Field Notes Inside an Integrated Communications Agency

It’s a sweltering Sunday afternoon at the mall. Inside The Apple Store it’s clean, cool and buzzing with hipsters that resemble that “Hi, I’m a Mac” guy. As a Mac user, I stop in occasionally to give props to Jobs and Co. for a brand well done. Sometimes I give mad props if I’m feeling like parting with money.

One of these hipsters glides past me on his cell phone. His conversation caught my ear. At first it sounded idiotic, then I realized prophetic.

“Yeah, I’m here” he says to his friend. “I’m at the iPod store.”

Wow! In a brief second, this yahoo reduced The Revolution of Zen Cool that Apple had been building to a single product.

Was this odd? Do others understand Apple’s greatness? Can you be an Apple user without being an enthusiast, or are we creative folks blinded by pretty stainless steel?

Why do users form relationships with some products over others? What makes people develop feelings for software (good and bad)? We'll show practical ways to make your application more appealing to your users avoid creating abusive relationships, and discuss what it means to practice responsible design, including:

• Recognizing your audience's emotional attachment.
  
• Understanding how (and when) to think about the emotional elements of your product/design.
  
• Ways to improve your process so you can avoid creating "abusive" products.

Dan Rubin Black Seagull /Sidebar Creative
Eris Stassi Interaction Designer, Apple
Didier Hilhorst Interaction Designer, IDEO

Aichaku - Word that is an attachment to a product - word in Japan. Love you feel towards a product, not a person. Many products evoke an emotional response, but we are not always aware of it. First impressions are key in this arena. They work with products and people. You have to think about the experience from the very first second people interact with it. 10 hour installs are not good. Communicate with your consumers.

We think about emotional attachments with people all the time. Communication is key. Good communication starts a great relationship. We can't go to therapy with our products. Good products will be a step ahead, just like a person. People and products predicting experiences in a good way.

8 emotions

1. Trust
   
2. Commitment
   
3. Forgiveness
4. Respect
5. Jealousy
6. Deception
7. Blame
8. Stubborn

The intial reaction is always, is it hot or not. Trust and commitment come later. Jewelry is about commitment. Driving a Prius is a commitment to the environment because the car is butt ugly. Your best friend pisses you off a lot, but they are still your best friend. So you can make mistakes in the product experience, but you have to get most of it right. If it doesn't you have a bad relationship. Big difference between forgiveness and allowing for stupidity.

"A product (person) that can correct our mistakes as they happens gains our trust." -Maeda

This quote is about the person or product that has your back. The person that is not waiting for you to make a mistake, they are helping you prevent the mistake from happening.

If we create bad products, the fault is human, but there is redemption.

---I am not sure how this supports the argument - but her points were interesting. --- There are products that have redfined themselves. The Prius issues early on. Netflix put control in our hands and redeemed the postal industry. Flexcar - urban cities thinking about ownership and how you can use a car. Method's house cleaning products prove you don't have to use harsh products to get things clean.

Golden Rule - do unto others as you would have them do unto you. If you don't want to use a product, why would anyone else?

4 things to consider Experience of Flow - feeling in control, clear goal of what you are going and how you are doing it. Map the story out and tell it to someone. Start role-playing.

Memory Recall - Memories are strong emotional attachments. Photographs remind you of something. In applications this happens as well. Tastes, smells, audio, visuals - things that take you back to a time and place.

Symbolic Meaning - The ability to feel better, it encourages our sense of self. Products that we think help define who we are.

Tactile Experience - Product and indistrial design people think about this on a regular basis.