Designing for Emotion

The idea that ideas and innovations are powered by a chain reaction is something that seems like a basic idea, but when but into words seem very powerful. We do live in a world where the web dominates and it is coming increasingly more personal and personalized. I disagree that this is what users look for in all outlets though. I personally, for example, have looked at a number of public relations websites that tried very hard to be personal, and to me it just came off unprofessional. I guess what I’m trying to say that yes, personality is important, but there are some places where a professional persona must be put into place.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, transformed into a  internet user pyramid was very interesting. It puts into perspective the things we  may not consciously think about, but do consider the general idea of them in our work.  Making things as easy and enjoyable for the reader or consumer is pretty much the entire purpose of a PR Professional’s career.

Emotion is definitely something I considered when designing the direct mailer. I wanted to trigger nostalgia in the alumni parents, as well as get the prospective student children excited about the possibility of attending the University of Oklahoma.