The Feels

“toward texture and form”
I believe “what effect do you want to have on people” is one of the most important questions we should ask when we are making something. Life isn't just a series of problems to be solved but experiences to be had.
Things I'm thinking about
if software is to have soul, it must feel more like the world around it. Which is the biggest clue of all that feeling is what’s missing from today’s software. Because the value of the tools, objects, and artworks that we as humans have surrounded ourselves with for thousands of years goes so far beyond their functionality. In many ways, their prim... See more
The Browser Company • Optimizing for Feelings


I often think and write about the importance of “world building” in today’s mixed-media reality: Brands have more control than ever over where and how consumers experience their point of view, from digital feeds and properties to packaging design and retail merchandising. And with that comes many new opportunities to build emotional texture.
Dan Frommer • The Scott Sternberg guide to building emotional brands
emotional texture (emotional durability)
Designing for Feel: Feel is not something we talk much about as digital product designers. It’s difficult to quantify in metrics or even describe in words, so it tends to fall to the bottom of a priority list. But we know it’s important. [...] The industrial designers talked about contours that felt gratifying in the hand and actions that provided ... See more
(Not Boring) Software Inc. • The World's Most Satisfying Checkbox
This is why, when we are struck by a new piece of art, it can resonate on a deeper level. Perhaps this is the familiar, coming back to us in an unfamiliar form. Or maybe it is something unknown that we didn’t realize we were looking for. A missing piece in a puzzle that has no end.
Rick Rubin • The Creative Act: A Way of Being
the familiar, coming back to us in an unfamiliar form
Design is not what we make.
Design is what we make possible.
Design is what we make possible.