Why Good Design Doesn’t Just Solve Problems—It Also Evokes Emotion

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Functionality is the floor, not the ceiling, of design. In a world saturated with clean, minimalist interfaces, emotional design becomes a competitive advantage.

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What Is Emotional Design?

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It’s the ability to generate positive emotions—such as surprise, trust, or joy—at every touchpoint with the user. It goes beyond visuals: it includes tone of voice, microinteractions, animations, and small details that make an experience truly memorable.

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The Three Layers of Emotional Design (According to Donald Norman)

• Visceral – What the user feels at first glance: colors, shapes, typography.
• Behavioral – How easy, smooth, and comfortable it is to use the product.
• Reflective – The lasting impression after the experience is over.

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Inspiring Examples

• The “Like” animation on Twitter/X that changes depending on the content.
• Duolingo’s friendly and playful tone, even when you make mistakes.
• The delightful surprise of an unexpected animation in an app.

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At Tribu, we see emotional design not as decoration, but as a tool to humanize technology. Because at the end of the day, we design for people, not for screens.

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