David Kozatch gave a presentation on designing for meaningful experiences. He discussed how technological innovation has evolved from one-way communication to greater collaboration. To design meaningful experiences, companies should focus on emotion, polite interfaces, and adaptive interfaces that anticipate user needs. An adaptive interface improves with user interaction by developing a model of their behavior. Creating meaningful experiences requires engaging users early and encouraging participation. Designers should match users' mental models and test for emotional language.

1. Designing for
Meaningful Experiences
IxDA November 17, 2010
David Kozatch
DIG

2. • Since 1998
• Combining marketing
research & user
experience research
• Focus on development
of new services and
technologies
• Web, mobile and beyond

3. Technological
Innovation

4. Technological
Innovation

5. Meaning

6. “Combining and
integrating the power
of invention, design,
and marketing to
create meaningful
experiences for
customers provides a
blueprint to achieving
sustained, stable
growth.”

7. Frog ‘Design Mind’ Blog :
Wanted: Chief Meaning
Officer By Tim Leberecht
“Trust and reputation
are no longer enablers
for the exchange of
goods, services, and
information, they are
replacements for them.
Values are the new
value…
Meaning is succeeding
customer satisfaction.”

8. How do we define “meaning?”
“Interactions that go beyond their basic functionality to
provide a more complex emotional experience.”

9. MEANING “Being green”
… it’s connecting with your users in a way that
recognizes their own experience

10. The Pizza Box
Paradigm

11. “Conventional Authoritative Voice”

14. 3 most powerful words?

15. “You get me”

16. How does this
translate to online
experience?

17. A brief history
lesson

18. • One way communication from
“conventional authoritative voice”
• No real “listening” to user
• Objective: design a “clear channel” -- no speed bumps or
obstacles
• About companies
Web 1.0
Company Website Users

19. •Multiple levels of cross-communication
•Greater collaboration and sharing
•More dynamic experience
•About communities
Web 2.0

20. The semantic web:
Web 3.0
About the
individual and
context

21. So, what effect does this have on
users?

22. In this new open-
sourced world,
consumers are
increasingly taking
ownership.

23. We better be prepared …

24. What effect does this have on how we
design for and measure
user experience?

25. Nielsen’s usability heuristics …

26. Peter Morville’s “honey comb” …

27. The Pyramid

28. The Pyramid
Based on model by Stephen P. Anderson:
http://www.slideshare.net/stephenpa/
the-conversation-gets-interesting-creating-
the-adaptive-interface

29. The Meaning/Technology Dynamic: Online

30. So, how do you
design an interface
for a meaningful
experience?

31. 3 possible ways …
1. Emotion (or “building a bridge”)
2. Polite interfaces
3. Adaptive interfaces

32. 1. Emotion
2. Polite interfaces
3. Adaptive interfaces

33. Bridge
offline
and
online
world …

35. •User reviews
•Crowdsourcing
•Folksonomies/
User tags
•Games/quizzes
•Rewards (points,
levels, “random acts of
kindness,” etc.)
Participation …

38. A mental model is an explanation of someone's thought process
about how something works in the real world. It is a
representation of the surrounding world, the relationships
between its various parts and a person's intuitive perception about
their own acts and their consequences. Our mental models help
shape our behavior and define our approach to solving problems
and carrying out tasks.

46. 1. Emotion (or “building a bridge”)
2. Polite interfaces
3. Adaptive interfaces

47. •Forgiving:
•Helpful:
•Offers multiple ways of nav
/non-intrusive
•Interested:
•Simple and clear:
•Recalls last choices made by
user, sets up defaults
•Minimal use of text
•Respectful:
•Doesn’t hold back info,
declares itself
•Can “undo” a mistake,
provides user confidence
Adapted from: http://susanavilaca.wordpress.com/2008/12/03/polite-computing-and-adaptive-interfaces/)

48. •Helpful/non-intrusive
•Interested
•Simple and clear
•Respectful
•Forgiving

51. SHOWYOURSELF TO ME!

52. Anticipate
user
intention

53. Make suggestions basedon my
needs

54. 3. Adaptive
Content1. Emotion (or “building a bridge”)
2. Polite interfaces
3. Adaptive interfaces

55. An
adaptive
interface …
•Improves with user
interaction
•Develops a model of the user's
behavior
•Is constantly being refined
•Responds with an interaction
that fits the behavior

56. Recommendation engines …

57. Oops– I already
ownthese!

58. Missing:
•Real transparency
•Deeper level of
participation

62. Adjust interface based on …
• User style
• Demographics
• MAC/IP address info

63. An
outdated
construct?

64. OnlineBillPay
promo???

65. Now you get me.

67. What we learned

68. The experience bar has been raised …

69. Users will expect and DEMAND …

70. … greater personalization/engagement

71. … greater transparency

72. … greater cross platform integration

73. … but your users
will ultimately decide
what is meaningful
Meaningcan be
communicated in
many ways …

74. What should you do?

75. Be a facilitator of interactions – not the
“conventional authoritative voice”

76. SHOW, DON’T TELL

77. Make it more of a conversation …

78. Encourage user participation …

79. But be careful how you do it!

80. Engage people early …

82. Try to match users’ Mental Model
Artist: Ian Webster

83. Build meaning into design personas:
Kenneth Parcel, age 29
Native of Stone Mountain, GA.
Typical Day: 20 hours of paging
at the Top of the Rock, saving co-
workers from certain angst and
humiliation.
Motivators: Getting online tasks
done quickly so can get back to
cheering everyone up.
Values/Meaningful experiences most likely
to respond to: Harmony, Duty, Truth
“Being Nice can get you EVERYWHERE!”

84. Test and listen for emotional language …

85. The Pyramid

86. • Was the (interface) helpful?
• Define value of the (interface) in terms of how it made
you feel
• Did you get a sense that the (interface) was
listening/responding to your needs as you completed
each task?
• How does this (application) fit with how you perform
related activities in your life?
Q:

87. … after satisfying
“core” requirements
of UI/UX

88. Look for ideas outside of your own GUI

89. Share ideas between departments/disciplines

90. Appoint a
“meaning
representative”
on the design team
LET’S GET
MEANINGFUL!

91. Contact Information
David Kozatch, Principal
Ph 212.727.7966
david@digsmarter.com
Susanna Kirk, Senior
Analyst
Ph 617.475.5105
susanna@digsmarter.com
Web:
www.digsmarter.com
Blog:
blog.digsmarter.com