On passionate user experiences

Here's a cool link to a blog on Creating Passionate Users. The blogger, Kathy Sierra, presented a keynote lecture at this year's SXSWi that brought up a few surprising points about designing a satisfying user experience. A few things I remember off the top of my head include:

-Give your design elements natural physics. For example, that "bouncy ball bounce" you experience when using the scroll function on an iPhone creates a satisfying emotional response in a user. Using actual physics in your design is a good way to engage users.

-When designing a user experience, keep in mind the physical health of your user. That's right - if you allow your users to experience your brand through body and brain exercises, chances are your users will appreciate you more.

-This all has to do with a theory Kathy has about allowing your service or product to make the user feel like they "kick-ass." Confused? It's all in the blog.

Portfolio Site

I've just started work on an updated portfolio site at ZaraSteadman.com.

It's been awhile since I sat down and coded a site from start to finish like the old days, so it's taking a while to get cross-browser fluency. Any feedback is appreciated!