After reading a great post at http://www.fastcodesign.com/1662281/a-radical-atm-redesign-thats-simpler-more-humanand-even-sexy it got me thinking about the aspects of really good UX design that most people never even notice. Some people call it a more human side of technology. I think in a lot of ways i would agree. What IDEO is doing for BBVA is not only innovating, but looking at something that traditionally “felt cold” and giving a warmer side. Take a look.
Things feeling “right” is something you hear quite a bit when someone is talking about a product or user interface that they like. The question is what do they like about it? Most of the time it’s not something concrete or even definable at first pass. It’s the intangible feeling that some is natural and inviting. It’s the underlying feeling that you first got when you used an iPhone. It’s when a really innovative idea or cool technology transcends the world of a “toy” and has mass appeal that is not bound by age or technical savvy.
When things just feel right, they are fun to use, and you want to talk about them (which creates a viral/social surge of momentum). Eventually, you couldn’t imagine doing it another way. They way transitions work, the way things present feedback to the user, the way you draw focus are just some of the many things that can make a big difference in a users experience.
This is not solely in retail products or gadgets. It can be a website, the dashboard of your car etc. The bottom line is spending the time to allow yourself to think differently and focus on the hugely important but often overlooked “details” can make a nice project, something special.
