Honestly, the biggest takeaway for me from these documentaries was realizing how much design and persistence shape not just how we use things, but also how we feel about using them. With Attractive Things Work Better, it hit me especially hard because of my situation at TikTok. I had never actually used the app before starting, and at first, I felt entirely out of place, as if I was missing some secret language that everyone else already spoke. But the more I explored, the more I noticed how the design itself was pulling me in. The smooth scrolling, the way videos fill the screen, and the clean interface all made me curious, rather than frustrated. Even though I didn’t know what I was doing, the app felt welcoming. That’s precisely what the documentary was talking about: attractive things don’t just look good, they change the way we experience them.
On the other hand, Her Code Got Humans on the Moon made me think about resilience and diving into challenges without a clear roadmap. It reminded me of when I joined the Hack My Robot cybersecurity competition. I had zero prior knowledge about network security, but I was so excited to participate that I didn’t even care about the results. I ended up bingeing on crash courses and tutorials, trying to absorb as much information as possible in a short amount of time. It was one of the most intensive learning experiences I’ve ever had, but also one of the most enjoyable. And in the end, our team actually placed second, which felt surreal given how unprepared I had been at the start.
By combining these two ideas, I’ve come to realize that good design and passionate persistence both have the power to transform intimidating experiences into something playful and rewarding. Attractive design makes me more patient and curious, while resilience in the face of uncertainty makes me more confident and adaptable. Whether it’s learning TikTok from scratch or throwing myself into a competition I wasn’t ready for, both experiences showed me that the way we feel while engaging with something can be just as important as the technical details.