Emotions by Design: Using the Science of Emotions to Create Beloved Products and Services

Pieter Desmet

Steven Fokkinga

Why do some products become beloved while others are quickly forgotten? Design profoundly shapes our lives, often in unnoticed but significant ways. Every design-from simple everyday products to complex systems and services-elicits emotions that influence our decisions, behavior, and well-being. Yet, the emotional dimension of design remains underexplored, leaving a wealth of opportunities untapped. This book addresses this gap, revealing how designers can harness emotions to create products and services that users genuinely love and can't live without.
Targeted at designers, marketing & innovation professionals, and students, the book offers practical tools and methods to integrate emotional insights into the design process. Readers will learn to navigate the fundamental human needs, choose the right emotion to spark behavior, create emotion blueprints, and resolve need clashes. Through real-world case studies, foundational research, and hands-on exercises, it equips readers to move beyond functionality and aesthetics, creating designs that resonate deeply with users.
With over 30 years of combined expertise in design, emotion research, and consultancy with global brands, the authors provide a comprehensive framework grounded in scientific theories and practical applications. The book stands out by using the science of emotion to connect practical design considerations to humanistic principles.