DESIGNING FOR EMOTION

We want our work to stand out from the rest. We want people to have such a great experience that they feel the need to talk about it to everyone. We want what we make to be remarkable.

Often those seeking remarkability get it for just a moment. Some have achieved their goal of joyful office watercooler discussions by creating a thiry-second Superbowl Spot with something as simple as a handful of slothful individuals answering their phone with an exaggerated “WHAAATS AAAWWP?” Others get it with a viral video of dogs on skate- boards. But these are just quick flashes in the pan.

The real payoff comes when we can make that remarkabil- ity last. When we can make people continually feel our work is worthy of discussion. When—for weeks, months, maybe even years—the people who engage with our work continue to sing its praises to everybody they meet.

Long-term remarkability translates into the holy grail of the advertising world: word of mouth. When we reach this pina- cle of mind-share success, we see our popularity grow, along with the revenues from whichever business model backs it.
But remarkability only happens when we’ve achieved another plateau: delight. People only voluntarily recommend that which is truly delightful. If we want to achieve long-term remarkability, we need to build in long-term delight.

In the pages that follow, Aarron does a (dare I say?) remark- able job of getting us started on creating designs that bring with them an emotional attachment. And with his help, we can sustain the joy to get the long-term effects we’re seeking.

Heed Aarron’s words carefully. He’s put a lot of research and theory into an easily accessible package. A package that will get you started on your own journey to creating designs that inspire a positive emotional response in your users. That journey will take you beyond remarkable.