Emotional Engagement: Chapter 4

When reading Designing for Emotion, I also find pieces of information to be truthful and interesting. Chapter four of the textbook discusses emotional engagement of designs. The author, Aaron Walter, related emotion within designs with your current favorite song. As Walter mentioned, when your favorite song unexpectedly comes on the radio, you are shocked and surprised but most of all- excited. “Surprise amplifies our emotional response. When we anticipate a moment, the emotional response is diluted across time,” said Walter.  I really agree with this concept because I see it to be true in a variety of different situations.

One thing in this chapter I didn’t necessarily love was the idea of Wufoo. Wufoo is an organization that sends personal customers thanking them for their loyalty (Walter, 51). I think this is a neat idea, but I’m not positive it’s reliable or effective. I’m not exactly sure how this effects the emotional response of the customer. Personally, I think a typed letter or even an email can be just as effective.