Creating a feeling of connectedness to others is one of the elements of a positive user experience. Here I’m talking about creating a user experience in the true sense: stimulating positive mental states in the minds of your users.
A sense of belonging - how we feel and interact with those around us - is important [...]
From the category archives:
Interactivity
Think about when you were anticipating the arrival of your new iPhone, or computer, or latest PSP: When will it be delivered? What will the packaging be like? Will I have to set it up? What if I can’t connect to the internet?
Our lives are becoming flooded with new devices - for work, communication, entertainment, and so on. Laptops, flash drives, MP3 players, GPS navigators, gaming devices, and mobile phones communicate with each other, exchange information and share data. How do you design in this new world?
One of the weaknesses of Information Architecture as a metaphor for design is that it is relatively impoverished. It’s mainly concerned with the structure and classification, labeling and navigation of information. This is too restrictive as we move towards a world of information ecologies in which people orchestrate ensembles of devices and applications to achieve [...]
Designing for people’s core needs, their long-term life goals and aspirations, creates lasting value. Professor Marc Hassenzahl in Germany, has done some great research into what makes great user experiences.
Great products deliver long-term customer value: they help meet fundamental life goals and aspirations. They meet needs that go beyond interacting with the product itself.
The usability of a product influences both people’s emotional response to it (”Argh! This is so frustrating!”) and their longer-term attachment to it (”I love this site!”).
The ease with which users can achieve their goals is the most significant factor to consider when assessing the overall user experience.
People’s core motivations - their key aspirations and life goals - typically go beyond the interfaces you design.
A product that takes users closer to their life goals, not just their end goals, will make them fanatically loyal.
You probably own a few products that appeal emotionally - things that you really like: Your favourite watch, your always-with-you iPod, the video game that you can’t put down. Why do you like them so much?
During and after using a product, say a mobile phone application, users reflect on its value to them. This determines whether they will use it again. They’re asking, “What’s this worth to me”? But what do we mean by value?