The beginning of Chapter 1 of Designing for Emotion explains the shift between craftsmanship to industrialization and then back to craftsmanship (or do it yourself) in today’s society. It explained the need for human to human interaction versus humans to machine. This throwback idea is the new trend for design today and what is discussed in the chapter.

When I first saw the chapter title, Emotional Design, I thought it would discuss the design of websites in general (i.e. interesting colors, different fonts, etc.). I was surprised to find that it was actually all about making your website fun and pleasurable for the user, which enhanced communication between a business and its users/customers.

I had actually never thought about emotional design in general. I had thought about making a design (especially a website) attractive for more viewer traffic, however, I had never considered the element of fun. After reading the chapter I reflected on websites I enjoyed using and why.

I specifically focused on Wufoo. This is because the book specifically mentions Wufoo as being a great website that users enjoy especially for data collection. I have used Wufoo multiple times through a few of my leadership roles on campus. Most recently, however, I used Wufoo for my Public Relations Research class to collect surveys and analyze data. I do agree with the author that Wufoo creates an exciting environment where something boring like collecting data can be a fun and enjoyable experience. I personally like its data analysis features, as well as its note section where I was able to make notes about surveys regarding the important information we gathered from each one.

Since the first chapter served as a basic introductory I did not find anything I disagreed with. I mostly just discovered a lot about what I am going to be learning in this book. I am very excited to continue reading and learning how emotions can influence the work we do in design.

“You want design sensibility that is distinctly human, individual, reflective of a real personality, and honest – all while keeping business goals in mind.” – Kindle Locations 74-80 Designing for Emotion

Originally posted at OU Public Relations Publications