Recently I had a lovely meeting with Lucio Chen from SAP, discussing UX and the role it plays in tech. My creative journey has always brushed with technology. While our tools advance rapidly, human needs remain constant. It’s very easy to mess up technology in the pursuit of business development. Then we — humans — push back. Some programmers I know think people should adapt. This is where humor can come into play.
I am a lightweight comics and cartoon geek. Funny enough, techies can be avid comics aficionados. In my time with Fieldshare.io, I was always intrigued by their affection for gaming consoles. Of course, I was mainly curious to follow them perfecting their code. There were always moments of laughter. At times they exposed frustrations. By observing how users handle our program (product), insights arise. And this is where UX comes to the rescue.
One of my core beliefs is that products should bring joy to their user.
In my work, I employ acute observation of the human condition. Cartoonists I follow, possess a similar trait. Comics generate laughter, a giggle, or a smile. My designs facilitate joy.
Why Joy?
I make sure that my user enjoys using my product. A garlic press and a robotic device have a similar purpose: to be used. The feelings generated by our interaction with tools all add up. You either end up drained or inspired.
Have you ever counted the number of “assignments” each day entails?
If you’re excited about your robotic testing machine (Anat Yanai, my wife, is), other activities fill your day that you hardly notice. You then go home and press a few garlic cloves into your dish. If it’s not garlic, it’s something else. Was it all seamless?
Achievements promote a positive outlook on reality. Roadblocks block us: they engage us in a different way. I might be determined to overcome them, but until the desired outcome is met, the unfulfilled reality persists.
Being relentless, I do enjoy a sense of achievement. Hugh MacLeod (https://www.gapingvoid.com) shows the emotional rollercoaster on a calendar page, where most days show the character claiming “Oh, fuck!” and two random boxes are titled “Hell Yeah!” How many of us experience the same?
Humor is a connector. Our endeavors yield results that benefit others. In a business setting it could be on an individual level, such as a single client, or on a grander scale, possibly society as a whole.
The developer of products and services goes through one process. Their user goes through another. The two are distinct with one significant common thread: we all use tools. We all experience both the tool and the emotions emanating from its use. Whether it’s the tool or the process that frustrates us, releasing steam with humor is a common channel of engagement.
𝐇𝐮𝐦𝐨𝐫 then can be seen as a step in the journey towards our desired experience — our 𝐔𝐗.
Does this make sense? Let me know.
Design is a Matter of Life 