Pexels Inspires Me; Unsplash Makes me feel productive

Take a moment to think about a website you visit frequently. How does it make you feel? Do you appreciate the navigation, colors, typography, and functionality? Why or why not? What aspects of the site meet your needs? Which of your needs are not met? If you haven’t figured it out by now, it’s time to get in touch with our feelings. 

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Emotional Design, UX, and UI

In my last blog post, I briefly touched on emotional design. I explained that designing a product or service requires the designer to consider the emotions their product/service may evoke in their user. Emotions affect a user’s views, interactions, and value of a product or service. People are driven by the way things make them feel. This idea rings true for the websites you frequent, as well as the sites you no longer visit. 

When you visit a website, two things come into play: 

1. The overall functionality and practicality of the website, also known as the User Experience (UX).
2. The look and feel of the website, known as the User Interface (UI).

These two things often overlap. They affect how you view and experience the site and impact your emotional response.

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“Users perceive objects that are aesthetically pleasing as being more effective.”

— Don Norman, Emotional Design

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Assessing Your Emotional Response

To assess your emotional response to a product, service, website, etc. you can formulate sentences using the following format: 

________ makes me FEEL _________ because my NEED for __________ is OR is not being met. 

You may benefit from using a feelings inventory list and a needs inventory list for further assistance in completing your sentences. 

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My Website Analysis Exercise

Recently, I utilized these tools to walk through a website analysis exercise. I chose to analyze my emotional responses to two websites I visit often, Pexels and Unsplash. Both of these websites are resources for free stock imagery. Photographers and artists can upload their work to both sites, which creates a profile for them, showcasing their work and helping them generate a following. Meanwhile, users can search for completely free, high-resolution imagery to download instantly and incorporate into their projects, including commercial ones. As a graphic designer, I frequent both of these sites, but, for some reason, I have yet to cut one of the sites out. My analyses revealed that, although the sites are very similar, there are minute differences between the two that affect my use of either site. 

Pexels vs. Unsplash

Through twenty FEEL-NEED statements (ten per site), I found that I visit Pexels when I am seeking inspiration. Alternatively, Unsplash is my go-to when I want to remain productive and efficient in my workflow. Pexels is often my destination when I have more flexibility and want to address my needs for artistry, creativity, inspiration, and spontaneity. Unsplash meets my needs of maintaining order and organization and staying calm and focused while working. I consistently benefit from both websites. However, I may favor one website over the other depending on the flexibility of my schedule, the type of project I am working on, and the intensity of my current work session. 

Pexels for Pleasure

My use of Pexels and Unsplash correlates directly with the functionality and aesthetic features of both sites. Pexels fulfills my need for beauty and expression by utilizing a four-column layout that spans the entire width of the page. It also features strong contrast between its dark menu bar and light background. Additionally, Pexels’ homepage incorporates both stock photography and active videography, which sparks my curiosity and increases my engagement with the site. As you scroll through the homepage, the photo blocks transition in color ever so slightly, while videos play on a loop. This makes me feel refreshed because my needs for attention to detail and distinctiveness are met. I can easily be immersed by the Pexels site due to highly captivating imagery.

Unsplash for Business

Unsplash’s homepage is similar to Pexels’s, using a column layout with a continuous scroll, housed underneath a full-bleed search bar. However, there are only three columns in the layout, leaving room on both sides for whitespace. This helps maintain balance and structure. The site is a bit more stark and bland, maintaining the use of a light color in the menu bar and background. Furthermore, the featured photos transition randomly, and there are no stock videos on this site. When I visit Unsplash, it’s strictly business; no distraction. When hovering over an Unsplash photo, the download button is prominent, followed closely by the like and add buttons. I search for what I need, download it swiftly, and return to my project. This happens instinctively.

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Final Thoughts

So why do we choose Amazon over eBay? Google over Bing? Youtube over Vimeo? Or both sites at varying times? The interface and experience of the website feed directly into our feelings and evoke emotional responses. If you have a positive experience with the site, or it appeals to you aesthetically, or both, that website is likely to become a staple site in your browsing history.