PUBLISHED BOOK • THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
Emotions by Design
BIS Publishers • 2025
The Purpose
- — For decades, "Design for Emotion" remained largely academic. Designers and product managers knew that emotion drove user behavior but lacked systematic methods to design for it.
- — Together with my long-time collaborator Prof. Pieter Desmet, I wanted to bridge the gap between abstract psychological theory and the practical reality of product innovation—and make it accessible to a large audience.
Our Approach
- — I combined my 15 years of academic research and consultancy experience with Pieter's 25-year academic legacy.
- — We developed each topic together, balancing scientific rigor with accessible storytelling—creating practical tools design teams can use immediately.
What We Delivered
- — A 276-page handbook that establishes the state-of-the-art in emotion-driven design. Each chapter is structured around a "Law of Emotional Design."
- — Published in Europe in Nov 2025, USA/Asia to follow in Apr 2026.
- — Adopted as required reading in TU Delft's Design for Emotion curriculum.
- — Key frameworks: The 13 Fundamental Needs, Micro-Emotions, Need Laddering, and Emotion Diversity.
Key Topics
- — The 13 Fundamental Needs: A universal typology revealing the deeper needs behind every emotion—from Security and Autonomy to Beauty and Purpose.
- — Micro-Emotions: A framework for capturing the fleeting, subconscious feelings that drive user behavior and decisions.
- — Need Laddering: Technique for uncovering needs and identifying clashes between them, opening space for innovation.
- — Emotion Diversity: Framework distinguishing contentment from excitement, pride from satisfaction—enabling designers to evoke specific emotional experiences
