learned by beginners. I would argue the attractiveness of the GUI makes the experience of interacting with a computer more pleasant, more seamless, and less stressful, potentially contributing to more productivity and, perhaps even, enhanced usability.

GUI Terminal Interface

I, especially, loved the second reading on the story of Margaret Hamilton’s contributions to the Apollo mission to the moon. What was exceptional about the story, in addition to highlighting an important female figure who has made critical contributions to one of the most important human achievements – all while being a mother, but also the meta-process of coding and creating code. To learn that the bare bones of what software is was formulated with the help of a powerful woman is also a great testament to the valuable contributions of women to technology and innovation – an insight to be considered in a time and age where the technology field is male-dominated and could oftentimes be hostile to women.

The concept that “attractive things work better” suggests that when users find an object attractive, they tend to perceive it as more user-friendly, which can enhance their overall interaction with it. It argues for a balance between functionality and beauty in design, suggesting that products should not only be practical and easy to use but also evoke positive emotions to enhance user experience. The reflection on personal experiences with teapots suggests a deeper, perhaps unspoken critique: that the essence of design transcends its physical form or function, tapping into the user’s emotional and situational contexts. This perspective invites us to reconsider the role of affect in design, not as a secondary aspect but as a central component of usability.
The narrative around three distinct teapots illustrates varied design priorities — usability, aesthetics, and practicality — and how these elements impact user preference depending on context and mood. It raises implicit questions about the prevailing biases in design philosophy — do we undervalue the emotional impact of aesthetics due to a hyperfocus on functionality? This challenges us to think beyond traditional design paradigms, advocating for a more nuanced approach that incorporates affect as a fundamental aspect of design thinking.

The second reading of Margaret Hamilton’s journey from a young MIT programmer to a pioneer of software engineering for the Apollo missions encapsulates a story of groundbreaking achievement amidst societal and professional challenges. Her innovative work in developing flight software was pivotal in landing men on the moon, highlighting her role in transforming software development into a critical component of modern technological endeavors. Hamilton’s perseverance and ingenuity not only broke gender barriers in a male-dominated field but also laid the foundational principles of software engineering, influencing countless future innovations and establishing her legacy as a trailblazer in both technology and gender equality in STEM.

Written on my dorm wall, there is a manifesto that reads “Aesthetical Practicality Manifesto…There is no right or wrong, only what is practical and what is not…Anything which is not of utmost practicality, intense beauty, or ideally, a blend of both, is bullshit, and must be always avoided.”

Reading through Norman’s “Emotion & Design: Attractive things work better,” to me, was like I heard a harmonic echo of my thoughts. Juxtaposition by Norman to show the weaving of practicality and aesthetics in design, is what I so strongly support. In short, my life is super simple. I just follow the following with almost everything in my life.

First up, Norman’s opening on affect and design captures a simple truth: “Advances in our understanding of emotion and affect have implications for the science of design.” This one has always resonated with me. In my quest to blend the roles of a engineer with an artist, I understood that emotion is not a byproduct but the guiding force in the process. Norman words that nicely, “Positive affect can make complex tasks feel easier; negative affect does the opposite. His story of the color displays in computers, which was once thought to be superfluous but later turning out to be very necessary and practical, though not making any practical benefit at all, was absolutely representative of this principle. I still think about his words whenever I try to beautify my computer terminals with themes and eveything, while in reality, there is nothing of practical value… but having a Batman/Ironman like computer User Interface improves my motivation to work by hundredfold.

Norman’s teapot examples are a treasure trove of insights. The pot by Carelman, unus unusable teapot by Nanna, and a tilting pot by Ronnefeldt represent, in a nutshell, the whole spectrum of design philosophies: from functionally unpractical, through aesthetically awkward and unwieldy but serving its purpose, all the way to functional sophistication. Just the way Norman believes, I think form is function.

I do not see aesthetics and usability in opposition but as dance partners. One reinforces the other’s strength. When Norman poses, “Why not beauty and brains, pleasure and usability?” I find myself nodding in agreement. This mirrors the core tenet of my manifestoᅳthat of the achievement of practicality so palpable but in the most beautiful aesthetic way possible. Such is very key in my work at the intersection between technology and art. For example, take the development in software engineering for user interfaces. A visually appealing interface that confounds the user is as ineffective as a drab but functional one.

We really need interfaces that are pleasant to the eyes, at the same time taking the user around effectivelyᅳbasically, nice skeuomorphic designs that I have always admired.

Another very deep reflection I like is Norman’s argument about affect in design. He shows how our emotions and fears make us change our minds altogether about the difficulty of the task, using the example of the plank at different heights. In the professional world, I have seen firsthand that the right emotional design can make the use of even a complex piece of software feel approachableᅳor perhaps even actually fun. Norman’s statement, “Positive affect can make it easier to do difficult tasks,” exactly supports my belief in the attractive design improving the interaction with the product and hence letting the difficulty of the task be gone. But if anything, that’s a critique I might level against Norman: It would be how he treats the friction of usability against aesthetics. While he does fully grasp said friction, I think there’s leeway for a much more intricate exploration of how the two can be married together more cohesively in the design process.

My manifesto demands that once tangible practicality is demonstrated, achieving aesthetics is paramount.

This is where the art of design truly lies – in not just balancing but synthesizing function and form. Norman reflecting on the importance of good human-centered design in stressful situations is something I absolutely agree with. He underscores the importance of empathetic designs that take into account the emotional state of the user. This principle can be transferred from physical products to digital interfaces, where ease and clarity in navigation can do a lot not to stress users. In summary, the discourse of Norman reinstated to me what I had believed all along: aesthetic and practicality is basically a conglomeration.

Before purchasing my current laptop, I spoke with a computer expert about which gadget I should purchase. He informed me that if I want it look nice, I should purchase a MacBook, but if I care about the “inside” of it, I should get something different. This is the same idea that the author discusses in this reading. Sometimes we choose things just for aesthetic purposes.

I think we can all remember the dispute between Android and iOS users. Even today I see people arguing about who can take the prettier picture of the moon and often times the android users are better at it. However, iOS still wins with most sales. Why? Because they have a prettier design .

This concept of design is called “Attractiveness Bias” which means that people tend to assume that people/objects who are physically attractive/ appealing, based on social beauty standards, also possess other desirable  traits.

Overall, I believe that design is truly a “make or breake” factor that influences the user experience a lot. I think that creators should think about that in advance in order for it to be successfull.

For me, as a design oriented person, I will always choose the aesthetically pleasing products.

 

(here I attached two pictures: the first one is an Asus ZenBook and the other one is a MacBook Pro)

In my reflection, when reading “attractive things work better” I understood how design is more than just about making things work well or look good. It’s about bringing these aspects together to enhance our experiences with technology, as our emotional reactions to a design are as important as its functionality. This broader view makes me appreciate how both practicality and our emotional responses matter in design.

When reading, I stumbled across a certain idea, where I was thinking that the color of a smartphone is a big deal when people decide what to buy. In general, black or white phones might look professional or classic, but a phone in a bright color like blue or red can make one feel excited or bold. These colors can attract customers who want to show their personality through their devices.

Personally, my phone is blue because that’s my favorite color. When I was choosing, the blue phone immediately stood out to me.

This experience shows how crucial emotional aspects, like color preferences, are in design. They can make technology more enjoyable and meaningful for us every day. By considering both function and emotion, design can really enrich our daily technology use, making it more satisfying and personal.