Having read and enjoyed Design of Everyday Things, I was quite excited to begin a study of emotion and design. In the first several chapters, Norman brings up some interesting issues regarding the interactions of human emotion, the environment, and objects. And like Design of Everyday Things, there are many anecdotes and physical examples paired with the fairly accessible psychology talk.

However, the last two chapters really go off into the design of robots and how they will need emotions to function in the world and to interact well with people. While it may be an interesting and important issue, it dragged on and seemed to go around in circles for about 40 pages

I would have liked less talk of robots and more exploration and case studies of emotional design in our everyday living as the subtitle promises . Nevertheless the book was interesting (not as eye-opening as Design of Everyday Things), and the epilogue serves to put the whole emotional design process in perspective.

I'd give it 3.5 stars if I could.

This book deals with an important concept about design that is often overlooked, the role of emotion in the functionality of objects. Professor Norman hits on a theme that far-too-often passes over the heads of techno-geeks and even those designers who are more considerate about how human psychology plays a role in making objects easy to use. This theme basically recognizes that humans are more adept at using objects that incorporate positive elements such as fun, nostalgia, and excitement. It also explains why some supposedly functional elements detract from the usability of objects. For example, auditory signals can provide useful information, but don't you get tired of all the things that beep at you. Pavlov's dogs salivated at the sound of the bell, but how many people salivate when a microwave oven beeps? Likewise, `57 Land Rovers are underpowered, noisy, bumpy, sans radio, cumbersome to fuel, and equipped with an electrical system that favors ready access to a fire extinguisher. They are also great fun to drive. If there are objects in your life that you love even though they seem to break the rules of logic, or objects that you loathe even though they have features that are seemingly useful, this book will help to explain why.