Affective design describes the design of user interfaces in which emotional information is communicated to the computer from the user in a natural and comfortable way. The computer processes the emotional information and adapts or responds to try to improve the interaction in some way. The notion of affective design emerged from the field of human–computer interaction (HCI), specifically from the developing area of affective computing. Affective design serves an important role in user experience (UX) as it contributes to the improvement of the user's personal condition in relation to the computing system. The goals of affective design focus on providing users with an optimal, proactive experience. Amongst overlap with several fields, applications of affective design include ambient intelligence, human–robot interaction, and video games. Background Emotions are an integral part of the human experience, and thus, play a role in how users and consumers interact with interfaces and products. Donald Norman, an academic in the field of human-centered design, explored the importance of emotion in design, coining the concept of user-centered design in the 1980s. He discussed design heuristics and advocated for providing users with a pleasurable experience through the application of emotional design. Similarly, Bødker, Christensen, and Jørgensen presented a definition of affective design that emphasizes the importance of considering current social and cultural influences when relating to human emotions. Along with the growth of human-computer interaction, the past few decades have seen an increase in the discussion of emotions in relation to design. Research in recent years has looked at what affects our emotions as well as how emotions affect our mental and physical states. Additionally, designers and researchers have explored how to elicit and map people’s emotions, ranging from positive to negative. Affective design encompasses more than the functionality of a product as it emphasizes user experience and is concerned with the dynamics of how humans interact with the world. Affective design includes utilizing users’ emotions as data to guide technologies’ responses in addition to designing with predetermined elements intended to influence users’ emotions. The growth in the number and diversity of users carries with it the challenge to tailor interfaces and products to each individual. Affective design offers the potential to provide a unique, adaptive response to each user’s emotion. It has emerged as an intersection of functionality and pleasure, illustrating the significant influence of emotional components in technology and user experiences. Aims Affective computing aims