Adding moments of fun! 🎉
Hi, *|USERNAME|*!
Recently, I launched the ability for you to browse KIRUPA in something other than the default white/blue/gray look the site has sported some variation of for the past 23-ish years. You now have the ability to pick from six different theme colors viewed across light or dark modes. I'll write more about the various planning and technical challenges about this at some point. This newsletter isn't about theme switching.
Instead, what I want to focus on is something less stuffy and boring. One of the things I always wanted to maintain with the site is a sense of...extreme casualness and fun. I wanted this to be reflected in not just the content style but also the various UI elements you would run into. Tying back to theming, an example of this is the following UI I added to make theme switching possible:
Notice the cat that bobs in and out depending on whether the mouse cursor is inside the theme switcher or not. I threw it in there to mimic what our cat Pixel does in real life when he peeks from behind the monitor when I am working. The cat’s color also changes depending on the theme being used.
Now, was this really necessary? Couldn’t this have been done just as easily without the cat making an appearance? The answer is, of course! But, this goes back to what I value in the KIRUPA site design: casualness and fun. This was one way I decided to bring those values to life. If seeing the cat brought even a tiny moment of happiness in your browsing of the site, then my goal with implementing this theme switcher was totally met.
I generally think that all sites should have little moments of fun in their design. It doesn’t matter how serious and buttoned-up and unfunny of a brand a particular site represents. The bulk of users to your site would appreciate something thoughtful that makes a mundane task more fun. Little UI moments like this have another benefit. They connect with your users on an emotional level, so if the experience was positive, then their association of your site becomes positive as
welll.
So, go out and see what fun and quirky moments you can add to your designs! 🧃
TILL NEXT TIME!
As always, before I leave you to it, I would love to hear from you on things I can do better, topics you'd like me to write about, and more. Don't be shy! The easiest way to contact me is via Twitter or by posting on the forums.
Cheers,
Kirupa 😃