Seductive Interaction Design: Creating Playful, Fun, and Effective User Experiences

Section Two. Playful Seduction

In the context of dating, we use playful behaviors to connect with others. We tease each other with little tidbits of information about ourselves. We serve up flirtatious smiles at just the right moment. We ask silly questions or make humorous propositions. We “accidentally” brush a hand against the other person’s skin. Assuming there’s some mutual interest, these signals say, “Hang out with me and you’ll have a good time.”

So what about Web sites?

Unfortunately, most Web sites and applications—especially software applications—care very little about making things fun. Conversations about users tend to focus on task ...