Is Your UX too Cold? Here’s Why (and When) Your Users’ Digital Experiences Should Carry the Warmth of Real Life Encounters

 

My colleague recently showed me a web-based messaging service called Paperless Post. In short: it lets you write and send beautifully rendered digital letters to your friends. You pick the “paper”, the “ink”, the “handwriting” style, the “envelope”, and even—yes—the “postage stamp”. You send it to a friend’s inbox, they click a link, and they’re treated to animation of the envelope opening, the paper coming out, and the paper folding open—just as if your friend received a physical letter in the mail.

Now, there have been messaging services like this in the past. And in many ways, these sorts of services are just email with a lot of tactile details and choices added on that make the message take 10x as long to craft. Doesn’t seem like an efficient allocation of resources. (Paperless Post letters even cost money to send!)

So why do people use it? Why don’t they just send a fast, free email?

Simple:

1. Some messages are more important than others. Paperless Post is most often used for invitations to special events. Weddings, parties, the like. When it comes to a special event, efficiency of communication isn’t the guiding factor. Aesthetics matter, and the message is part of the unfolding experience of the event. It’s worth investing in.
2. Hands-on experiences matter. Email loses the warm, tactile experiences we crave as humans. No matter how many bare-bones emails and text messages we receive, we retain this hunger for tactile experience that services like Paperless Post emulate in the digital realm.

Two Simple Takeaways

1. When you have something big and important to say, make it aesthetically appealing. I’m not talking about quick messages, updates and memos. But when you’re planning your next big presentation, budget some resources to pretty up the PowerPoint.
2. Anything your users touch better feel right. Consider adding little “tactile” details to any user-facing element of your systems. Resources rarely allow the aesthetic care of a service like Paperless Post, but if you add a few enjoyable elements of real-world interaction to your user experience, you can go a long way towards regaining the warmth that digital takes away.