Meeting Don Norman on the Road from Basketball Net to User Experience Design
Meeting Don Norman on the Road from Basketball Net to User Experience Design
Anyone who enjoys playing or watching basketball knows the feeling well. When the basketball is shot into the hoop and scores, the momentary sound of the ball brushing against the net as it passes through is audible. Many of us find great pleasure in that sound or sight. But why do we enjoy that sound and experience pleasure from it? Is the pleasure derived from the fact that the ball went through the hoop and scored, or does the sound associated with scoring activate the reward mechanism in our brain? Would we experience the same pleasure if the hoop didn't have a net, or if the net was made from a different material, would the effect on our pleasure change?
The Mayan civilization had a sport called Tlahiotenie, similar to basketball. In this sport, a hoop made of stone was placed not parallel to the ground but vertically. Scoring by getting the ball through this hoop was considered a point. Years later, in 1891, a physical education teacher named James Naismith, inspired by Tlahiotenie, created the sport of basketball. Since its inception, basketball has undergone many changes, but the one constant since 1912 has been the net on the hoop. Why did someone in 1912 decide to attach a net to the hoop? There are several theories: to slow down the speed of the ball as it passes through the hoop, to ensure the ball drops in a specific location, and to make it more straightforward whether a shot is scored or not... But why do I, sitting on my couch, enjoy watching the ball go through the net on TV? Why does seeing a soccer ball hitting the net and billowing out bring pleasure to many when watching soccer or playing in a local match?
During my childhood in the '90s, when we played soccer in the neighborhood, we would use stones to mark the goalposts and the size of the goal. Whether the ball passed between these stones with force or gently glided through, it counted as a goal, but we never fully experienced our joy. Something always seemed like it needed to be added. If lucky, we could play on fields where the goals were marked with chalk on a wall. When a goal was scored, the ball would leave a mark on the wall, making us feel the actual value of our goal. This was far more satisfying. Even if a goal wasn't scored, the mark left by the ball on the chalk line of the goalpost excited us as if the ball had rebounded off the post.
Recently, I spent nearly 40 minutes searching for a basketball court with a netted hoop. What drove me to this search? Was it merely the annoyance of the ball going astray, or was there a more profound psychological experience at play? That day, I pondered this question, retracing my steps to the '90s, my childhood, and eventually to Don Norman. From a design principle perspective, I questioned the subconscious user experience the basketball net
Anyone who enjoys playing or watching basketball knows the feeling well. When the basketball is shot into the hoop and scores, the momentary sound of the ball brushing against the net as it passes through is audible. Many of us find great pleasure in that sound or sight. But why do we enjoy that sound and experience pleasure from it? Is the pleasure derived from the fact that the ball went through the hoop and scored, or does the sound associated with scoring activate the reward mechanism in our brain? Would we experience the same pleasure if the hoop didn't have a net, or if the net was made from a different material, would the effect on our pleasure change?
The Mayan civilization had a sport called Tlahiotenie, similar to basketball. In this sport, a hoop made of stone was placed not parallel to the ground but vertically. Scoring by getting the ball through this hoop was considered a point. Years later, in 1891, a physical education teacher named James Naismith, inspired by Tlahiotenie, created the sport of basketball. Since its inception, basketball has undergone many changes, but the one constant since 1912 has been the net on the hoop. Why did someone in 1912 decide to attach a net to the hoop? There are several theories: to slow down the speed of the ball as it passes through the hoop, to ensure the ball drops in a specific location, and to make it more straightforward whether a shot is scored or not... But why do I, sitting on my couch, enjoy watching the ball go through the net on TV? Why does seeing a soccer ball hitting the net and billowing out bring pleasure to many when watching soccer or playing in a local match?
During my childhood in the '90s, when we played soccer in the neighborhood, we would use stones to mark the goalposts and the size of the goal. Whether the ball passed between these stones with force or gently glided through, it counted as a goal, but we never fully experienced our joy. Something always seemed like it needed to be added. If lucky, we could play on fields where the goals were marked with chalk on a wall. When a goal was scored, the ball would leave a mark on the wall, making us feel the actual value of our goal. This was far more satisfying. Even if a goal wasn't scored, the mark left by the ball on the chalk line of the goalpost excited us as if the ball had rebounded off the post.
Recently, I spent nearly 40 minutes searching for a basketball court with a netted hoop. What drove me to this search? Was it merely the annoyance of the ball going astray, or was there a more profound psychological experience at play? That day, I pondered this question, retracing my steps to the '90s, my childhood, and eventually to Don Norman. From a design principle perspective, I questioned the subconscious user experience the basketball net
