After reading Michelle’s excellent post, and then reading Chris Coyier’s post about share buttons, I started thinking a lot about bringing a human touch back to the work we do.
As the systems we interact with become more and more abstract and complex, the inclination is usually to move towards automation. What that means is that, with things like share buttons, instead of relying on users to take initiative, we make the process so simple that it can easily end up becoming cold and detached.
The benefit of easing interaction can end up taking away the very thing that these technologies were created to enhance, and that is human connection. In the case of share buttons specifically, I understand that many of these technologies are new, and therefore to reach the largest possible audience, we need to make things clear. There are other areas, however, where this idea can still be addressed.
One of the areas I am working hard in now is trying to bring that human touch to all the work we are doing at Signal Hill. This could be anything from a custom layout for a page to reflect special content, or working with the team to get just the right photo for a featured section. The end goal is to make sure that when somebody consumes that work, they know that a human being put time and attention into it, and that is something special.