Emotional Design (Norman)

Overview

Apply Norman's three-level emotional design model to set emotional goals, evaluate current experience, and propose changes that preserve usability while increasing meaning and delight. Read references/emotional-design.md for definitions, findings, and checklists.

Workflow

• Frame context

• Identify user, context of use, constraints, and desired emotion.

• If missing, infer from product category and ask 1-2 focused questions.

• Map to three levels

• List current cues and gaps per level.

• Use references/emotional-design.md "Level cues" to avoid overlap.

• Design interventions

• Propose changes per level with expected emotional effect.

• Keep behavioral usability intact; do not trade usability for surface appeal.

• Align and prioritize

• Resolve conflicts between levels.

• Prioritize changes that reinforce multiple levels.

• Validate

• Suggest lightweight tests: first-impression check (visceral), task success/effort (behavioral), recall/meaning interviews (reflective).

Output format

• Provide a short summary, then organize by level:

• Visceral: observation -> change -> expected emotion

• Behavioral: observation -> change -> expected emotion

• Reflective: observation -> change -> expected meaning

References

• Read references/emotional-design.md when defining levels, choosing levers, or citing key findings.