Designing for Emotion

Sometimes it seems the UX industry becomes so focussed on usability that it fails to see the forest for the trees. In this book, Aarron Walter reminds us that good user experiences aren’t just usable, but delightful.

He writes, “We’re not just designing pages. We’re designing human experiences. Like the visionaries of the Arts and Crafts movement, we know that preserving the human touch and showing ourselves in our work isn’t optional: it’s essential.”

This short book explains the why and how of emotional design, supported by numerous examples. The book proposes a “User Hierarchy of Needs” based on Maslow’s Pyramid, as well as the concept of application personas. The book helps spark new ideas and is an enjoyable read; I’d recommend it.