In “Emotion & Design: Attractive Things Work Better,” Donald Arthur Norman puzzles over the question of why things with attractive designs work better. Similarly, Robert McMillan touches upon how Margaret Hamilton’s improved code to fix a bug that wiped out the navigational data used by the Apollo 8 crew. While reading these articles, I could not help but think that we consider a design attractive if it enables us to use a product without risk or extra effort. When McMillan argues that attractive things allow people to use their creative abilities to the fullest, this statement implies that well-thought-out design enables us to make the most out of a product.
As I often find myself dissatisfied when an app or a program crashes, I believe that thorough product testing is crucial for creating an attractive design. Had NASA approved Hamilton’s suggestions, it would have allowed her to create a better code and minimize the risks for the astronauts. These articles demonstrate that researchers and scientists realized the importance of an attractive design and now see it as something that brings enjoyment, enhances people’s cognitive and creative abilities, and improves a product’s usability.