Beyond Usability: Why Emotion and Delight Matter in UX

This week’s episode takes a deeper look at how we define good user experience—and argues it’s time we move beyond the narrow focus of usability. We explore how friction can sometimes enhance an experience, and why emotional design is essential if we want to create interfaces that stick in users’ minds.

We also review a new batch of AI-powered design tools and uncover where they currently fall short. Plus, we look at how AI can still be incredibly useful for user research—when used the right way.

Finally, we answer a question from our Agency Academy about giving feedback in a way that doesn't crush your colleagues, and Marcus closes out with one of his typically pun-tastic jokes.

App Of The Week

We explored two sides of AI in this episode—one disappointing, one surprisingly powerful.

AI Website Builders: Not Quite There Yet

While on the road (and supposedly on holiday), Paul trialed four AI-powered tools that promise to design and code entire websites based on your prompts. The tools included:

• UXPilot
• V0
• Polymet
• Loveable

All four are generating excitement among many, but from a UX perspective, we found them underwhelming. Results were inconsistent at best—white text on white backgrounds, bland copy, missing CSS, and difficult-to-edit layouts. Even with carefully crafted prompts, they failed to deliver production-ready (or even prototype-ready) experiences.

If you’re curious, they’re cheap enough to try—but don’t expect them to replace designers or developers anytime soon.

A New Way to Use AI: Deep Research for User Insights

On the flip side, we’ve found AI incredibly useful for online user research, especially when time or resources make traditional methods tough.

Paul used Perplexity to perform sentiment analysis across:

• Social media mentions
• Review sites like Trustpilot
• Online forums like MoneySavingExpert

He asked it to uncover what users liked, disliked, questioned, or hesitated over when it came to purchasing insurance. The results? Incredibly insightful—and backed up with linked sources to verify accuracy.

You can also ask it to find testimonials that support key selling points, making it great for conversion optimization.

If you're short on research time, tools like Perplexity offer a fast and surprisingly effective way to better understand your audience.

Topic Of The Week: Why Usability Alone Isn’t Enough

It all started in a casino. Well, sort of.

While walking through a bank of overly-themed slot machines in Vegas, Paul had a realization: if a UX designer created a slot machine, it would probably be terrible. We’d remove all the friction. Strip away the flashing lights. Replace the reels with a simple “Win or Lose” button. It would be technically better, but emotionally dead.

And that’s the problem.

Too often in UX, we treat usability as the holy grail. We remove friction, optimize flows, and tidy up interfaces. But we sometimes forget the _emotional layer_—the personality, surprise, or joy that makes a product memorable.

The Risk of Sterile Design

When we fixate only on usability, we risk creating something that is forgettable. Efficient, yes. Effective, perhaps. But emotionally flat. That’s not what builds brand loyalty. That’s not what users remember.

It’s like eating a plain rice cake. Technically food. But not something you'd write home about.

We need to learn from other industries. Slot machine designers understand user psychology on a visceral level. They’ve mastered the art of creating anticipation, excitement, even obsession. Not that we should copy their manipulative tactics—but we can learn from how they invoke emotion.

Same goes for print designers, who often embrace bold creative expression. Or the restaurant industry, where service, ambiance, and delight matter as much as the food.

Emotional States Affect Usability

It’s not just about delight for delight’s sake. Emotional state directly affects cognitive load. When someone is stressed, even the simplest interaction feels hard. When they’re relaxed or entertained, they glide through even complex tasks.

We need to design for these emotional states. A well-designed interface doesn’t just help users complete a task. It shapes how they feel about doing it.

Consider the Mailchimp example. Back in the day, their UI was full of little delightful moments—from their chimp mascot Freddy to playful animations. None of it was strictly necessary. But it made the product feel human, friendly, and approachable. And it mattered.

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