Why does Technology need to Consider Emotions?

Digital Technology is everywhere. It has become a habit and a necessity in our everyday lives.

What does technology mean to developers and designers?

If you examine the process of design development of an app, you might find the user experience designer is not the same person who develops the software; the designer may be only involved in the stage of interface design, but how does this affect us as customers and users to their innovations?

In a recent experience I had with a laptop company where I ordered a laptop battery, the product was supposed to be shipped from abroad. I wanted to change my order, so I needed help from customer service.

I resorted to the chat service facilitated at the company’s website, most likely, I was talking to a bot. I knew this because of the lack of emotion shown through our chat — the lack of care to solve my problem and the scripted type of text. I finally decided to email other support staff who might solve my problem, this time, my experience was different. When I received their reply, I noticed I was copied into the conversation. It’s worth mentioning that the support staff member provided me with the same information as the bot, but the tone had incredibly changed. In fact, the support staff member suggested an alternative solution and the next steps I could take to solve the issue.

Emotions in digital communication can make a difference. Our reliance on technology with the growing number of apps that can serve every aspect of our lives makes it essential for user experience designers and developers to think more about how users feel, not just what they want.

Finally, my problem was solved, and I received my new laptop charger.