Positive Surprises (Wows)

A key element of a good user experience is providing small surprises for the user. These can also be called wows. These surprises of course need to be positive, and they can make people think or even say the word wow. Figure 1-8 shows an advertisement with a certain wow effect.

A wow could be something like a great and logical graphical layout where the user thinks, “Wow, this looks good.” It could also be a user interaction that is designed in a playful way. Playfulness is a very essential part of wows and positive surprises.

Figure 1-8. Example of wow. Credits and description: Giant constrictor snake squeezing complete Copenhagen citybus. Advertising Agency: Bates Y&R, Copenhagen, Denmark. Creative Director: Ib Borup. Art Director: Peder Schack. Agency Producers: Josephine Winther-Poupinel, Steen NØhr. Other credit: Erich Karsholt. The Print Ad titled Snake Bus was done by Bates Y&R advertising agency for brand: Copenhagen Zoo in Denmark. It was released in Dec 2009.

Wows and positive surprises can also happen when the user discovers a small, intelligent function that, for example, helps him type text faster. Or they can refer to the pleasure the user feels when he finds a shortcut for an often used function on a web page.

Positive surprises are needed on every level of interaction and usage, but focus should be made on core tasks that the user performs. Designing great interaction elements that users do not need or may not find is a waste of resources.

Later in Chapter 11, I will describe concrete methods for creating successful user experience innovation around positive surprises. Then in Chapter 15, I'll talk about how to create innovation for your core tasks.

Negative surprises should be generally avoided, especially in the core interaction of the product. But negative surprises—also known as pain points—can provide a very tangible approach to creating successful user experiences. (See Chapter 8 for more on pain points.)