Every living being reacts under various conditions. Some of the reactions are positive and some are negative. No living being exists without feeling or emotion. Human being can display their feeling through various ways- laughing, crying, anguish, anger, displeasure, joy, ecstasy, etc. And the feelings are expressed through various body gestures. Human emotion and feeling are called non-function elements in design.Worldwide today designers are attempting to understand the aspects of emotional components. Designers are trying to understand if such emotional elements are induced in product will it create better attachment? Why the old grand pa’s easy chair has so much attachment even it is no longer perfect. How such emotional bonding prevails for years? Similarly, color is one of the most effective components that can be used in design for building emotional attachment with a product.The warmth of red color (plate 1A), coolness of hues of blues (plate 1B) and the combination of warmth and cool (plate 1C) are psychological rather than physical effect. We know that physically no color is hot or cold. It is more of psychological. Thus, human being is sensitive to emotions based on our sensations. We express our emotional feelings because of non-functional sensory.
(Read more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Color_psychology ; March 7, 2013)

‘Non-functional Element’ in Design

In most cases design explores various functional elements and principles related to form, shape, size, texture, color, line, etc. All these elements are part of design’s formal structure. In reality no object (2D & 3D) can be visualized without the functional elements. However, important aspect of those in most cases remains untouched or addressed as- non-functional elements.Non-functional elements deal with human emotions. Human emotions evoke a sense of psychological attachment with objects. Various human emotions are based on human (living being experience) sensory. Such emotions are based on human instinct, such as- visual, tactile, auditory and olfactory and taste sensation. The five basic instincts are attached to human emotions (also other living beings). These instincts or sensory ignite human feelings based on various other environmental and societal factors. It is interesting that most of the above senses can technically be examined but it fails to establish a conclusive result when applied in design. The sensitivity of emotion depends on age, culture, tradition, sex, socio-anthropological, etc. and it cannot establish a standardized result. Hence, non-functional elements in design profession make it further more exciting, challenging and interdisciplinary field in nature.