Noticing humanity comes natural, so natural to the point you may say you don’t even notice it.
You may think adding that extra characteristic of humanity, of vulnerability, of doodle, if you will, will take away from the formality, credibility and technicality of your business. It doesn’t.
I opened the Great Lakes philanthropy booklet today (what could be more human that this?) and the message from the president ends with his signature (ineligible). Following is his name and title in print (eligible).
You may see things like this and, as I have, wonder “what’s the point?” After all, you can’t read it, there’s almost no point to it.
On the contrary.
Would you believe just having a badge or ribbon-like image on a book cover makes it more likely for people to pick up and believe in? The text within the image doesn’t quite matter. It can say “runner-up finalist” or “enjoy the read.” The image adds a dimension of credibility to it just as the signature adds a dimension of humanity to the letter.
The same, I’m arguing goes for all small humanistic prints of ours: a signature, a typo, a hand written newsletter, a behind-the-scenes video or one-on-one unscripted interview of an employee. No one needs to ever mention the video to another or point out the signature; these marks don’t need to stand out, they simply need to be there. Every person notices them whether you or they realize it or not.
A final example: People love technology, but when you take all the humanity out of it, you’re removing what people connect to. When Apple talks design, they aren’t talking about how pure and inhuman the device is, they’re talking about all the human qualities they’ve put into it.
Stay Positive & People Connect Through Nonverbal Communicational Ques, Not Cords
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