How to improve your product with digital self-awareness
Tech companies and design agencies often strive to “humanize technology”, and it generally means two things:
- To adapt technology to human characteristics.
- To make products more human-like.
In UX — where almost everything is sprinkled with “empathy” and “delight” — the popularity of the second definition is increasing.
Some prominent examples that exemplify this concept are Slacks’ Slackbot and Duo, the owl of Duolingo. And a more subtle realization is Headspace’s “play” button that appears to breathe.
The use of creative micro-copy and/or -animation can also evoke a human essence if well executed.
That said, the attempt to “humanize” digital products can also come across as awkward, unnecessary — or even offensive. This raises the question: “To create an optimal experience, is it necessary to give products human-like features?”
People are inherently programmed to project emotions and beliefs into just about everything. Whether it’s another person, an animal, or an object, our brains subconsciously interpret the subtlest indicators as “human-like”. There is a fancy word for this: Anthropomorphism.
People are inherently programmed to project emotions and beliefs into just about everything.
Through millions of years, our brains have evolved to interpret the world through a unique lens. We’re social animals, which means we have to understand each other’s internal states to act “appropriately” according to group norms — as well as to take the right action when necessary.
Have you ever sworn aggressively at your computer? That’s called “computer rage”. And yes, it’s a real thing. Isn’t it interesting how we can get so angry at an inanimate object?
In his book “Emotional Design”, Don Norman describes “computer rage” beautifully.
“We get angry because that’s how our mind works. As far as we are concerned, we have done everything right, so the inappropriate behavior is, therefore, the fault of the computer”.
So, due to anthropomorphism, the question isn’t whether or not you should make your product more human-like, because people already see it that way. The better question is: “What kind of social interaction do you want between your product and your users?” Because one exists, regardless if it’s considered or not.
Due to anthropomorphism, the question isn’t whether or not you should make your product more human-like, because people already see it that way.
My suggestion is to view your product as an actual person your users communicate with. Then you can interweave appropriate personality traits and beliefs into the experience. As a result, you have more control over how your product is perceived and the experience you’ve designed.
How do you envision the human version of your product?
Well, I propose you create a “Product Persona”. This is a concept I came up with. A Product Persona is a twist on a User Persona. The difference between is that a Product Persona focuses on personality and beliefs. Compared to a User Persona that focuses more on demographics, goals, and desires.
To make your Product Persona more realistic and, more effective, not only look at good personality traits, emotions, and intentions but also bad ones.
In concrete terms, you should try to balance the good traits with bad traits. The reason for this is simple: You’re not trying to create a superhuman, you’re trying to create a realistic and relatable human.
In social interactions, we don’t attribute random human characteristics to things — human or nonhuman — we project our own emotions and beliefs. This is natural human behavior. And, once you understand which negative traits lead to mild irritation or computer rage, you can increase your product’s chance for success.
In social interactions, we don’t attribute random human characteristics to things — human or nonhuman — we project our own emotions and beliefs.
In every story, the hero also has weak spots, but we still love them. Moreover, the imperfection makes them unique and causes us to value and love them more. So, be realistic when creating your product persona.
Another challenge in creating a realistic product persona is taking your company’s brand and value proposition into account. Leaders, marketers, and salespeople are often most focused on appealing to the target group and explaining why their product is better than their competitor’s. They only see the positive sides of the company’s brand and try to mask the negative parts. Looking at their ideas can be a good starting point. However, think critically about what is realistic and not. Again, your goal is to be realistic, so you are going to have to make choices. Consider this exercise as a dive into the digital self-awareness of your product.
This exercise is a dive into the digital self-awareness of your product.
I will give you an example of why being realistic is necessary. I’m a freelance UX Designer and use software for my bookkeeping. In general, I’m quite content with it, but there’s one thing I find pretty annoying. Sometimes, when I do something new with the tool, I get…. a badge. Which inevitably leads to a facepalm.
Today, I got a badge for sending my first invoice reminder. I find this messed up for two reasons:
- No one wants a reward for not being paid on time.
- The designers probably aimed for “delight” and thought they could achieve that by “gamifying” the software.
Have you ever asked somebody what they thought of their bookkeeper? And if so, has the response ever been, “They’re delightful!” My guess is that you haven’t. Why? Because being delightful isn’t a requirement for the person who balances your books.
Being delightful isn’t a requirement for the person who balances your books.
Can you imagine going to your bookkeeper and being rewarded with a badge for every minor achievement? You would probably find that person patronizing. I know I would in any case.
Coming back to my original question: “Is it necessary to give your product human-like features?”
The short answer is: “No, not in a literal sense”.
However, be aware that when people use your product, they’ll automatically and unconsciously attribute human characteristics to it. Armed with this knowledge, you’re at an advantage. You’ll be able to design a more self-aware, more natural, and more pleasing experience for your users.
Be aware that when people use your product, they’ll automatically and unconsciously attribute human characteristics to it.
In my next article, I will give an example of how you create a Product Persona and what you should take into consideration when creating one.
Many thanks to Erin Weigel for helping me write this article.
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