I had a lovely time chatting with @JenSimmons, host of The Web Ahead podcast on the @5by5 network. We talked about interface design, working in design teams, and the joy and pain of critical feedback. Have a listen, won’t you?
Aarron Walter
The Web Ahead Episode 10: On Human Connection
Forbes Magazine on Designing For Emotion
Forbes Magazine contributor Anthony Kosner shares insights on how emotional design and the principles explored in Designing for Emotion influence the relationships we craft with our audience. Below is an excerpt from the article entitled “Why Does ‘Emotional Design’ Work on the Web: for Felony & Mayhem, It’s No Mystery“.
Why are some company’s websites more memorable than others? On the surface, it might seem to have to do with originality, visual impact and branding. But what if I were to tell you that the most important factor is how a site makes a visitor feel?
That’s the premise of a new book by Aaron Walter, the lead user-experience designer for Mail Chimp. Based on the title, Designing for Emotion could have been just another collection of pretty design samples embroidered with squishy commentary. Nothing could be further from the truth. Walter’s approach is direct, rigorous, at times scientific and filled with practical insight and humor. The book is part of the truly excellent A Book Apart series, and Mail Chimp, if you haven’t had a chance to use it, is easily the most pleasurable of the gazillion SAS email marketing platforms out there. So despite the title I found my finger ineluctably moving to the checkout button.
Video of Learning to Love Humans: Emotional Interface Design
In September of this year I delivered at talk about emotional interface design at Webdagene, an amazing conference in Oslo, Norway. The conference organizers were kind enough to record the talk, which can view on their website in case you missed it in Norway.
The Art of Lighting a One Match Fire
My weekend morning ritual in these chilly months of fall and winter begins with a fire. I love our fireplace. After eighty years of service to the families before us, we had it rebuilt brick by brick so it can warm our family for years to come. It’s the center of the house. It brings the family together, warms cold feet, and supports hand-made Christmas stockings. How else would Santa visit our house?
A friend of mine has a new fireplace, and has struggled to learn the art to lighting a fire. The first year of our new fireplace was fraught with false starts, incessant relighting, and frustrating fire baby sitting to keep the flames alive. After a great deal of experimentation and some tutelage from friends, I’ve finally figured out how to light a fire with just one match and keep it going with little effort.
Emotional Design Reading List
There are a host of interesting books about psychology, design, emotion, and how our brains work that informed my book, Designing for Emotion. Here’s a list of essential books for the shelves of any user experience designer, web designer, or content strategist interested in the topic of emotional design.
Voice and Tone: A Writing Guide With Emotion in Mind
UPDATE: Read what Fast Company has to say about VoiceAndTone.com
We take our brand very seriously at MailChimp, not because we are hyper brand-nazis, but because our brand is our personality. It’s who we are as individuals and as a collective. We think a lot about how to convey our personality consistently while adapting to different contexts. MailChimp’s Content Curator, @katekiefer, has been pondering how to shape the MailChimp voice while adapting tone to the emotional state of readers. We have a lot of people writing for us, and guiding them into the voice of the brand can be tricky. That’s why we’ve created a simple little website that shows our writers how to use the MailChimp voice. It’s called Voice and Tone.
Designing for Emotion: Book 5 from A Book Apart
Nearly four years ago I stumbled onto a topic that I just can’t get off my mind. As we’ve started to share more of our personal lives online and the barriers of our public personas have begun to crumble, we’ve started speaking with a more authentic voice. The blurred line between personal and professional is starting to influence our expectations of the products and services we seek.
.net Magazine Interview about Designing for Emotion
I recently spoke with A Book Apart editor Mandy Brown (@aworkinglibrary) about design, psychology, branding, and finding a place for emotional design in our professional workflow. Our conversation has been published in .net Magazine.
The Crazy Ones: Steve Jobs Narrates
Everything is a Remix: The Elements of Creativity
In his short video series Everything is a Remix, Kirby Ferguson (@remixeverything), guides us through history and shows us how ideas are created, copied, and transformed.
Easter Egg in Kickstarter Footer
Click the scissors three times in the footer at Kickstarter.com, and watch as the bottom of the page falls off.
Robert Plutchik’s Matrix of Emotions
Psychologist Robert Plutchik’s research on emotion and its evolutionary origins provides fascinating insights and foundational theory for those of us exploring emotional design.
