I found a TED talk by Don Norman titled “The three ways that good design makes you happy“ which sparked my curiosity. Norman is famous for his work on emotional design and everyday things. This talk focuses on the importance of fun, beauty, and emotion in how we interact with technology. An interesting connection to some of the things I looked at through my previous blog posts
Norman explains that “pleasant things work better.” He argues that when we are happy or amused, our brains become more creative and better at solving problems. This idea is a perfect fit for my research into “Whimsical UX.” Usually, designers think of “fun” as a decoration or „add-on“ that we add at the end of a project. However, according to Norman, the emotional side of a product and/or interface is just as functional as the technical side. If an “unserious” interface makes a user smile or pause, it actually makes them more relaxed and capable of handling the interaction, even if it is not perfectly efficient.
This connects directly to the post-digital ideas I have been exploring through Florian Cramer’s work. A perfectly clean and “sterile” digital screen often feels cold and boring, which is a major cause of the digital fatigue I want to address. By adding personality or “whimsical” elements, we are not just making a toy, we are making a more human tool. It moves the focus away from the technology itself and puts it back on the quality of the human experience. As Andersen and Pold suggest in their work on interface criticism, we need to move away from interfaces that try to be “invisible” or “seamless.” A design that makes you laugh or look at a quirky detail is an interface that is “visible” and engaging. It forces you to be present in the moment.
Watching this talk helped me see that “whimsy or joy” and “intentional friction” are actually pretty closely related. Both are tools to break the habit of mindless swiping. Whether it is a physical knob that feels satisfying to turn or a digital menu that uses playful language, these elements create a moment of intention and connection. They turn a boring transaction into a meaningful interaction.
I think it could be fun to use Norman’s perspective to prove that “fun” is not a distraction from good design. In a world where everything is being forced into a screen for the sake of efficiency, and economical benefits, reintroducing joy is a radical and necessary act. My approach is to find a way to combine these themes: post-digital skepticism, the need for reflective friction, and the power of joy into a framework for a „post-screen” or „post-digital“ or „post-efficiency“ world. The idea is to design interfaces that do not just treat users like efficient machines, but like humans who value personality and play and experience.
