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

1. Frame context

• Identify user, context of use, constraints, and desired emotion.
• If missing, infer from product category and ask 1-2 focused questions.

2. Map to three levels

• List current cues and gaps per level.
• Use references/emotional-design.md "Level cues" to avoid overlap.

3. Design interventions

• Propose changes per level with expected emotional effect.
• Keep behavioral usability intact; do not trade usability for surface appeal.

4. Align and prioritize

• Resolve conflicts between levels.
• Prioritize changes that reinforce multiple levels.

5. 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.