1. Connection
Well this is the big and obvious one; it’s the entire foundation for “Web 2.0”. (Remember when everyone and their dog was writing about that? Good times.) People want to connect with other people, or failing that, fuzzy animals. You can do both on just about any site with social features, these days. The popularity of tools designed to help us engage other human beings is staggering when compared to pretty much anything else on the Internet. And now, we can connect with people who share our interests no matter the distance. For better or worse, this is our world now.2. Popularity & Recognition
After connection, popularity is often regarded as the second best thing. Many of the same platforms that offer a chance to connect also offer us a chance to get “Internet famous”. Offering people the chance to feel recognized isn’t just an emotional reward, it’s a business model. Again, for better or worse, this is our world, now.3. Competition
Lastly for the social section of this article, we have competition. It’s human nature: we like kicking both metaphorical and physical butt. Offering your users a friendly way to compete with each other can drive all kinds of interaction. Just be warned: social competition often turns into a simple popularity contest, and those aren’t always great for an online community. [pullquote]social competition often turns into a simple popularity contest, and those aren’t always great for an online community[/pullquote]4. Progress
There’s a programmer’s joke that goes something like, “Programmers love video games so much because they offer a fictional world where people give you a task, and then you complete the task, and no one changes the spec.” In a world where life itself often feels like a Sisyphean endeavor, the feeling of making progress in any way is not to be under-valued. The mere existence of progress bars as a UI element has probably saved many a device from being smashed out of frustration.5. Achievement
Closely related to progress is achievement: the emotion you get when you actually finish something. A sense of achievement can come from completing just about any task in this hectic day and age, with so many distractions all around. Still, the emotion is made stronger by the recognition of one’s achievements. Even offering a quick “Hurray, you did it” after completing something annoying like a long form is a nice touch. It lets your users know that you recognize the time and effort they put into their interaction with your site, and that they could have just as easily spent that time and effort elsewhere.6. Exclusivity
Another thing people like is having things that other people don’t have. That actually doesn’t have to be as awful as it sounds. After all, all kinds of products come with collector’s editions, exclusive branded merchandise, and so on. Exclusive rewards are, at their best, a way of showing appreciation for the people who invest the most in you, and your product. Showing appreciation in this way can score you some life-long fans.7. Discovery
Discovery is a tricky one. There is definitely a sense of delight in discovering new and hidden (or semi-hidden) things; but as web designers, we usually want stuff to be pretty obvious. In other words, you don’t want people to have to “discover” the “buy” button. Discovery is usually implemented with things like Easter eggs in the design, semi-obscure cultural references in the copy, and other small touches.8. Surprises
Last, but not least, who doesn’t love a pleasant surprise? You might think this is the same as “Discovery”, but no. The surprises I’m talking about here are things you don’t have to go looking for. They’re big, they’re noticeable, and they leave users feeling like they just got something extra for free. People love getting random extra stuff for free, be it a pixel-art “badge” on their favorite streaming site, temporary access to “premium” features on an app they use every day, a free delivery from their shopping app, or what-have-you. As the artists formerly known as Blink 182 once put it:She left me roses by the stairsAnd really, that’s what rewarding your users emotionally should be about: letting them know you care, and appreciate their business. I appreciate you. You’re fantastic. I lov... ahem. It’s nice to have you around.
Surprises let me know she cares
Ezequiel Bruni
Ezequiel Bruni is a web/UX designer, blogger, and aspiring photographer living in Mexico. When he’s not up to his finely-chiselled ears in wire-frames and front-end code, or ranting about the same, he indulges in beer, pizza, fantasy novels, and stand-up comedy.
Read Next
3 Essential Design Trends, May 2024
Integrated navigation elements, interactive typography, and digital overprints are three website design trends making…
20 Best New Websites, April 2024
Welcome to our sites of the month for April. With some websites, the details make all the difference, while in others,…
Exciting New Tools for Designers, April 2024
Welcome to our April tools collection. There are no practical jokes here, just practical gadgets, services, and apps to…
14 Top UX Tools for Designers in 2024
User Experience (UX) is one of the most important fields of design, so it should come as no surprise that there are a…
By Simon Sterne
What Negative Effects Does a Bad Website Design Have On My Business?
Consumer expectations for a responsive, immersive, and visually appealing website experience have never been higher. In…
10+ Best Resources & Tools for Web Designers (2024 update)
Is searching for the best web design tools to suit your needs akin to having a recurring bad dream? Does each…
By WDD Staff
3 Essential Design Trends, April 2024
Ready to jump into some amazing new design ideas for Spring? Our roundup has everything from UX to color trends…
How to Plan Your First Successful Website
Planning a new website can be exciting and — if you’re anything like me — a little daunting. Whether you’re an…
By Simon Sterne
15 Best New Fonts, March 2024
Welcome to March’s edition of our roundup of the best new fonts for designers. This month’s compilation includes…
By Ben Moss
LimeWire Developer APIs Herald a New Era of AI Integration
Generative AI is a fascinating technology. Far from the design killer some people feared, it is an empowering and…
By WDD Staff
20 Best New Websites, March 2024
Welcome to our pick of sites for March. This month’s collection tends towards the simple and clean, which goes to show…
Exciting New Tools for Designers, March 2024
The fast-paced world of design never stops turning, and staying ahead of the curve is essential for creatives. As…