Most of the books Beir Bua Press publishes are not representational poetry. Nor is my own. I do not write to can confusion but to cleanse the pallet of meaning: to stirpe the plastic coating and show the copper wire beneath it. Experimental poetry or post-avant grade poetry, whatever laber you wish to call it is designing a new mindset through words that are densely juxtapositioned. So what does this have to do with US design?
UX design is the process of designing and creating user experiences that are effective, efficient, and enjoyable for users. It involves considering various factors such as usability, accessibility, and aesthetics in order to create a product or service that is easy to use and meets the needs of the user.
Poetry, on the other hand, is a form of literary art that uses language to evoke emotion, paint vivid images, and convey meaning. Poetry can take many different forms, including rhymed and unrhymed verse, and it can be written in any language.
While UX design and poetry may seem unrelated, they can be combined in various ways. For example, a UX designer might use poetry or poetic language in the design of a website or app in order to create a more evocative and engaging user experience. Additionally, a poet might use UX design principles in the creation of a poetry website or app in order to make it more user-friendly and accessible to readers.
Does UX writing and poetry elicit empathy from the reader?
The only time I almost started a riot was at an experimental poetry workshop I was facilitating. The whole premise of experimental/surrealism/postmodern/post-avant poetry is to present the known and make it very, VERY unknown. And that can elicit emotion.
Back to my question, yes, both UX writing and poetry can potentially elicit empathy from the reader by creating an emotional connection and resonating with the reader’s experiences, feelings, and perspectives. UX writing, which is the practice of writing for user interfaces, aims to create a clear and effective user experience by helping users understand and navigate a product or service. Good UX writing often involves considering the needs and goals of the user, and writing in a way that is clear, concise, and easily understood. This can involve using language and tone that is friendly, approachable, and relatable, which can help create an emotional connection with the reader.
Representational poetry, on the other hand, is a form of literary art that uses language and form to convey emotions and experiences in a powerful and evocative way. Poetry often involves using figurative language, imagery, and symbolism to create vivid and expressive writing that resonates with the reader’s emotions and experiences. This can help create an emotional connection with the reader and elicit empathy by inviting the reader to relate to the poet’s perspective and experiences.
Overall, both UX writing and poetry can potentially elicit empathy from the reader by creating an emotional connection and resonating with the reader’s experiences and feelings.
Non-representational poetry such as the like that Beir Bua Press publishes (experimental poetry for the lack or a fear of a label) elicits a buzz from the brain, a very strange and satisfying type of words ASMR. It allows the reader a total break from reality, it makes everything strange and can help us reset out expectations, question our bias and make us laugh at the ego’s absurdity of a land with just logic and little intuition. I feel that this type of poetry would be a welcome break, a sort of mind yoga for UX writers which would then give them a reset to become that representation poet of empathy UX design writing and genuinely caring what the end reader/user thinks and, also, using kind language in helping them and telling them what to think. when that app/website crashes…
Michelle Moloney King 