Everything is so full now, right? Like the internet. Apps, websites, ads…they all wanna grab your eyes. But guess what? It ain’t the slickest graphics or the cleanest code that makes people stay. Nah. It’s the feeling. That hit in the gut. Or the warm weird fuzzies. Emotional oomph, you know?
Okay—lemme try explainin’. Developing stuff with feels involved, not just functions. Here’s kinda how I think about it. It’s not linear. Not really scientific either. But it’s real.
Knowing What Humans Need (Even If They Don’t Say It Out Loud)
You ever scroll through something and just feel something you didn’t expect? That’s what I chase when I make stuff.
Like, before I touch a tool, I ask myself: “how’s this thing supposed to feel?” Not “what’s it do?” That comes later. People ain’t robots, we don’t just click and consume—we feel and remember.
Sometimes I scribble like, a mood map or whatever. From curious → confused → hopeful → satisfied. It’s messy. Doesn’t always make sense. But it helps, kinda.
Oh Right, Stories Rule Everything
There’s always a story, even when there isn’t. Apps? Games? Even dumb contact forms? Stories.
Imagine you’re trying to get someone to trust a button. That button is part of a story arc. No joke. There’s a beginning (they see it), middle (hover hesitation), and end (click satisfaction… or panic, lol).
Some folks like “hero’s journey” or whatever Joseph Campbell jazz. Me? I just think like, “what’s the user feeling right now?” And then I make that feeling matter.
Your Eyes & Ears Wanna Feel Too
Colors be talkin’. Like, literally. Warm ones be like, “hey pal, it’s safe here.” Cold tones say “be serious now.” You ever seen a horror game use pastel pink? Me neither.
And sound? Sound’s like 70% of feeling, not even exaggerating. A lil’ swoosh. A soft ding. Silence in the right spot? Oof. That’s heavy.
Fonts whisper things too. Fonts are shady like that. Use a bubbly one, and suddenly everything’s “fun!” even if you’re like, deleting your account.
Clicking Should Feel Like Hugging, Almost
Interacting with stuff online? It shouldn’t feel like assembling IKEA furniture. People tap things with hope in their thumbs. So I make sure when you click, it feels good. A soft bounce. A gentle glow. It matters more than folks realize.
Once I built a little progress bar that smiled when it filled up. Dumbest idea. But people loved it. They emailed me about it. What?
It’s the lil’ things. Micro-feels. I dunno what else to call it.
Being Real Slaps Harder Than Polished Stuff
Perfection’s overrated. Cold. Sterile. Meh.
You wanna hit someone in the heart? Be a little messy. Crack a joke. Write a weird error message. Admit stuff. I once made an onboarding screen say “we kinda rushed this part, but hey—you’re here!” People smiled. They told me. Authenticity is a cheat code.
There’s too many brands out there pretending to be gods. Just be a weird lil’ human with code. Works wonders.
Don’t Skip the Build-Up (Even for Buttons)
Ever watch a movie where everything explodes right away? Exhausting, yeah? You need tension. You need release. Even in UI.
I like holding things back a sec. Not too much. Just a beat. A shimmer before a reveal. That “wait…wait—there it is” moment? It’s delicious.
Made a game menu once that took 1.7 seconds to load on purpose. People waited. Loved it. Felt weighty. Like they were stepping into something, not just clicking around.
Talk to Humans. Ask Weird Questions.
Testing’s cool. But not the robotic kind. I don’t wanna know if a button works. I wanna know if it makes you feel “eh” or “ooooh.”
So I ask testers weird stuff: “Did that error message feel like your mom scolding you?” or “If this app was a dog, what breed would it be?” You’d be surprised what folks say. Insights, man.
Feels Got Metrics Too (Sorta)
It’s tricky. But I look for clues.
If someone comes back without being begged by push notifications? That’s emotion. If they send the thing to a friend without incentive? That’s a vibe.
Sure, you got NPS scores, time-on-screen junk, blah blah blah. But read between the lines. A tweet saying “this app made me cry in a good way” is worth ten spreadsheets.
Final Weird Rant: Emotion Ain’t Add-On Stuff
Most devs treat emotional stuff like sprinkles. I say it’s the dough. The base. The blueprint.
You can’t bolt feelings on after you build a thing. You gotta marinate the whole dang experience in it from day one.
Feels are the fingerprints on the glass. The whisper between the features. When people say “I don’t know why I love this,” you know you nailed it.
I build with feels first. Sometimes it’s chaos. Sometimes it’s quiet. Always human.
Anyway. Go make ‘em feel something. That’s the real win.
Also, you can learn more about Color Theory Basics here.