Amy Blunden [ design journal ]

[ Reflections: Design Delightful Experiences, Use Metaphors and Analogies and Audit Design ]

In this week’s material, the three concepts that stood out to me most were designing delightful experiences, utilizing metaphors and analogies and auditing design.

Designing delightful experiences means thinking about every aspect of the user experience, and then integrating that information to tailor a pleasurable, pain-free and intuitive experience for the user. Don’t make the user have to think too much- think for them, and they will repay you kindly.

Utilizing metaphors and analogies was another concept that stood out to me, probably because it’s something I do naturally as a writer. I think that metaphor, analogy and story are literary elements that are very necessary in the design world. Long before traditional education, people used story and metaphor as teaching mechanisms, so story is inextricably related to learning in every culture on this planet. Because story is so innately human, these are truly effective tools for crafting personal, pleasant communications with the intended audience.

The final concept for this week, auditing design, is going to be crucial in the coming months. For the brand campaign thesis project, a thorough design audit is absolutely necessary. The most critical parts of the design audit are discerning between successful and unsuccessful brand elements and determining whether the design budget is being utilized effectively.

When you implement a comprehensive design audit and weave story into your designs, you’re well on your way to designing a delightful experience for the user.