[cross-posted on devchix]

Software does more than crunch your numbers or take your picture: it can make you angry or bring you joy. And those are the things that we, as developers, have to tune in to if we want to make our products stand out.

Skitch is one of a handful of products I’ve used recently that remind me what makes a product successful. Utility is important, of course, but the love and emotional connection it engenders in its users is where it's going to live or die.

Let's start backwards, with the logo, since it's the first thing you see. Their logo says nothing about their product's functionality. There's no initial, no recognizable signifier (thanks for sparing us the paintbrush), or even an abstract swoop. It's, um, a heart.

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