
welcome
First of all, my heartfelt thanks for your trust and purchasing the MEAP edition of Emotional Digital Design. I hope it lives up to your expectations and becomes a valuable investment, as well as an unforgettable and emotional journey.
What's This Book For?
At some point in every designer's career, a question pops up: “What's next?”. What lies beyond the pixels? The threshold for digital design is quite low: master Figma, watch a few YouTube tutorials, read a couple of UX design books, and boom—you’re an interface designer. But sooner or later, the pixels lose their charm, and you realize that modern digital products are about more than just aesthetics and functionality. Digital design today is all about people and the emotions they experience during and after interacting with the product.
As designers, we create stories that shape the world. Design is a powerful tool—it can connect people, foster positive change, or, if misused, lead to intended consequences. So, what’s this book for? It’s simple—if you want to make a meaningful, positive impact on the world tomorrow, you should read this book today.
I have been a designer for over 12 years now, and in recent years, I’ve also managed design teams. I’ve worked across different continents and industries, and if I’d had a book like this early in my career, I would’ve reached where I am now at least five years sooner. However, I’m not here to repeat my journey in this book. Instead, I’ll help you move through yours much faster. Real design begins with understanding how to cause a desired emotional response, and the key lies in connecting your design craft with psychology.
Who is This Book For?
First and foremost, this book is for designers who are either just starting out or feeling stuck at the junior or mid-levels. It will challenge your current thinking and open up new horizons for you to explore.
If you're a senior-level designer, lead, staff, principal, design ninja, or user experience magician, this book might not reveal much new to you. However, it could still be an interesting read and a refreshing breeze for your knowledge.
And here’s a twist—if you're a developer, manager, or marketer, this book is also for you. It will help you not only to broaden your understanding of modern digital design, but also give you insights into what designers are doing behind the scenes, how they can help you in your work, and how to build a true partnership with them. But be warned–there’s a good chance you’ll want to switch to design after reading this.
What is in the book?
This book is the most comprehensive guide to the psychology for digital product designers. It will help you learn how to create a digital design that always works at the most effective level for your business, and resonates with your audience. After reading this book, you will have answers to these questions:
- How to create designs that engage users on an emotional level
- What laws and principles of psychology do you need to know and how to apply them to deliver the most effective design solutions
- How to articulate solutions not only in terms of usability or aesthetics, but also in terms of science
- How to apply the rules of psychology to the design process
- How to make better presentations to clients and team members
The book covers different areas of psychology and their practical application in digital design. Each rule and piece of theory is supported by real-life examples of digital products. You will also find a wealth of additional material to help you delve deeper into the subject.
Please feel free to share your thoughts, questions, and suggestions in the liveBook Discussion forum.
— Vadym Grin