Emotions and Design
Description
Instructor
Judith Gregory
Introduction
Consideration of emotions is essential to Human-Centered Design. Yet research has focused mainly on physical, cognitive, cultural and social human factors, generally leaving consideration of emotions implicit. In recent years, efforts to understand what might constitute emotion-focused design approaches have been taken up in the design world. The course will explore five design contrasting viewpoints on emotions and design in design research and design practice in relation to core questions and debates.
Core questions and themes
How do contrasting ways of thinking about emotions influence design researchers' methods for exploring emotions, affect, feelings, sensations and motivations that inform design intentions to enhance pleasurable experience and interactions?
How do different standpoints open onto understandings of the effects of a designed artifacts, interfaces, visualizations, services, environments and 'experience design'?
How do the subtleties of cultural sensibilities shape responses to aesthetics and emotions in design?
How are designers seeking to integrate emotions into design process?
How may designers more fully take up new knowledge about emotions to evolve design methodology and frameworks?
Themes
exploration of emotional aspects of activities visceral, behavioral and reflective (Norman 2004) and additional ways of thinking about emotions;
sensory experience with physical design of products, services and experience, virtual and inter-personal interactions, individual and collective experience;
relations (affective, affiliative, attachments, engagement, excitement) in activities and experiences with design artifacts, interfaces, visual and graphical communication, media and environments;
motivations people bring into their individual and social interactions with designed artifacts, services and environments.
Readings
In addition to exploring design research regarding emotions and design, selected readings from social theory and philosophy will be provided regarding understandings of emotion, affect, desire and motivations, in order to grasp underlying viewpoints more deeply. The readings will support in-class discussion about what different interpretations suggest for design in the broad sense.
Objectives
- To provide students with an introduction to this lively area of design practice and debates in the field.
- To thereby contribute to generation of knowledge for design in relation to all phases of design processes and users experience regarding:
how designers can take up emotions in the design process
understanding emotional responses of users to the design experience
