Why UX Designers Need a Broader Emotional Vocabulary
In this post, we’ll explore how UX designers learning foreign words like “Tidsförvandling” can transform lifeless UIs into digital experiences that can truly connect with users.
How can emotional design impact user experiences?
Now, imagine an investment platform that doesn’t just prompt you to allocate your funds but revolves around the concept of “Tidsförvandling”.
The landing page could make users visualise that feeling. We could create a journey of how the reward will feel in a few years when their money will already have earned an interest and they’ll be able to pay their daughter those piano lessons she was dreaming of, impacting them on a visceral level. We could convey how that moment will feel sooner than expected and two years from now will fly by.
When we design for emotion, we create products that resonate with the user on a deeper level.
By creating a deeper connection between users and their financial goals, designers could transform the way people engage with investments. All just because we learnt how to define a feeling that our main language doesn’t have a word for.
What are the moral obligations of UX/UI designers?
It’s our responsibility, as designers, to transform plain digital experiences into journeys that can move and leave an impression, where each pixel and interaction is infused with emotion.
Like many other designers, I truly believe in our power to inspire action and change in the world. We can shape the digital landscape in a way that reflects the complexity of human emotions and mimics natural interactions.
Designing for digital well-being
From the Xerox Alto to the introduction of mouse-driven interactions and the touch screen technology later on, the evolution of digital devices mirrors the human need to reduce the sense of alienation that can come from prolonged screen interaction.
I believe our next mission as designers is to counterpoise the pervasiveness of emotionless experiences and storytelling crafted by AIs and lazy designers/copywriters who copy-pasted some Chat GPT text.
We have the tools (and AI is one of them if used right) to create digital environments that prioritise user well-being and emotional engagement, let’s use them!
Why AI could never fully replace designers?
In the age of AI, it’s more important than ever for designers to use emotional design as a weapon that sets us apart from our machine competitors.
While AI can automate repetitive tasks and streamline processes, it lacks the nuanced understanding of human emotions and cultural nuances that define exceptional design.
Emotional intelligence and cultural insights are not something AI will easily acquire. We can leverage these limitations and stand out with experiences infused with human touch.
Conclusion
It’s time to move beyond the monotony of generic landing page templates and uninspired copy. Every pixel is an opportunity to connect with users, every blank Figma frame holds the potential to evoke an emotion.
Do you know any other beautiful words designers should learn? Feel free to share them in the comments!
Bonus
This TED talk inspired this post:
