Universal Methods of Design

RESEARCH METHOD

29 Desirability Testing

When there is disagreement about which design direction to pursue, desirability testing shifts the conversation from which design is “best” to which design elicits the optimal emotional response from users.

First impressions matter, and within seconds of being introduced to a product, people will make judgments about it. Most of the snap judgments are based on how design elements make people feel, and designers know that interface elements that trigger an emotional response are difficult for non-designers to identify and articulate. But there is a method designed to explore this emotional space—desirability ...