,
20 tweets,
5 min read
Read on Twitter
THREAD: I've been looking into how products can purposefully create emotional experiences for users.
@Superhuman is fascinating. The product is operating on two levels: The product itself but beneath it all is a full-blown game.
Let's start with the product for context.
@Superhuman is fascinating. The product is operating on two levels: The product itself but beneath it all is a full-blown game.
Let's start with the product for context.
Speed, the main selling point. Of course email should be faster. This is the main positioning point/differentiator and is one everyone understands.
1:1 onboarding makes a lot of sense. Teach users how to get the most out of the product. Short feedback loops and learning built-in.
Seems like it won't scale, but you move slower short-term while eliminating churn due to frustration/lack-of-value. Make it up long-term
Seems like it won't scale, but you move slower short-term while eliminating churn due to frustration/lack-of-value. Make it up long-term
Utilizing Surveys to only let in your ideal customers (founders, execs, heavy email users) who will get the most of the product.
Especially when team is small, avoids filling product/support pipeline with complaints and feature requests that derail from singular product focus
Especially when team is small, avoids filling product/support pipeline with complaints and feature requests that derail from singular product focus
Invites act as a bottleneck slowing down the pace of entry and forcing the onboarding process. Ensures everyone has a positive experience (and the intended experience).
Gives the team time to deal with early customer gripes that next-stage customers may not be willing to endure.
Gives the team time to deal with early customer gripes that next-stage customers may not be willing to endure.
Keyboard shortcuts make power users -- much faster than a mouse and quickly becomes muscle memory where it is an automated, almost thoughtless action.
But beneath it all is an immersive gaming experience.
I don't know @rahulvohra, but listening to a few podcasts I get the sense he is very intentional. He briefly mentioned his background in game design in a podcast, and once I started looking I can't unsee it.
I don't know @rahulvohra, but listening to a few podcasts I get the sense he is very intentional. He briefly mentioned his background in game design in a podcast, and once I started looking I can't unsee it.
Goal: To reach inbox zero.
Email as a medium takes care of resetting the game at a variable rate (incoming msgs) and variable decisions (each msg is different).
Email as a medium takes care of resetting the game at a variable rate (incoming msgs) and variable decisions (each msg is different).
Rules of the game: Onboarding
This frames the goal of the game (inbox zero) for all users (players). Makes an unstructured activity structured and purposeful.
Additionally acts as the first level in many games: a safe place to learn how to play and to try out the moves.
This frames the goal of the game (inbox zero) for all users (players). Makes an unstructured activity structured and purposeful.
Additionally acts as the first level in many games: a safe place to learn how to play and to try out the moves.
Keyboard shortcuts: These are the controller to the game. Adds a tactical aspect to the control that makes users feel immersed in the experience.
Speed of product: Sets the pace of the game.
Without this (and keyboard shortcuts), users can't achieve flow needed to get lost in the experience (game).
Without this (and keyboard shortcuts), users can't achieve flow needed to get lost in the experience (game).
Engagement loop: Motivation (incoming email/s)
Action: Delete/reply/snooze, must decide immediately
Feedback: email (stress) disappears. Inbox zero (accomplishment)
Action: Delete/reply/snooze, must decide immediately
Feedback: email (stress) disappears. Inbox zero (accomplishment)
Reward: When you reach inbox zero (goal) you are rewarded with beautiful imagery and screen designed to make you feel joy.
Next incoming message restarts the game.
Next incoming message restarts the game.
And finally the name itself, Superhuman.
You are the main character in the game, and the game's goal is to make you feel like you have powers that make you Superhuman.
This in-and-of itself is an appeal to emotions and making the user feel something.
You are the main character in the game, and the game's goal is to make you feel like you have powers that make you Superhuman.
This in-and-of itself is an appeal to emotions and making the user feel something.
There is also status signaling built in (invites as currency. Give you power if you can give others something they want). I believe the product notifies you if the person you are emailing is on the waiting list so you can decide to bump them up.
In a podcast episode @rahulvohra encourages those who want in to search Twitter for engaged users and request an invite (quest/mission).
Emotions inherent to product encourage users to share success publicly, creating an endless word-of-mouth cycle
Emotions inherent to product encourage users to share success publicly, creating an endless word-of-mouth cycle
To package it all up, @Superhuman incorporates some luxury marketing tactics.
@patrick_oshag did an amazing job summarizing The Luxury Strategy so I will just reference a few of his tweets within the context of this thread:
@patrick_oshag did an amazing job summarizing The Luxury Strategy so I will just reference a few of his tweets within the context of this thread:
And finally (although I encourage you to read Patrick's full thread)
The orientation around emotions is clear from the brand's consistent positioning all around.
Read this investment announcement from @davidu looking for all of the references to emotions and experience.
a16z.com/2019/06/27/sup…
Read this investment announcement from @davidu looking for all of the references to emotions and experience.
a16z.com/2019/06/27/sup…
Although the gaming aspect isn't necessary, that's @rahulvohra's background and it's the approach his team took.
Designing products around emotions is a good thing. Would love to see more products focus on emotions and delivering 360 experiences over product features.
Designing products around emotions is a good thing. Would love to see more products focus on emotions and delivering 360 experiences over product features.
