There are a plethora of computer mice available on the market today. Most mice are
designed with specific demographics of users in mind. Gamer’s needs are distinct from
graphic designer’s needs; editor's needs are distinct from a casual user’s, and so on. I
personally have a wide variety of purposes for a mouse on a single computer- so when
picking a mouse, I ended up going with the Logitech G-502. Going by Norman’s “Three
Levels of Design,” I can identify what compelled me to select this product.
Firstly, its visceral appeal. It's COOL. It uses matte plastic that settles into my muted
desk well- it lights up with colors that I can set depending on my mood. It's got a sleek,
streamlined body with sharp angled ends (reminiscent of a sports car,) but it's not such
a loud design as to feel immature. It fits into a professional atmosphere as well. It's just
the right amount of noticeable.
Secondly, its behavioral appeal. The 502 is weighty, which helps me keep my motions
smooth when editing photos and building assets in figma. I’m able to remove this weight
when I want to play games, so I can have faster gestures. It has dedicated buttons for
adjusting sensitivity- I have a mode for gaming, a mode for editing, and even a mode for
browsing the web. There’s another button on the device for switching the scroll wheel
between “notched” (Clicks by set units to have controlled scroll amounts per click) and
“free spin” (spins insanely fast for moving through massive amounts of text quickly.)
There is even fairly robust software for setting up hotkeys, macros, and profiles. All of
this allows me to seamlessly adjust the mouse for vastly different use cases- and
quickly adapt it to any new digital needs I may have.
Thirdly, its reflective appeal. They have a simple and elegant unboxing process similar
to apple. Its weightiness and durability (and subsequent longevity) has left me with a
lasting positive impression of the mouse, and a bit of an attachment to the model. I’ll
likely use this type of mouse forever.
