Humour and Product Design
There’s something about comedy that cuts through the noise of everyday life and captures you. It dares to say things that you might not say aloud or surprise you in unexpected ways. It involves risk because comedy can offend and also some people will think it unfunny. So it’s a brave person indeed that uses comedy in product design and UI in general.
Is the effort and risk worth the reward?
When we see something funny, our brain releases endorphins, which are natural feel-good chemicals that can reduce feelings of pain, anxiety, and depression. Something that surprises and delights you will be something you’d want to share and try again. So if it can be done well and the brief is to stand out and bring delight and joy, then yes it’s worth it.
Let’s take a look at some examples.
When WeTransfer first came on the scene it was stunning in its simplicity. A product that was genuinely needed, mixed with an intuitive UI and beautiful graphics. But what set it apart for me was that unexpected delight of “Drop it like it’s hot”.
It was so unexpected it just cut through the noise of my day and remember thinking ‘That is brilliant”. The design pattern worked so well with it. Literally drag and dropping something onto the screen. Genius, fun and unexpected. I think little design details like this helped spread the product at an extremely fast rate.
Innocent Smoothies
Before they got bought out by Coke Cola and made the big time, they needed the brand to stand out. They realised the greatest advert for them was the real estate on the product. They wanted to make every part of the packaging work for them. So they added this cheeky and unexpected piece of fun which always brought a smile to my face.
MailChimp adds a fun tone of voice to the product. It isn’t laugh out loud funny but does add a bit of humour, which adds a small piece of unexpected joy.
In conclusion
If your brief is to stand out and be memorable, then why not be brave and use humour to delight your audience. Your product will almost certainly be shared faster through word of mouth and you will also bring a lot of delight to your audience.
What products have you seen that bring humour into the design?
