From the course: How Design Makes Us Think

How we perceive beauty

From the course: How Design Makes Us Think

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How we perceive beauty

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- As designers, we use seduction as the entry point to a printed item, website, mobile app, environmental design, or product. If we can't seduce the viewer, he or she will not bother to engage with our solution. When I talk about seduction here, I'm not talking about dating or deciding what outfit is most likely to entice someone. Here, to seduce the viewer is to create a powerful attraction that invites him or her to look more closely and become intimate with the message. The alternative is to design banal solutions that fail to engage, even if the content is exciting. To understand why we are enticed to interact or concentrate on one form rather than the other, it's necessary to explore how we engage with beauty. At the neurological level, the part of our brain involved with aesthetic judgment is within the cerebral cortex, specifically the medial orbitofrontal cortex. This area is believed to be associated with the integration of all senses, determination of value, the expectation of results and decision making. In other words, it's an area that involves our sense of reward and pleasure. Donald Norman, a cognitive scientist and researcher, posits that a response to an external form integrates three attributes: visceral, behavioral, and reflective design. Visceral design tied to appearance is the most deep-seated biological response. To survive as a species, we need to make quick judgements based on appearances. Bright fruits and a clear blue sky are healthy. Menacing clouds, rotting food may be dangerous. Second, behavioral design addresses emotions such as pleasure or disgusted based on our experience. A round wheel will function better than a square version. Not surprisingly, we prefer the round shape for the wheel because it's easier to use and less bumpy on the road. Third, reflective design requires more complex thinking: self-image, personal satisfaction, and associations. This is the determining factor in most brands. A consumer purchases a coffee at Starbucks based on his or rehearse satisfaction with a product, positive previous experiences, and self-identity connected with the status of carrying the Starbucks cup. "I'm a Starbucks kind of person," it says. "I appreciate quality." Obviously, as said, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. What one culture or group finds attractive and engaging may be repulsive to another. As designers, we research our audience to understand their values, likes, and dislikes. Regardless of the specific aesthetic choices, all humans will experience the same thoughts and set of feelings when confronted with an object of desire.

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