Attractive Things Work Better -> A Mind Process

Upon reading the Donald Norman article - Attractive Things Work Better, it is interesting to note the various environmental simulations also affect the way we perceive design. As learned through the movie in class and the previous Don Norman Article - Design as Communication, it is the user that ultimately determines the function based personal decisions and interaction. It is in the Attractive Things Work Better that Don Norman connects the surrounding environmental stimuli to the reaction and interaction that the user experiences.

The most remarkable fact to note about the article is that the design flaws experienced in one culture were once again replicated in a different culture. It is through the behavioral, reflective, and visceral levels of processing that these decisions are made and thus made it possible for the same conclusions. It would be interesting to discover whether or not the same environmental surroundings were in effect for the experiment to produce the similar results. As Don continues in his article, he notes that the brain's processing of the environmental stimuli tends to cause the effects of design creation and interaction.

If the experiment was to be re-done, I think I would like to see the users reactions and interaction with the ATM machines when presented with a variety of environmental stimuli as portrayed in the article. Maybe in some instances, the more complex machine may appear as aesthetically pleasing.