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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Small and Thorough, June 19, 2011
Stephen Anderson does an excellent job introducing the questions that we ask ourselves when we visit a website, open software, buy physical products, and gravitate toward certain people. The book's psychological approach to explaining the catalysts and triggers of human behavior is thorough and provides good examples of how to use those triggers to create a lasting and impressionable experiences. There are 25 chapters which are grouped into four sections...see section descriptions or skip to the bottom line.
Section one (Aesthetics, Beauty, and Behavior) covers topics like gestalt principles/psychology, perceived affordances, product credibility and personality, affect, cognition, and association. Anderson makes plenty of references to other quintessential UX books such as Designing with the Mind in Mind by Jeff Johnson, Visual Thinking for Design by Colin Ware, and Emotional Design by Donald Norman. Section two (Playful Seduction) covers ways to engage audiences with positive affective states such as humor, the mystique of unexpected behavior, and `delighters'. Anderson also uses specific phenomenon such as the information gap theory to explain alternate methods of eliminating the feeling of deprivation in users seeking information. Section three (The subtle Art of Seduction) covers some of the covert ways that our behavior is influenced by revealing topics such as the endowed progress effect, default options, and the many interfaces that offer suggestions such as Twitter's `Who to follow'. Topics such as loss aversion were clearly outlined and empowers users to be more aware of the influences we encounter while online. Section four (The Game of Seduction) takes a gamification approach to explaining the intrigue of certain user experiences. Anderson explains the power of `fun' by introducing the elements of game design (challenges, choices, and conflicts)
BOTTOM LINE
This book provided so many examples and references that even a proficient UX specialist would learn something new or easily be referred to other helpful sources of information. Rarely have I found so much information packed into such a short book. I highly recommend the book for newcomers to UX, but I also encourage experienced practitioners to grab a copy for reference.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A lot of power in this playful book, August 26, 2011
I love this book. You can get something useful just by randomly opening it to any page, though I strongly suggest reading it start to finish, and then again with a highlighter! I was looking forward to this book for some time, though a little skeptical given: A) the bold promise of the book and B) this is a topic my own work centers around, so my bar was set quite high. But after spending time with the book, I believe it will be a *HUGE* help to anyone who takes the messages within it seriously.
It's a playful book on a playful topic, but that doesn't mean it isn't powerful. The author has done an amazing job of synthesizing research and implementation ideas from a wide range of domains, all devoted to one goal: creating sustainably engaging user experiences. He manages to do this while including a topic that I typically do NOT like: gamification. However, the author understands the deep implications of how these (game mechanics) techniques can be used, and stays focused on a user-centered context (as opposed to pure marketing-driven manipulation).
This book may look like yet another superficial "make things fun" or even "delightful customer experiences" book, but it's much more. If you want to give your users richer experiences at every level from initial exposure to more advanced use, and create users/customers more likely to stick around and grow with the product, I recommend this book. It's the only book I have found that summarizes these topics in a useful, actionable, way.
Footnote: I was shocked to find my name listed in the credits as an "inspiration" for the topic. I don't know the author, and I would have been extremely disappointed if the book failed to live up to its promise, given my "association" with it. So I was both relieved and thrilled with how helpful and insightful the book is. As an end-user of many, many products and services, I want a world where those who design and deliver user experiences have taken the message of this book seriously.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A delightful and practical guide for improving user experience, July 24, 2011
This review is from: Seductive Interaction Design: Creating Playful, Fun, and Effective User Experiences (Voices That Matter) (Paperback)
What is it that makes some software addictive and enjoyable to use so much of the time software feels tedious and dull? If registration forms are inherently dull, how is it that the registration process for the iLike website is so interesting that people voluntarily answer pages of extra questions? These are the kinds of questions that Stephen Anderson tackles in this beautiful, entertaining book.
I should disclose that I was one of a great many people Stephen Anderson interviewed in researching this book, so I have been fascinated to see what he made of it all. What he has done is put together an excellent collection of tips and tricks that can be used by anyone designing a website, mobile app or even mundane software like a timesheet system to get users engaged and enthused. And if you can do that then your software is more likely to be effective and popular.
Each point is backed up by a memorable example and psychological principles - so whether you're staring at a blank sheet of paper hoping for inspiration, or sitting in a meeting trying to decide how to improve your website, you'll find yourself recalling examples and ideas from this book.
It's practical and enjoyable - whether you're designing your first website or a seasoned professional I'd recommend it as a source of inspiration and ideas.
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