Dave's still banging on about the Neilsen/Norman Group user experience 2003, this concept was inspired by Donald Norman, author of Emotional Design: Why We Love (or Hate) Everyday Things.

His presentation summarised some knowledge about how and why we react to objects in the way that we do as an aid to designing those objects better. This concept is also obviously of use to us in understanding our perception as well.

The basic concept is that we have three levels of perception:

• Visceral (reactive): Literally the gut reaction - this is biological, hard-wired and automatic. This will, for example, perceive beauty and cause flinching
• Behavioural (logical): The advanced brain level, reasoning, cognition, language and expert skills.
• Reflective (evaluation): Your self image, the part where you seem to exist. The bit that says "I didn't mean to say it like that!" two seconds after you've inadvertently insulted the boss. This most closely compares to consciousness.

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