A few years ago, I found myself standing outside the Apple Store in Barcelona, eagerly waiting to purchase the latest iPhone. As I stood in the long line that stretched along Passeig de Gràcia, I was struck by the sheer enthusiasm people had for Apple products. Reflecting on the unique qualities that Apple, under Steve Jobs, brought to both its products and services, I saw something poetic in the way people connected with those devices—as if design could spark affection.
That moment inspired me to craft a design philosophy centered on creating products people could fall in love with—designing with the intention to inspire deep, emotional connection. By applying principles akin to the dynamics of human love, I’ve seen remarkable results in creating products that resonate deeply with users.
In today’s market, creating a product that stands out is more challenging than ever. To truly captivate users and cultivate brand loyalty, products must go beyond meeting functional needs and establish emotional connections with their users. This approach taps into the psychological and emotional processes akin to falling in love, offering a fresh perspective on how to engage users on a deeper level.
While the fields of emotional design and experience design emphasize the importance of engaging users emotionally, my methodology focus on the comprehensive integration of love’s multifaceted dynamics. This involves designing products that evoke a range of emotions, from joy and empowerment to trust and empathy, ultimately creating experiences that people cherish and return to repeatedly.
Visual Attraction
Just as love at first sight is driven by visual appeal, your product must captivate users at first glance. Focus on aesthetics, color, and form to create an immediate, positive impression that draws users in and invites exploration.
Empowerment
A beloved product makes users feel good about themselves. Design with empowerment in mind, enhancing user capabilities and offering tools that boost confidence and competence.
Reliability
Trust is fundamental to love. Design your product to be dependable, offering consistent performance and quality that users can rely on, fostering a sense of security and trust.
Empathy
Understand and empathize with your users. Ensure your product aligns with their needs and preferences, adapting to their unique contexts and showing that it genuinely cares about their experience.
Added Value
Surprise and delight your users with unexpected value. Whether through additional features, personalized content, or delightful interactions, adding value can enhance user satisfaction and loyalty.
Exclusivity
People often desire what is perceived as rare or hard to obtain. By creating a sense of exclusivity and prestige, your product can inspire users to feel part of an elite group. This can be achieved through limited editions, personalized experiences, or high-quality craftsmanship.
Familiarity
Create a sense of comfort and relaxation. Design your product to feel familiar and intuitive, allowing users to engage without cognitive overload and providing a sense of ease and comfort.
Credibility
A credible product is one users can trust and rely on. Build a good reputation through quality assurance, positive reviews, and adherence to recognized standards and practices.
Playfulness and Joy
Incorporate elements that bring joy and playfulness to the user experience. Use gamification, interactive features, or playful design details to make the product experience enjoyable and memorable.
Personalization
Recognize and value user individuality by offering personalized experiences. Tailor features, content, and interfaces to respond to user behavior and preferences.
Shared Values and Beliefs
Align your product with the values and aspirations of your users. Whether through sustainable practices or ethical standards, ensure your product resonates with user lifestyles and worldviews.
Transparency and Honesty
Be open and honest in your product’s operations, privacy policies, and data usage. Clear communication fosters trust and strengthens the bond between users and your product.
Support and Guidance
Offer support and guidance to help users navigate challenges and maximize their product experience. Provide customer support, tutorials, or AI-driven assistance to overcome obstacles.
Continuous Growth
Ensure your product grows and evolves alongside your users. Regular updates, new features, and improvements can keep the product relevant and engaging, fostering long-term love.
Visual Attraction
Just as love at first sight is driven by visual appeal, your product must captivate users at first glance. Focus on aesthetics, color, and form to create an immediate, positive impression that draws users in and invites exploration.
Empowerment
A beloved product makes users feel good about themselves. Design with empowerment in mind, enhancing user capabilities and offering tools that boost confidence and competence.
Reliability
Trust is fundamental to love. Design your product to be dependable, offering consistent performance and quality that users can rely on, fostering a sense of security and trust.
Empathy
Understand and empathize with your users. Ensure your product aligns with their needs and preferences, adapting to their unique contexts and showing that it genuinely cares about their experience.
Added Value
Surprise and delight your users with unexpected value. Whether through additional features, personalized content, or delightful interactions, adding value can enhance user satisfaction and loyalty.
Exclusivity
People often desire what is perceived as rare or hard to obtain. By creating a sense of exclusivity and prestige, your product can inspire users to feel part of an elite group. This can be achieved through limited editions, personalized experiences, or high-quality craftsmanship.
Familiarity
Create a sense of comfort and relaxation. Design your product to feel familiar and intuitive, allowing users to engage without cognitive overload and providing a sense of ease and comfort.
Credibility
A credible product is one users can trust and rely on. Build a good reputation through quality assurance, positive reviews, and adherence to recognized standards and practices.
Playfulness and Joy
Incorporate elements that bring joy and playfulness to the user experience. Use gamification, interactive features, or playful design details to make the product experience enjoyable and memorable.
Personalization
Recognize and value user individuality by offering personalized experiences. Tailor features, content, and interfaces to respond to user behavior and preferences.
Shared Values and Beliefs
Align your product with the values and aspirations of your users. Whether through sustainable practices or ethical standards, ensure your product resonates with user lifestyles and worldviews.
Transparency and Honesty
Be open and honest in your product’s operations, privacy policies, and data usage. Clear communication fosters trust and strengthens the bond between users and your product.
Support and Guidance
Offer support and guidance to help users navigate challenges and maximize their product experience. Provide customer support, tutorials, or AI-driven assistance to overcome obstacles.
Continuous Growth
Ensure your product grows and evolves alongside your users. Regular updates, new features, and improvements can keep the product relevant and engaging, fostering long-term love.
By integrating these principles into the design process, you can create products that resonate deeply with users, transforming them into passionate advocates. In a world where technology and innovation continue to evolve, making people fall in love with your product offers a timeless approach to building meaningful, impactful products that people cherish. This methodology uniquely synthesizes the emotional dynamics of love with design, setting a new standard for creating products that people truly love.
For nearly a decade, I led CKGSB’s international design efforts. From website to marketing campaigns, we tailored elite visual experiences that honored both Eastern nuance and Western expectations for a global audience.
We’re actively integrating AI into our design process—analyzing research, generating ideas, editing visuals. This Viome visual blends human intuition with AI power, pointing toward the future of hybrid design.
As one of the designers on Eli Lilly’s insulin pump project, I helped redesign the Type II diabetes experience. Our goal: a simple, empowering daily tool that educates users while guiding them through treatment transitions.
We helped launch Neuron, an AI startup for business consultants, by creating everything from the name to the product UI. Our work unified brand, web, and pitch materials to tell a cohesive story from day one.
For VLS’s clinical reports, clarity came first. We restructured content and designed accessible infographics to serve both medical professionals and new patients—ensuring critical health info is easy to scan and understand.
Mush, an adult-focused entertainment brand, needed identity with flair. Our logo—two simple rings forming a mushroom—evokes magic, play, and transformation, flexing seamlessly across motion, merchandise, and media.
With a 24-hour deadline, we created a minimalist yet bold print ad for Viome at the US Open. By transforming a tennis court into a stage for the product, we delivered a striking visual that rose above the clutter.
We designed a bespoke typographic logo for Hanrad, a luxury rug brand inspired by fine art. Every letterform was sculpted to reflect timeless elegance—mirroring the craftsmanship of the masterpieces their rugs are meant to complement.
