13 minutes has just gone so quickly and I wished I could listen to him more about his views on design. I find him very engaging and it's such a pleasure to listen to his talk. His video is about what beauty of a particular design is all about and how it is connected to everyone's emotions.
Logically, a product with a beautiful appearance would definitely attract people to admire it's beauty. But what makes the product beautiful which will make us happy? It is because of it's interesting shape, vibrant colours, nice and smooth texture, clean surface and etc? All those features that are mentioned above have one thing in common, that is visceral. We can determine the product's physical characteristics very easily just by observing it for a few seconds. But if it is not by quick observation, maybe we should stare at the product and analyze it carefully. Is the product beautiful because it has affected our own emotions and personality?
Here comes the other two emotions, which are behaviour and reflective. Other than the functionality of a product, some people might buy this particular product because of it's playfulness and it suits their personality. Some people might buy that particular product because it reminded them of something important which would give them a lasting memory that they would love to cherish. Some people would buy this product instead because it is eco-friendly because they want to have a sustainable environment and keep it clean and green.
Therefore, there are a lot of reasons why products are made for a reason and why a certain group of people would like the product. A product that is made beautifully with good design and function has a reason to be beautiful and makes someone satisfied but that product is not everyone's cup of tea. Yes, that product is pretty to look at and functional for some people but it is also useless for other group of people. Is it because the product is not the type they are looking for, didn't really understand the reason of existence of the product, will they use the product again and etc? These are some of the thoughts that I've gone through after watching the video. The more I think about it, the more I understand how product design can actually make people happy or frown.
For example, the ping pong table with the fish and ripple features are creative and some people might like it because it is fun and enjoyable to play. However, some people might not like it because the images of the ripple and fish could be a distraction or annoying and it is not a type of a ping pong table that professional ping pong players would want to use to train their skills. On the other hand, I find that the knife which was made in Japan is very interesting. It has the beauty. It's sharp, the design is good and functional. It's a complete package. I think this a sort of an item that everyone would love to use for cooking.
From the video, Don Norman has reminded me that if we are happy, have a calm and carefree mind with a bit of stress or anxiety which is important to give you the excitement to have that extra focus, motivation and energy to do something, everything will go smoothly. There is one time my mom and a master sifu from a Chinese temple (where I would visit every Chinese New Year) told me that whatever job or work that we have received, it is important to accept it happily and do things in moderation. So by having a 'balanced' way of thinking to handle things is important because if we are too relaxed and happy, things might not go well and we will never get it done correctly. But if we are too anxious, too scared to fail and too worried, then this not a positive mindset that we should set for ourselves before working on something. So, well said by Don Norman.
Also, I find that the idea of the teapot is very clever and the designer of the teapot is very thoughtful. I like the fact that if the teapot stands upright, it means that the pot needs to be refilled and when the tea is ready to consume, the teapot is tilted so that the teabag will not be completely submerged in the water. It's a smart way to show the teapot's emotions and how it behaves. It's a very good product. I think this teapot has the power to make people to react in three different emotions in a good way, viscerally, behaviourally and reflectively. The teapot looks simple and nice, functional and if I own this teapot, I will definitely use it again. I could instantly feel my love or attachment towards this teapot, even though I do not own this teapot. I feel very impressed, satisfied and happy. i would love to use it again because it feels comfortable and I feel I am in full control to use this product effectively without any stress and trouble. Is this what we call good design?
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