💌 The Delightfulness Project: Let's get in motion!
How motion design works, interviews, inspiration & more 📚
Welcome to first issue of The Delightfulness Project, a monthly write-up on what makes products delightful.
Before we dive in— a note:
Originally, this newsletter was scheduled to send last Tuesday, June 2nd. But given the resounding surge of voices surrounding Black Lives Matter in the US, it didn’t seem right. Honestly, I struggled a lot with whether or not to publish this issue at all. As a woman of color, this past week has been heartbreaking, horrifying, and brutally overwhelming.
And yet… I’m optimistic. I’ve never seen this level of civic engagement and passion to protesting, learning about, sharing, and demanding reform to the prejudiced systems that support white supremacy at the cost of Black lives, Black communities, and Black dreams. I am hopeful for the road ahead, though I know it will be long. These broken systems have been 200 years in the making; they will not be fixed in a year.
So as we continue this fight, I urge you all to listen, learn, and participate… at your own pace and capacity. If you have the energy and resources to support Black Lives Matter, here are ways to help. And if you are feeling overwhelmed, you’re not alone. Invest in self care. Take time to breathe. Savor even the smallest moments of delight. You can always return to the fight when you’re ready.
For me, when the world gets too overwhelming, writing this newsletter has become my own personal form of self-care, and I truly hope that it can bring you some delight as well.
So, whenever you’re ready… let’s begin. ⤵️
Why Motion? 🤔
When I was 10, I was obsessed with “Captain Underpants”, a kid’s series about two boys, Harold & George, who went on crazy adventures with an underpants-wearing superhero. The story was fun and the humor hilarious, but what I loved most was the Flip-O-Rama animation. By flipping a page back and forth, I could easily make the story come to life. It was simple, unexpected, and absolutely delightful. 😊
Recently, I’ve been thinking a lot about motion and its ability to transform products from good to unforgettable.
Take this inspiring design from Dribbble below. In its still version (first image), it’s stunning. But add motion (bottom image) and suddenly, it feels like the product is truly alive.
Why does motion make us feel this way? It has to do with our fight-or-flight response. 💪 Our senses are hardwired to view motion as a potential threat, so we naturally pay extra attention when we see objects shifting direction, speed, or acceleration. 👀
As designers, we can use this phenomenon to create immersive, engaging experiences that grab our user’s attention and make our products come to life. 💫
In This Issue 📖
We’ll be exploring how motion creates delightfulness in products, including:
Motion in Products 📲 Examples on how to apply motion to your own product.
Advice from Creatives 💬 Interviews & advice from incredible motion designers.
Learning & Inspiration 💡 Articles & resources to inspire your learning journey.