REVIEW: "Emotional Web Design" - Show It To Your Boss

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Let's face it, the web design of most government websites is downright sad. Moreover, he is sad not because no money was allocated for the development of these sites. On the contrary: some government orders for the development of websites amaze the imagination with the announced amount for the winner of such a tender. The point is different.

"Usability" is a concept unfamiliar to most of those who make decisions in government agencies regarding the appearance and functional convenience of web resources. And sadly, even in many commercial structures the director / head of the department is very "far" from the concept of a "convenient site". How can you change this entrenched tendency (especially if you yourself understand what should / should not be on the site for a wide audience)? The book, which will be discussed today, can be the first step to change the "soviet" approach to web design as such.

The main thing about the book

Today on my desk - «», a book by Aaron Walter, translated by Pavel Mironov and published in Russian in 2012 thanks to the publishing house "Mann, Ivanov and Ferber". You may not know Aaron Walter, but all (or almost all) readers of Lifehacker have seen his brainchild at least once in their life: the mailing list service MailChimp. It was his interface, logo and general style (including the postman monkey) that Aaron developed. 10 years before designing one of the most popular online mailing list services, he taught web design. The author lives in Georgia, USA, and in addition to web design is going to master the profession of a barista.

The book itself is small, paperback, and reads relatively quickly. Perhaps I would have read it in one day, and so, reading a little every evening, I completed the reading in 3 days. Using simple and accessible examples (with the names of projects, links to them, a list of recommended books and articles, as well as screenshots of the sites themselves) Aaron Walter “on his fingers” explains the difference between a design that evokes positive emotions in people and the same “stamped” sites …

First impressions

This book is not for designers … A person who has been engaged in web design for more than a year or is faced with the development of normal web projects will not find any secrets or "life hacks" in it, without which his professional activity is impossible. But This book is extremely useful when given to a non-designer who is responsible for making design decisions in a company or government structure.… The explanations and examples are so simple that, to be honest, I don’t know who you need to be so that, after reading Emotional Web Design, you still require the web designer to “put all the text on the main page, and even more banners: we have a lot partners, and let the authorization form be with 5 fields."

"Cons" of the book

• There are no technical advice and professional specifics in it.
• Sites of commercial projects are given as examples, but there are only 5-6 of them and they are selected mainly based on the subjective preferences of the author. I would like to look at examples of creativity from government agencies (who are interested - for example, something like that), public services, pay more attention to e-commerce issues. If you are looking for this too, this book will most likely not work for you.

"Pros" of the book

• It tells in an accessible language why pleasure, joy, surprise, anticipation, combined with the bright personality of your project, are important components not only for a postal service, social network or gift shop, but also the key to the success of a modern bank, accounting or payment service.
• It can (and should) be read by non-specialists in order to understand and evaluate simple solutions for web design, and not look for the most complex and cumbersome, which can “cover absolutely everything”.

5 Important / Interesting Things I Gleaned From Emotional Web Design

• Experiments in the field of graphic design that evoke positive emotions have been conducted by mankind since the time of Gutenberg, who developed a typeface as close as possible to the handwritten handwriting of monks.
• Anthropomorphism, the use of human faces and personified characters - what attracts the attention of visitors on the site and helps to sell the final product.
• The principle of design development using the "golden ratio" has been used by all successful IT companies and online services, from Apple to Twitter.
• Contrasting minimalism is a hallmark of a site that wants to stand out from the crowd of competitors (this was done, for example, on Tumblr).
• There are always risk factors in the development of emotional web design: the use of humor and non-standard graphics, the level of audience confidence in new products, the layout of elements on the page, etc. There is no one-size-fits-all recipe for success; but there are principles and tendencies that should be taken into account when creating a site that will be pleasant to people and will be convenient for them.

Whom do I recommend reading

People in leadership positions in organizations, companies and departments that are far from design and usability, but are struggling to understand what “all these designers” want when they present sketches of a corporate / departmental website.

I also advise you to read sales managers, aspiring internet marketing and public relations professionals: to be able in any situation to explain in simple and understandable words to your management / clients / partners the value of a design that evokes positive emotions.