Technology and Emotion

A friend recently invited me to test Dropbox - an online backup / FTP replacement / cloud computing service. Or more simply stated, a place to store electronic files. There are quite a few services out there like it, but the difference I found in Dropbox was through its presentation. The Dropbox homepage is just a video and a download button.

The other simple principal Dropbox used was emotion and personality to communicate its technologically driven service. I didn’t sign up for Dropbox at first and so after a few days I got an email. The email I received had a computer illustration; my computer was sad It didn’t have Dropbox. Minimal words accompanied the illustration which prompted me to re-consider. It was a subtle cue, but it pulled at the heartstrings to see a computer so sad. So disappointed.

Its interesting how many tech services are out there, how many beta invites I get, and yet I’ve never seen an approach quite like this. An approach that uses human emotion to personify a machine and ultra simplicity to communicate the concept. For me, this is a sign that we’re at a turning point in the tech-service industry, one in which the experience will differentiate the offering vs speed and bits/second.