AESTHETIC

            Aesthetic is important in design? This is a question. Human being love to have nice-look, delicateness, beautiful stuff although their usages are the same, but majority would like to choose the aesthetic one. Even during ancient time, rich family houses was build with gold, crystal, precious materials which contain high aesthetic value ,and not only the wealthy people, common people also decorate their house to make it looks presentable and comfort. So, aesthetic is important to human from big things like buildings to small things like bowl.

            However, there is a group of usability practitioners who completely reject the importance of aesthetic and citing unattractive popular websites such as Craigslist, success because of their product or service is good. So usability practitioners disagree with the importance of aesthetic value. But, maybe these kind of website becoming famous because of putting lots of money in popularize, if compare with a website which have nice design , selling same product, same price, same service, of course human would choose to view the aesthetic website. This is because, attractive things work better. Studies show that emotions play an important role in user’s experience. If a website has a pleasant visual design, users are more relaxed, tend to find the website more credible and easier to use. Another example is if you are decide to rent a house, compare a house with nice design but same price, location, facilities with a house which do not have not design, which one will you choose? Of course we would choose the aesthetic one!

            Human being usually judge thing due to first impression. A positive first impression-usually based on looks rather than interaction. The example for design student, if there are 5 presentation boards, surely we will go to the most attractive one first because attractive do function. Aesthetics also tell a good many about your brand, product or service. They show that you care.

            The article I choose to support my point of view is “Emotion & Design: Attractive things work better” written by Donald Norman. In his article he talks about he has three different teapots and each of the have different functions which one emphasizing aesthetics, one usability and one practicality. He owns these three teapots although they have same usage –makes tea. Why he own several teapots? Because he likes them, he exhibits them above the kitchen sink as a sculptural artwork. When he makes tea, he will choose the pot that matches his mood, and when he do, the tea tastes superb. He also telling usable designs are not necessarily pleasurable one, as pleasurable designs are not necessarily usable, then why not Beauty and Brain, Pleasure and Usability? Good design means that beauty and usability are in balance!

            An object that is beautiful to the core is no better than one that is only pretty if they both lack usability. They must be in balance. Let’s not to be usability bigots, accepting beauty and usability together! Attractive things would work better!