Voices of UX
Just because you’re funny doesn’t mean your UX should be
Use humor cautiously
One summer I worked at a summer camp in Virginia. It was one of my favorite summers I’ve ever had, mainly due to the people there. I made many new friends, including my friend Chloe. With similar types of humor, we quickly became friends. We constantly found ourselves laughing until we cried — although the lack of sleep may have played a part in that.
Even though our humor is the same, our English isn’t. Chloe is from just North of London, so we have some differences in the phrases we use. For instance, Chloe had a very disappointing lunch when she asked for chips and was expecting fries.
One day a group of us were sitting telling the funniest bad jokes we knew, you know the ones. The type of jokes that are so bad they’re good. Typically, very cheesy.
Speaking of cheese, this was Chloe’s joke:
“What did the cheese say when it saw itself in the mirror?”
“Halloumi”
As she told it, she could not stop laughing. She was met with a group of confused people. None of us had ever heard of Halloumi cheese (don’t worry, I’ve had it since then. Delicious!). So when she said it, we thought maybe we misheard. Now that I understand the joke, it is funny, in a bad way. But at the time, I didn’t get it.
In a different audience, her joke may have landed her a bunch of laughs. But either people didn’t think it was funny, or they, like me, had no clue what the punchline was.
Even if your joke is funny, not everyone will get it
There is a reason it’s hard to make it as a comedian: everyone’s humor is different. Personally, I love witty, sarcastic shows like The Office, Community, Schitt’s Creek, and New Girl. But those shows aren’t for everyone. Some people will understand all the jokes they are trying to make, but simply just don’t think they’re funny.
But others might not even understand the jokes. If a joke needs any background, like knowing Halloumi is a type of cheese, it can be lost on people who don’t have the context. Keep this in mind if you’re writing for an audience of different cultures, languages, or backgrounds.
There is a time and place for humor
Cracking a joke when laying off someone from their job? I doubt they’ll find it funny. It’ll come across as insensitive and rude. While I love jokes, they don’t belong everywhere. Especially in UX.
Humor has been used effectively in advertisements, marketing, and social media for years. In the UX of a product, it can be much more difficult to use it appropriately. People go to social media for entertainment and advertisements are supposed to be memorable or eye-catching. When a user is using your product trying to accomplish a goal, most times a joke is not helpful.
That doesn’t mean you can’t use humor. Everyone loves finding a funny or clever message. Just be careful where you place it.
Considerations
- Be wary of where you place any humor because it may take away from clarity. If your joke confuses the user on the next step, it is not a good joke. Clarity > being funny, always.
- Jokes get old. The first or second time you hear a good joke, it is probably pretty funny. But the more you hear it, the less amusing it becomes. Don’t overuse jokes, no matter how funny they are. Are you putting the joke somewhere a user will go back to again and again? It will probably get old.
- Consider where the user is on their journey. Are they trying to accomplish an important task or are they feeling frustrated by the product? They probably won’t appreciate a joke. Match the attitude of your user. If they need to do something serious, keep it serious. You can still be casual, lighthearted, and cheerful, but this isn’t the time to try to make them laugh.
Know your brand.
It is important to understand if humor fits your brand personality. If the brand is pretty serious, humor may seem out of place or forced.
For some brands, humor is a critical part of who they are. For brands like these, people expect jokes and would probably be disappointed if there wasn’t some humor.
Let’s look at Cards Against Humanity for example. Cards Against Humanity is a “party game for horrible people” according to their product description on Amazon. Each round, players complete fill-in-the-blank statements using offensive or inappropriate phrases written on cards. The card game is meant to be politically incorrect and the players know this going in.
Their users know they are being sarcastic. That’s their brand. They can make jokes that most brands can’t. Like their Frequently Asked Questions section on their homepage. They titled the section “Your dumb questions.” and their answers are filled with sarcasm.
Or even their product names and descriptions.
They probably didn’t save America a few years ago (to my knowledge). But their users don’t actually believe everything they say literally, and they don’t expect them to. This brand screams sarcasm and the users typically love it.
Humor is great, sometimes.
I’m not saying don’t use humor. I am advising you to watch how you use it. If you have to guess whether your user will understand or appreciate the joke, then leave it out.
When used correctly, humor can help users relate to your product. Have you ever come across a clever piece of copy or image and it put a smile on your face? You may have shared it with your friends. That helps you bond with the brand and you’ll probably have a good impression.
There are lots of brands to successfully incorporate humor, while still maintaining respect and clarity. The places I’ve found the most delight are the microcopy. They don’t put flashy jokes everywhere, but if you use clever UX, you might get a smile. Some of the jokes are so subtle that you will only notice if you understand the context, but you won’t even realize you missed the joke if you don’t get it. Here are just a few examples:
- If you Google search “alex trebek”, you’ll get asked, “Did you mean: who is alex trebek”. If you’re familiar with Jeopardy, you’ll probably catch this joke. If you aren’t, it still doesn’t interrupt your journey. It’s clever for those who know the beloved Jeopardy host.
- Dollar Shave Club has some fun writing its product descriptions. They add a little playfulness and make fun of their “sandalwood” scent sounding like sandal. Again, it doesn’t take away or distract from the experience.
- The toilet paper company Charmin loves to add humor to make talking about going to the bathroom more enjoyable. They add lots of puns and jokes throughout their user interface (UI), such as the reference to #1 and #2, which can have an alternative meaning when discussing the bathroom.
Humor comes down to timing
If you’ve watched a stand-up comedy show, you probably know the timing of the joke is just as important as the joke itself. The way it is delivered can completely change the reactions. So, next time you want to make a joke, consider your timing, placement, and clarity of the joke.
It might not always be the time for a joke, but right now it is. Comment your best (or worst) joke. Bonus points if it is UX related.
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