“TAKE YOUR PLEASURE SERIOUSLY”: WHY JOY SUSTAINS SERIOUS WORK

Summary from the TLDR Design newsletter

Design can ease workplace mental strain not just by function, but by perception and delight. Research like the Hitachi ATM study (aesthetic–usability effect) and NASA's Task Load Index show that attractive, simplified designs reduce cognitive load, while examples from Asana, Slack, and the Eames Office illustrate how small sparks of joy and playfulness make tools feel more human and manageable.