We often hear this term "Look and Feel". But who's look and who's feel are we talking about? "Appearances and Behaviors", does this mean the same thing? Apparently not. One can change the look and feel without changing the appearance and behavior of a design. The former can be subjective while the latter definitely guides.
To excel in design, one needs to differentiate the above as different design goals. And the understanding of perception comes in handy.
"Perception is one of the oldest fields in psychology. The oldest quantitative law in psychology is the Weber-Fechner law, which quantifies the relationship between the intensity of physical stimuli and their perceptual effects." (full article)
The following screen may look like a coloring book exercise, but it is the initial step of blending "appearances and behaviors" with "look and feel".
Following are some iterations of the same screen over the course of the design process...
Usability testing brings invaluable insight and feedback, and is always FUN!
