Tactile design – give it some soul

Inspired by a recent behind the scenes peak into indie games company State Of Play and their hand made games, i’ve become really interest in the concept of tactility in design. Head of State of Play, Luke Whittaker was speaking at this years Reasons To Be Creative conference on the making of Lumino City and his statement “Why spend hours trying to make something look real, when you could just make it and take a photo?” really struck a chord with me.

“Why spend hours trying to make something look real, when you could just make it and take a photo?”

Tactile design is not a new concept, but at present it somehow feels even more refreshing and in my mind is a welcome alternative in these times of “Flat UI” and slick 3d environments.

When design has depth and realism, it can really help people make a connection with your product. Tactility gives people a tangible essence to respond to, to invest emotion in, to truly engage on a human level. If done right, tactility in design can really give something a soul. This is something I will be exploring much more in my personal work in the future.