'more human' language
Another nice example of a 'more human' approach to language, this time from Microsoft's Hotmail application, being used to hide the technical limitations of the system. This use of language gives the impression that an actual person is trying to help the user, which often results in a much calmer response when the technical limitations disappoints the user. As a user, you are often inclined to respond with more of an "oh well, it was nice of them to at least try" kind of response, rather than a frustated response such as "Argh! Darn computer can't do anything I ask it to!".
are you really from the future?
It's interesting to see a change in the way that language is used on the web. The use of language was always very functional and direct, ensuring only that the required information was presented to the user. Now that user experience design is seen as more of a necessity than a 'nice to have' by the majority of digital content creators, they are starting to realise the benefits of creating a 'human' connection with their users.
Those companies that saw the true value in delightful interaction design early on, and the loyalty it brought to their brand, are now recognising that it's not just about fancy graphics, and smooth transitions; they are recognising that copy has an important role to play too.
Bridging the gap between the language your consumers use day-to-day, and the language technology uses to present information, can be of great benefit in creating that emotional connection with the user. Thus creating positive brand value, and a delightful experience that users will remember and return to on a daily basis.
Yahoo displays a great example of this in its sign up form. Previously, if I had entered a future date as my year of birth in one of these kind of forms, it would usually shout at me in big, bold red type, telling me that I was a failure and had inserted something 'incorrectly'. Now rather, Yahoo provides a kinder approach to displaying this information by cleverly posing a humorous question to me: 'Are you really from the future?'. A good example of a nice 'human' touch.
the beautiful little details
What impresses me most when it comes to interaction design, is the attention to the finer details. Good designers are able to show that they understand their users' needs, and translate that knowledge into delightful, elegant, and seamless designs.
This recent addition to Google's search listings is a great example of how a designer who is really paying attention to the way their product is interacted with, can bring so much improvement to the experience, just with the simple addition of a small arrow and a bit of smart thinking.
Google now starts a live search as the user begins to type, and this little arrow indicates to the user that if they hit 'enter' on their keyboard, they will be taken straight to the indicated page without needing to leave their keyboard. This little time-saving idea is designed to help the user so they don't need to switch from the keyboard to the mouse whilst using Google's product. This may be a small gesture, but to me, it shows the brand cares. And it's this kind of usability improvement that has stopped me from converting to Microsoft's Bing search engine.