The subtitle of this book is misleading: "Why We Love (or Hate) Everyday Things". The last 1/3 of the book deals with how emotions will play a role in robotics. Even in 2009, robots are still behind the scenes. Perhaps Norman's assertion that when robots take on emotional aspects, they will become commonplace but until then, we could all stand better designed 'Everyday things'.
One thing that Norman does predict in this 2005 book is that the video game industry would do well to take a better look at behavioral and reflective design - rather than purely visceral design.
The wild success of the Wii over the Playstation 3 shows Norman to be somewhat of a prophet in this regard. Wii design from a play standpoint focuses nearly entirely on an antithesis of the visceral/visual sense - with players not having limbs and so forth. Controls are also simple rather than complicated. The focus is on personalization and relational aspects; crossing multi-generational lines.
In all, the book would be well served with many more examples of actual everyday things that connect on visceral, behavioral and reflective levels rather than theorize about the future of servant robots.Get more detail about Emotional Design: Why We Love (or Hate) Everyday Things.
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