March 17, 2023
Feeling Peaky: How Emotional Highs Impact User Experience
Overview
Have you ever noticed how we tend to remember events based on how we felt at the peak and end of it, rather than the entire duration? I recently went on a trip with my loved ones, and I find myself thinking more about the emotional high points and the conclusion of the journey, rather than the overall experience. It's funny how our brains work, isn't it? Luckily, I wasn’t alone, all humans judge an experience largely based on how they felt at its peak and at its end, rather than on the total sum or average of every moment of the experience but this realisation has helped me in designing experiences that aim to create those memorable moments of delight. After all, those are the moments that people will remember and cherish the most.
It is to create moments of delight and excitement in any experience. Those peaks and the end can make a huge difference in how we remember the experience and whether we'd be willing to do it again or recommend it to others.
This idea is all about how our thinking can be biased and how it can affect our perception of the world and our decision-making skills. It's like our brains have a mind of their own and can sometimes trick us into thinking and feeling things that may not be entirely accurate. But by understanding these biases, we can try to be more aware of them and make better, more informed decisions.
Example
Mailchimp is a company that exemplifies the importance of understanding how emotions affect user experience in design. When creating an email campaign, the process can be stressful, but Mailchimp knows how to guide users while keeping the overall tone light and reassuring. The moment of hitting "Send" on an email represents the culmination of all the hard work and potential fear of failure. Mailchimp recognizes the significance of this peak emotional moment, especially for first-time users, and goes beyond presenting a simple confirmation modal.
Another illustration of how emotional design is used in the digital realm can be seen in the success confetti displayed after making a payment on platforms such as Cred or Google Pay. This small yet delightful feature adds a sense of accomplishment and celebration to the user experience, making them more likely to use the platform again in the future.
Negative events can also have a significant impact on how users perceive a product or service. One such example is the wait times that people experience when using ride-sharing services like Uber. To tackle this pain point, Uber focused on three key concepts related to wait time: idleness aversion, operational transparency, and the goal gradient effect.
Idleness aversion refers to the human tendency to dislike waiting with nothing to do. To address this, Uber offers features like a “Meet your driver” countdown and real-time GPS tracking so that riders have something to occupy their time while they wait.
Operational transparency refers to providing users with clear and accurate information about wait times, such as providing an estimated time of arrival for their driver. This helps to manage expectations and reduce frustration.
The goal gradient effect is the idea that people are motivated to complete a task when they feel like they’re making progress towards a goal. To apply this concept to wait times, Uber started displaying a progress bar that shows riders how close their driver is to arriving, providing them with a sense of accomplishment as they see the bar move closer to completion.
Conclusion
By understanding the impact of wait times on user experience and implementing these strategies, Uber has been able to create a more positive perception of its service, despite the unavoidable wait times that are inherent to its business model.
This is why companies like Mailchimp and Uber have been successful in designing experiences that cater to these emotional peaks and minimize negative events. As designers and product creators, we need to be mindful of these cognitive biases and leverage them to create memorable experiences that leave a positive impact on our users.
March 17, 2023
Feeling Peaky: How Emotional Highs Impact User Experience
Overview
Have you ever noticed how we tend to remember events based on how we felt at the peak and end of it, rather than the entire duration? I recently went on a trip with my loved ones, and I find myself thinking more about the emotional high points and the conclusion of the journey, rather than the overall experience. It's funny how our brains work, isn't it? Luckily, I wasn’t alone, all humans judge an experience largely based on how they felt at its peak and at its end, rather than on the total sum or average of every moment of the experience but this realisation has helped me in designing experiences that aim to create those memorable moments of delight. After all, those are the moments that people will remember and cherish the most.
It is to create moments of delight and excitement in any experience. Those peaks and the end can make a huge difference in how we remember the experience and whether we'd be willing to do it again or recommend it to others.
This idea is all about how our thinking can be biased and how it can affect our perception of the world and our decision-making skills. It's like our brains have a mind of their own and can sometimes trick us into thinking and feeling things that may not be entirely accurate. But by understanding these biases, we can try to be more aware of them and make better, more informed decisions.
Example
Mailchimp is a company that exemplifies the importance of understanding how emotions affect user experience in design. When creating an email campaign, the process can be stressful, but Mailchimp knows how to guide users while keeping the overall tone light and reassuring. The moment of hitting "Send" on an email represents the culmination of all the hard work and potential fear of failure. Mailchimp recognizes the significance of this peak emotional moment, especially for first-time users, and goes beyond presenting a simple confirmation modal.
Another illustration of how emotional design is used in the digital realm can be seen in the success confetti displayed after making a payment on platforms such as Cred or Google Pay. This small yet delightful feature adds a sense of accomplishment and celebration to the user experience, making them more likely to use the platform again in the future.
Negative events can also have a significant impact on how users perceive a product or service. One such example is the wait times that people experience when using ride-sharing services like Uber. To tackle this pain point, Uber focused on three key concepts related to wait time: idleness aversion, operational transparency, and the goal gradient effect.
Idleness aversion refers to the human tendency to dislike waiting with nothing to do. To address this, Uber offers features like a “Meet your driver” countdown and real-time GPS tracking so that riders have something to occupy their time while they wait.
Operational transparency refers to providing users with clear and accurate information about wait times, such as providing an estimated time of arrival for their driver. This helps to manage expectations and reduce frustration.
The goal gradient effect is the idea that people are motivated to complete a task when they feel like they’re making progress towards a goal. To apply this concept to wait times, Uber started displaying a progress bar that shows riders how close their driver is to arriving, providing them with a sense of accomplishment as they see the bar move closer to completion.
Conclusion
By understanding the impact of wait times on user experience and implementing these strategies, Uber has been able to create a more positive perception of its service, despite the unavoidable wait times that are inherent to its business model.
This is why companies like Mailchimp and Uber have been successful in designing experiences that cater to these emotional peaks and minimize negative events. As designers and product creators, we need to be mindful of these cognitive biases and leverage them to create memorable experiences that leave a positive impact on our users.
March 17, 2023
Feeling Peaky: How Emotional Highs Impact User Experience
Overview
Have you ever noticed how we tend to remember events based on how we felt at the peak and end of it, rather than the entire duration? I recently went on a trip with my loved ones, and I find myself thinking more about the emotional high points and the conclusion of the journey, rather than the overall experience. It's funny how our brains work, isn't it? Luckily, I wasn’t alone, all humans judge an experience largely based on how they felt at its peak and at its end, rather than on the total sum or average of every moment of the experience but this realisation has helped me in designing experiences that aim to create those memorable moments of delight. After all, those are the moments that people will remember and cherish the most.
It is to create moments of delight and excitement in any experience. Those peaks and the end can make a huge difference in how we remember the experience and whether we'd be willing to do it again or recommend it to others.
This idea is all about how our thinking can be biased and how it can affect our perception of the world and our decision-making skills. It's like our brains have a mind of their own and can sometimes trick us into thinking and feeling things that may not be entirely accurate. But by understanding these biases, we can try to be more aware of them and make better, more informed decisions.
Example
Mailchimp is a company that exemplifies the importance of understanding how emotions affect user experience in design. When creating an email campaign, the process can be stressful, but Mailchimp knows how to guide users while keeping the overall tone light and reassuring. The moment of hitting "Send" on an email represents the culmination of all the hard work and potential fear of failure. Mailchimp recognizes the significance of this peak emotional moment, especially for first-time users, and goes beyond presenting a simple confirmation modal.
Another illustration of how emotional design is used in the digital realm can be seen in the success confetti displayed after making a payment on platforms such as Cred or Google Pay. This small yet delightful feature adds a sense of accomplishment and celebration to the user experience, making them more likely to use the platform again in the future.
Negative events can also have a significant impact on how users perceive a product or service. One such example is the wait times that people experience when using ride-sharing services like Uber. To tackle this pain point, Uber focused on three key concepts related to wait time: idleness aversion, operational transparency, and the goal gradient effect.
Idleness aversion refers to the human tendency to dislike waiting with nothing to do. To address this, Uber offers features like a “Meet your driver” countdown and real-time GPS tracking so that riders have something to occupy their time while they wait.
Operational transparency refers to providing users with clear and accurate information about wait times, such as providing an estimated time of arrival for their driver. This helps to manage expectations and reduce frustration.
The goal gradient effect is the idea that people are motivated to complete a task when they feel like they’re making progress towards a goal. To apply this concept to wait times, Uber started displaying a progress bar that shows riders how close their driver is to arriving, providing them with a sense of accomplishment as they see the bar move closer to completion.
Conclusion
By understanding the impact of wait times on user experience and implementing these strategies, Uber has been able to create a more positive perception of its service, despite the unavoidable wait times that are inherent to its business model.
This is why companies like Mailchimp and Uber have been successful in designing experiences that cater to these emotional peaks and minimize negative events. As designers and product creators, we need to be mindful of these cognitive biases and leverage them to create memorable experiences that leave a positive impact on our users.
March 17, 2023
Feeling Peaky: How Emotional Highs Impact User Experience
Overview
Have you ever noticed how we tend to remember events based on how we felt at the peak and end of it, rather than the entire duration? I recently went on a trip with my loved ones, and I find myself thinking more about the emotional high points and the conclusion of the journey, rather than the overall experience. It's funny how our brains work, isn't it? Luckily, I wasn’t alone, all humans judge an experience largely based on how they felt at its peak and at its end, rather than on the total sum or average of every moment of the experience but this realisation has helped me in designing experiences that aim to create those memorable moments of delight. After all, those are the moments that people will remember and cherish the most.
It is to create moments of delight and excitement in any experience. Those peaks and the end can make a huge difference in how we remember the experience and whether we'd be willing to do it again or recommend it to others.
This idea is all about how our thinking can be biased and how it can affect our perception of the world and our decision-making skills. It's like our brains have a mind of their own and can sometimes trick us into thinking and feeling things that may not be entirely accurate. But by understanding these biases, we can try to be more aware of them and make better, more informed decisions.
Example
Mailchimp is a company that exemplifies the importance of understanding how emotions affect user experience in design. When creating an email campaign, the process can be stressful, but Mailchimp knows how to guide users while keeping the overall tone light and reassuring. The moment of hitting "Send" on an email represents the culmination of all the hard work and potential fear of failure. Mailchimp recognizes the significance of this peak emotional moment, especially for first-time users, and goes beyond presenting a simple confirmation modal.
Another illustration of how emotional design is used in the digital realm can be seen in the success confetti displayed after making a payment on platforms such as Cred or Google Pay. This small yet delightful feature adds a sense of accomplishment and celebration to the user experience, making them more likely to use the platform again in the future.
Negative events can also have a significant impact on how users perceive a product or service. One such example is the wait times that people experience when using ride-sharing services like Uber. To tackle this pain point, Uber focused on three key concepts related to wait time: idleness aversion, operational transparency, and the goal gradient effect.
Idleness aversion refers to the human tendency to dislike waiting with nothing to do. To address this, Uber offers features like a “Meet your driver” countdown and real-time GPS tracking so that riders have something to occupy their time while they wait.
Operational transparency refers to providing users with clear and accurate information about wait times, such as providing an estimated time of arrival for their driver. This helps to manage expectations and reduce frustration.
The goal gradient effect is the idea that people are motivated to complete a task when they feel like they’re making progress towards a goal. To apply this concept to wait times, Uber started displaying a progress bar that shows riders how close their driver is to arriving, providing them with a sense of accomplishment as they see the bar move closer to completion.
Conclusion
By understanding the impact of wait times on user experience and implementing these strategies, Uber has been able to create a more positive perception of its service, despite the unavoidable wait times that are inherent to its business model.
This is why companies like Mailchimp and Uber have been successful in designing experiences that cater to these emotional peaks and minimize negative events. As designers and product creators, we need to be mindful of these cognitive biases and leverage them to create memorable experiences that leave a positive impact on our users.
