When I was reading these two articles side by side, I was struck by how they both explore the crucial role of human emotion in successful design, even though one is about teapots and the other about space travel.
Don Norman’s piece, “Emotion & Design,” argues that attractive things aren’t just a luxury but they actually function better. He explains that when we find a product pleasing, it puts us in a positive state of mind. This positive feeling makes us more tolerant of minor problems and more creative in solving them. I can see this in my own life; when I use a beautifully designed website, I feel more patient and engaged, and I don’t get frustrated easily. It’s not just about the tool working correctly, but about how it makes me feel while I’m using it.
This idea perfectly connects to the story of Margaret Hamilton. “Her Code Got Humans on the Moon” shows that the most brilliant technical system is useless if it doesn’t account for human nature. Hamilton understood that even the most highly trained astronauts were human and could make mistakes under immense pressure. Her fight to include error-checking code, which was initially dismissed, proved to be vital. Her software was designed with a deep understanding of human stress and fallibility, making it resilient and, in the end, heroic.
For me, the powerful lesson from both authors is that true excellence in any field requires blending logic with empathy. Norman shows us that beauty improves function by improving the user’s mindset. Hamilton shows us that anticipating human error is not a sign of weak design, but of strong, intelligent design. It reminds me that in my own work and studies, embracing creativity and understanding the human element is just as important as getting the technical details right.