**1. Emotional UX Design – Theories & Books 📖**
💡 **Theory:** Emotional UX is based on **psychology, cognitive science, and user behavior research.** Some foundational concepts include:
**A) Don Norman’s Three Levels of Emotional Design**
_(from the book_ **_“Emotional Design: Why We Love (or Hate) Everyday Things”_**_)_
**1. Visceral Level** (Instinctive Reaction) – First impression, visual appeal.
**2. Behavioral Level** (Ease of Use) – How intuitive and engaging the experience is.
**3. Reflective Level** (Deeper Meaning) – How the app builds a long-term emotional connection.
🔹 **Example:** Apple products feel “premium” at a **visceral level**, work seamlessly at a **behavioral level**, and create strong brand loyalty at a **reflective level**.
📘 **Book Recommendation:**
✅ _Emotional Design: Why We Love (or Hate) Everyday Things_ – Don Norman
• This book explains how **design evokes emotions** and why people feel attached to certain products.
📘 **Other Books:**
✅ _Design for Emotion_ – Trevor van Gorp & Edie Adams
• Explains **how emotions influence user behavior** and how to design experiences that **connect with people**.
✅ _The Design of Everyday Things_ – Don Norman
• This is a **UX classic** on how people **interact with technology** and why usability + design thinking matter.
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**2. Conversational UI – Theories & Books 💬**
💡 **Theory:** Conversational UI is based on **linguistics, psychology, and AI-human interaction research.**
**A) Grice’s Cooperative Principle (How Conversations Work)**
_(From linguistics & AI research – Paul Grice, 1975)_
When humans **talk to each other**, they **follow four key principles**:
1️⃣ **Maxim of Quantity** – Give enough information, but not too much.
2️⃣ **Maxim of Quality** – Be truthful and reliable.
3️⃣ **Maxim of Relation** – Keep things relevant.
4️⃣ **Maxim of Manner** – Be clear and easy to understand.
💡 **Why This Matters in UX:**
A **Conversational UI** should follow these principles. If an AI chatbot **gives too little or too much info, is unclear, or irrelevant**, it **feels unnatural** to the user.
📘 **Book Recommendation:**
✅ _Designing Voice User Interfaces_ – Cathy Pearl
• Covers **how to create conversational AI** that feels **natural and human-like.**
✅ _Conversational Design_ – Erika Hall
• Explains how **UX writing, chatbot design, and digital interactions** should follow human conversation principles.
✅ _Talk to Me: How Voice Computing Will Transform the Way We Live_ – James Vlahos
• Talks about how voice assistants (like Siri & Alexa) **mimic human communication** and why some feel more engaging than others.
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**3. UI & UX Guidelines from Industry Leaders**
Apple, Google, and other big tech companies have **official design frameworks** for UI/UX:
📘 **Apple’s Human Interface Guidelines (HIG)**
• **Focuses on clarity, depth, and responsiveness.**
• Read here: [Apple HIG](https://developer.apple.com/design/human-interface-guidelines/)
📘 **Google’s Material Design**
• **Uses motion, micro-interactions, and dynamic elements** to create a more “alive” digital experience.
• Read here: [Google Material Design](https://material.io/)
📘 **Nielsen Norman Group (NNG) – UX Research & Guidelines**
• The **gold standard in UX research**—tons of articles on **psychology, usability, and human-centered design**.
• Read here: [NNG UX Research](https://www.nngroup.com/)
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**4. Specific Techniques You Can Use for HOPES 🚀**
Now that you have some **theoretical backing**, here are **practical techniques** that can bring **Conversational UI & Emotional UX** into the app:
✅ **“Empathetic Microcopy”** – Small, friendly text responses (e.g., _“I’m here for you”_ instead of _“Invalid input”_).
✅ **“Micro-animations”** – Subtle UI elements that make interactions feel **alive** (e.g., button presses with soft feedback).
✅ **“Conversational Flow Design”** – Instead of static menus, let users **choose guided responses**, like a supportive digital case manager.
✅ **“Emotional Color Theory”** – Colors can influence mood (e.g., warm tones for comfort, cool tones for focus).
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Related:
[[Article - Finding love in algorithms - deciphering the emotional contexts of close encounters with AI chatbots]]