Comments on: TotW: Can a Design Connect Emotionally AND Be Usable?

by: Kyle

Wed, 23 Aug 2006 06:54:30 +0000

That’s a very good point Mike. I do a lot of shopping at redenvelope.com for this reason. They have a distintive red box gift wrapping that I love. It really makes the gift that much more special. It’s one of the first places I look for sending x-mas or other gifts to friends or family.

by: Administrator

Wed, 23 Aug 2006 01:27:33 +0000

Kyle, your point emphasizes the fact that the ENTIRE process needs to be a good experience — including receiving the box! I’ve noticed places like GAP and JCREW now wrap their clothes in nice tissue paper and top with a well-placed sticker — clearly they are trying to provide a positive, emotional experience for the box opener.

by: Kyle

Tue, 15 Aug 2006 13:50:16 +0000

Anyone who knows me, knows that I *love* to shop. I love the high I get when I buy something that I just can’t wait to wear or use. I typically don’t get this high though when I shop online. I believe that it’s because I don’t have the purchased items in my hot little hands right then and there. The high or happiness comes much later when they arrive in the mail. In this specific context, I’m not sure that any amount of extra multimedia on a website would give me the emotional experience that I get when I shop offline.

by: Marjut

Mon, 14 Aug 2006 04:01:32 +0000

Certainly it can. In my opinion you should look at the big picture and pay attention to the overall user experience, which includes both the cool features creating emotional connection AND good usability. Being cool and being usable are not exclusionary qualities; on the contrary, they complement each other.