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Ugly Is In The Eye Of The Beholder

Rounding out a roundup that has inexplicably veered toward design and the design-minded this morning, award-winning product designer John Edson tells us "Why Ugly Sells." First of all, you've got to remember every mother's maxim, including Edson's, that there's no accounting for people's taste. Second, as anyone who has ever observed a focus group knows, you can't pay undue attention to opinionated loudmouths when making decisions.

The bottom line is that people bring their own emotional baggage to what they find attractive. Edson makes his point by citing a clock, laminated with red roses and the sentiment "LOVE," that he found "nuclear ugly." But then a woman standing in line in front of him says to her young companion: "Honey, go see how much that is."

"The real trick is to resist navigating consumer taste," Edson says, "and understand the emotional sources for taste so that you can [tap into] them instead." And good luck with that.

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