Let’s find something that brings us positive emotions. Maybe we will start with a cup of coffee. It is not only the taste. The taste is the base of a product, and we will never choose this exact cup of coffee knowing the taste is not good. But what else? Why do we feel happy when we drink it? Maybe the cup is covered with the Friends logo, and it reminds us of those six friends who hang around in the Central Perk cafe? Well, it is all about emotions.

Positive emotions are our fuel. So what will bring our customers positive emotions? Let’s collect all the monument points and find some emotional experience design hacks.

Let’s Define

Products that produce positive feelings are the goal. The main reason to buy is functionality. But among two quality products, we will choose one that gives us positive emotions. We want to get more for the price we paid. So that is how we can feel that we won. 
 

When emotions are a part of our interaction with the product, we cotton to the product. So emotional experience is the second important part of the user experience. Satisfaction from a well-built product plus positive feelings makes the product unique. 

What is an emotional experience when we interact with the product?

• we feel that it is easy to use the product
• we think that we solve our problems when we use the product
• we know that we save our time when we use the product
• it feels a bit like we are playing when using the product
• we feel interested when using the product
• we know that we are a part of a team

Positive things, huh? So why not use a product that gives us such good feelings? Let’s have a look at a pyramid. Intrigued? Not an Egyptian pyramid, but still. It is Aaron Walter’s pyramid of user’s needs.

How Does Emotional Design Work

The emotional design turns customers into loyal users of our products. As you have seen, the highest need of any user is to use a pleasurable product. 

So how does it work?

1. Stands out in memory
   When something touches our emotions, this experience leaves an imprint in our brain. So the brighter the experience, the more often we remember it.
2. Encourages
   The positive experience encourages us to take action. When we get positive emotions, we want them more, so we will do something that brings us these positive feelings.
3. Inspires
   Emotional design inspires people for the good and makes them feel free. Well, yeah, feel free. When the first users used their iPhones, they were inspired by Steve Jobs and his philosophy. The Apple products made them feel free and made them want to use these products. The story of Harry Potter still touches us and inspires us to be brave, etc. One book can inspire us for days.
4. Keeps users interested
   If we feel bored, then we won’t keep doing something. Maybe it is an era of ‘things”, but it is what it is. The emotional design keeps users interested in using the product.
5. Marks off from the other competitors
   Emotional design marks our products off from the products of our competitors.

The UX 

The UX design is responsible for the user’s experiences when he uses the product. All the good emotions that he will get are on UX’s shoulders. When we talk about UX, we must remember these three main parts:
 

• aesthetics
• psychology
• marketing

Visuals, graphics, sounds, fonts, all the structure of the product should be based on these three foundations. The style of the product, website or application, should be attractive, simple, and fun. The product should be developed with the knowledge of the psychology of the key audience. If we develop a product for women, what definition of the work will we choose? And what are the brand's goals? How will we earn money, what is the timing for our stakeholders, etc? Answer these questions to build a strong UX design. 

In Use

Let’s find out what brings users positive feelings when they use products. What emotions drive them, and how brands can meet these needs. The chart below will help us.
 

Now we want to understand how to design emotional experiences. Read in our next article.