External factors that can affect people and design actors in experience design scenes.
People and the products, services, and systems they use exist in a setting—the physical environment and situations in which interactions occur. These external factors can profoundly impact people’s decision-making and how objects are designed. For example, bustles were in vogue in the mid-to-late 19th century. During this period, a woman was fashionable if she wore a bustle because bustles were the norm. Of course, bustles aren’t in fashion today. If someone were to wear one in public today, they would look a little strange.
Different fashion styles indicate the setting in which they exist. People who lived in those settings didn’t get to choose what fashion was in style—the setting (in this case, norms) defined what was popular. Norms are just one way that setting can impact people and design objects.
