Form | Function | Feeling

Our design process includes working with clients to understand the emotion they want to invoke in the users. For logo design projects, in particular, I ask the client to talk about the adjectives they want people to think of when they’re thinking about their organization. This series of articles by Daniel Eckler discusses the importance of emotion in good design.

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The Future of Design is Emotional

In 1950, the American psychologist Harry Harlow conducted an experiment that separated infant monkeys from their mothers just a few hours after birth. Each monkey was isolated in a cage and given two dummy mothers. One mother was constructed of metal wire and held a milk bottle; another was covered in synthetic fur and designed to resemble a real monkey, but it provided no sustenance.

Instinctually, Harlow assumed the infants would gravitate towards the metal mother because it provided a basic need: nourishment.

Much to his surprise, the infants preferred the animate mother despite her lack of milk. In fact, when the two mothers were placed side by side, the infants would suck milk from the metal mother and cling to the more realistic looking dummy.

Concepted and authored by Daniel Eckler, co-authored by Shaun Roncken, Design for Humanity is an interactive essay exploring the past, present, and future of anthropomorphic design. This is the first part of a seven-part series.
Read more in Medium, April 9, 2016

 

Kim Schlossberg
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Kim Schlossberg created Kim Schlossberg Designs to help businesses and non-profits refine their messages and get them out to the right audience, in a clear, consistent, and integrated way. She provides strategic planning, execution and coordination of marketing, branding, and design by developing a deep understanding of clients’ businesses and their goals, and serves as a trusted advisor to help them grow their businesses and brand. Kim speaks to business and non-profit groups about marketing and related topics, and publishes a well-received (but slightly irregular) newsletter.

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