Assignment 1- Products and emotion

According to Donald A. Norman's definition from Three Teapots,

Visceral design concerns itself with appearances... Behavioral design has to do with the pleasure and effectiveness of use... Finally, reflective design considers the rationalization and intellectualization of a product.

And we are going to look at three different examples of handbags to illustrate what the above means.



Graffiti shoulder bag from The Wallet Shop

Visceral: From the sleek half-rounded trapezium and the shiny black material being used for the bag, the design is attractive and pleasing to the eyes. The graffiti design on the front pocket gives an added edge, such that the user is straight away in love with the bag.

Behavioural: Not able to withstand very heavy weight. I fear for the weak handle to tear off in case I put too much heavy things in it. It is not difficult to get your A4 files and documents dog-ears while trying to squeeze into the rounded corners.

Reflective: Not something to show off for.

Verdict: Visceral. Design is visually pleasing, but functionally does not work as well. Owning such a bag does not really give the user a boost in terms of status of whatsoever.



Canvas Bag from Espirit

Visceral: Looks like a common canvas bag you can get from shops selling cheap bags. The buttons give the bag a little more edge than just plain canvas material.

Behavioural: Big and able to withstand weight. No fears for the handles to be tearing off. Able to put in A4 sized documents and files with ease.

Reflective: Espirit is quite a high-end brand since their items can sometimes be quite expensive. But it is an affordable brand for most of the people so owning one is not a status boost though.

Verdict: Behavioural. It is the most functional bag out of the three. The material used and design is fit for everyday use.




Louis Vuitton bag from Marina GM from Cruise Collection 08 – Monogram Mini Lin Croisette

Visceral: Pretty, gives off high-class vibes, visually pleasing.

Behavioural: Can be a functional bag, although I feel it might not be suitable for everyday use. It is a bag to be use with care, and careful of not getting it dirtied. There is a fear for handle breaking too.

Reflective: Since this is from LV, it is definitely a status boost for the user. Owning a branded bag usually shows off the user's spending power, and being 'high-class'.

Verdict: Reflective. Because it helps boost the user's confidence by a lot, this is one design that rationalizes and built a meaning to the user herself.