We stand with Ukraine and our team members from Ukraine.

A Community Of Over 740,000

Become a member
Twitter Linkedin-in Facebook-f
Home ›› Design ›› What Magic Can Teach Us About Empathy in UX

What Magic Can Teach Us About Empathy in UX

by Lukas Mathis
1 min read
Share this post on
Tweet
Share
Post
Share
Email
Print

Save

Jamy Ian Swiss explains how magic and UX live in the same place: the user’s mind.

Great presentation by magician Jamy Ian Swiss, who explains concepts like mental models and storytelling by equating software to magic.

Jamy Ian Swiss at Gel 2009 from Gel Conference.

Jamy Ian Swiss calls himself an “honest liar,” because as a magician, he promises to deceive his audience, and then promptly does. User interface designers are somewhat similar, though probably a bit less honest. We constantly lie to our users about what they actually see. A button on a screen isn’t really a button, it’s a bunch of colored dots. The better we lie to users, to more easily we can convince them that it actually is a button.

So while we may not be as honest as magicians, our lies nevertheless are in the user’s best interest.

post authorLukas Mathis

Lukas Mathis, Lukas Mathis works as a software engineer and user interface designer for a Swiss software company creating workflow management software. He lives in a small village in a remote part of the Swiss Alps. Visit Lukas' website at https://.ignorethecode.net/ or follow him on Twitter @LKM.

Tweet
Share
Post
Share
Email
Print

Related Articles

Vision Is Not About The Goggles; It Is About A New Way Of Looking

  • Apple, Apple iOS, New and Emerging Technologies, Technology

What is the meaning of the introduction of the Vision Pro device and Vision OS? After a week of reflection, and reading about experiences, I like to do a take here.

Article by Iskander Smit
IDEAS IN BRIEF
Vision Is Not About The Goggles; It Is About A New Way Of Looking
  • The article discusses the introduction of Apple’s Vision Pro and Vision OS, highlighting their significance in shaping a new relationship with technology through a synthetic layer that enhances vision.
Read Article →
Share
Share:Vision Is Not About The Goggles; It Is About A New Way Of Looking
6 min read

My Design Process: Building Blocks for Continuous Discovery

In our day-to-day lives, we all rely on a unique set of tools to tackle various challenges and solve diverse problems. The world of product design operates under the same principle.

Article by Yuliia Galytska
IDEAS IN BRIEF
My Design Process: Building Blocks for Continuous Discovery
  • This article explores the author’s evolved design process. It features:
    • a collection of building blocks for continuous discovery;
    • tools such as opportunity solution trees and rapid prototyping;
    • the method of understanding the “why” before diving into the “what” and “how” of design.
Read Article →
Share
Share:My Design Process: Building Blocks for Continuous Discovery
6 min read

Understand And Define Users With The User Profile Model

  • Personas, Research Methods and Techniques, The Evolution of Research, UX Education
Article by Jessica Sherratt
IDEAS IN BRIEF
Understand And Define Users With The User Profile Model
  • The article covers the evolution of user research and the importance of effective personas, as it explores the user profile model and how it can help teams gain valuable insights to create customer-centric products and services.
Read Article →
Share
Share:Understand And Define Users With The User Profile Model
11 min read

Join 740,000 designers, thinkers, and doers.

Become a member

This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. Check our privacy policy and

Accept policy