Guestblog by Dan Formosa, Ph.D. – Principal at ThinkActHuman, a design consultancy focused on inclusive design and human behavior
Design and Emotion – Design for All Institute of India
Twenty-first yearly seventh monthly special issue of July 2026 Vol-21 No-7 (ISSN 2582-8304) of the 259th issue and Guest Editor: Dan Formosa, Ph.D. Principal at ThinkActHuman, a design consultant, USA.
As the full article is available as a download, we have published its foreword here.
Foreword: Design and Emotion
I’ve known Dr. Tom Guarriello since we co-founded, along with several others, the Masters in Branding program at the School of Visual Arts in New York City more than 15 years ago. Tom’s background is clinical psychology, and he brings a valuable perspective to our association with brands. In virtually every conversation I have with him, he mentions things that forever stick in my mind. In a conversation years ago he planted in my brain an old Buddhist metaphor, the Elephant and the Rider. (This is also discussed in Tom’s 2025 book, The Meaning of Branded Objects.)
Briefly put, the Rider represents Logic. The Elephant represents Emotion. When conflict arises, the elephant goes where it wants to go. The rider becomes helpless and goes along for the ride. Emotion prevails.
Another point about elephants, this one unrelated to my discussions with Dr. Tom or Buddhists: within elephant society the community will help care for others in the community. An injury to one elephant triggers response from the others to help. Of if needed the community will protect and raise a young elephant if their parent becomes incapacitated.
When it comes to caring, we (humans) are like elephants. Emotions, including our instinct to care, sit at the base of “Design for All.”
Many people are surprised to realize that every product they see and touch, thousands during the day, were designed by a person. Although with great products, people realize that someone was thinking when the product was designed. And that it was created “with me in mind,” somebody cared. Great products establish personal connections.
With “caring” in mind I set the theme of this issue to be about design and emotions. I asked the authors to consider the world we live in. Our days are filled with interactions with objects and environments developed by companies and brands – and in best-case scenarios, designed by people within those companies who care. In real life, it’s sometimes yes, sometimes no.
Within this framework the guest-authors discuss human connections, as well as brand connections. We will align with people and brands that care, and shy away from those that don’t.
All authors place valuable perspective on the topic of emotions and its impact on Design for all
The articles are arranged in alphabetical order of first names.
Beth Macdonald discusses design for all by focusing on inclusive leadership. This entails embracing vulnerability, and actively inviting diverse perspectives into the room., accommodating diverse human experiences.
My article discusses products and brands developed by people who care. People don’t always realize that there are people behind the thousands of products they encounter every day – products just fall out of the sky. This can be especially important with the medications people take – pharmaceutical companies are perceived as cold entitles and are generally not well liked. In view of the dismal statistics on non-compliance with medications, addressing emotional connections surrounding motivation and compliance presents an opportunity for improving in our health.
Dr. Fiona Maciver advises that inclusivity is not complete unless emotional responses are taken into consideration. Feelings are a dimension of accessibility; a design may be physically accessible but still feel hostile.
Lady Tuble calls for a deeper emotional understanding of inclusion and why some people feel left out. She uses as example her field of cybersecurity, why so many people experience preventable harm due to a learned helplessness regarding digital defense. And the need for an empathy-driven approach.
Louis Angsico coach’s leadership for companies and organizations in the Philippines and around Asia. He points to the fact that change requires addressing the emotions influencing human responses. However, emotions can unfortunately be suppressed in favor of analysis and problem-solving methods.
Purva Sawant discusses physical and digital spaces and encourages us to think beyond the typical barriers to accessibility. She points out that a person should also feel like they are meant to be there. There’s an emotional impact even when first encountering the design, untouched. Her article points to gaps between “entry” and “belonging.”
Dr. Sara Emilia Bernat “proposes that emotional range constitutes an unaddressed dimension of Universal Design.” She discusses “softness” and the opportunities for brands to embrace it as a quality critical to success. In the face of an optimization economy, and assumptions about “who belongs,” emotions become a missing consideration.
Dr. Tom Guarriello writes that our relationships with objects reveal an important aspect of human nature. He points to the brand loyalty people have with two major automobile manufacturers in the US, Ford and Chevy. We align or mis-align with brands personally.
Article download – Design and Emotion
About the author
Dan Formosa consults globally on design and innovation. An early proponent of Inclusive Design, he established ThinkActHuman on the idea that design is about people, not things. He also co-founded the Masters in Branding program at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. In 2025, along with Dr. Fiona Maciver, he launched the design initiative “StayHuman,” decoding emotion in consumer behavior.
Dan holds degrees in product design, ergonomics, and biomechanics. His iconic research and design for OXO Good Grips is part of MoMA’s permanent collection. He also received the prestigious Cooper-Hewitt National Design Award. Beyond consulting, Dan co-authored the bestselling book Baseball Field Guide and was host of Epicurious’s hit YouTube series Well Equipped, which has gained more than 65 million views.
More information about Design for All Institute of India
Dr. Sunil Bhatia, Design For All Institute Of India is available via email.
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