The Three Levels Of Visual Design

Don Norman, an advocate of human-centered designs and internet interaction has identified three levels of visual design that designers can apply to build emotions into their products.

These three levels are based on the way our brains function and can be seen as a guide to a more appealing, effective, pleasurable, and memorable design.

Visceral
The most commonly understood aspect of visual design is visceral things that make you look pretty. The visceral level works instinctively, and both our personality and cultural values can influence how we perceive something. Reactions to the visceral level of design are immediate and powerful.

Behavioral
Behavioral design is all about use. According to Norman, appearance doesn’t matter, performance does. He states that visceral design is the domain for graphic artists and behavioral design is the bread and butter of usability engineers. What matters on this level is function, performance and the physical feel of something.

Reflective
On the reflective level, we interpret and understand things, we reason about the world, and we reflect on ourselves. The reflective design defines our overall impression of a product since we reflect on all aspects of it: messages sent, cultural aspects, the meaning of the product, and whether it’s worth remembering.

A design that doesn’t resonate with people can’t be called a good design. While thinking about the brand design, the main thing for you to focus on is evoking emotions. After all, if after seeing your visuals people feel something, they will remember your brand for a long time ☺️

P.S. Text was initially published on ivoryshore.com.