Delight Grade Matrix Prioritizes Solutions

The Delight Model: A Framework for Building Products That Create Emotional Connection

Product delight isn't about sprinkling confetti effects or superficial joy—it's a strategic approach to building products that create emotional connections while solving functional needs. Delight occurs when users experience both joy and surprise simultaneously.

The Three Pillars of Product Delight

1. Removing Friction

   • Identify "valley moments" where user emotions are at their lowest
   • Create solutions that eliminate stress or anxiety
   • Example: Uber's two-click refund process when a driver cancels, turning a potentially frustrating experience into a seamless one

2. Anticipating Needs

   • Surprise users by addressing needs before they explicitly ask
   • Solve adjacent problems related to your core product
   • Example: Revolut adding eSIM purchasing functionality to their banking app for international travelers

3. Exceeding Expectations

   • Go beyond what users expect from your product
   • Deliver unexpected value that creates positive surprise
   • Example: Microsoft Edge automatically finding and applying discount coupons during checkout

The Four-Step Delight Model

1. Identify User Motivators

   • Map both functional motivators (what users want to do) and emotional motivators (how they want to feel)
   • Functional example: "I want to find a specific song"
   • Emotional example: "I want to feel less lonely" or "I want to feel secure"
   • Consider both personal emotional motivators (how users want to feel) and social emotional motivators (how they want others to perceive them)

2. Convert Motivators into Product Opportunities

   • Transform identified motivators into specific product opportunities
   • Frame opportunities around both functional and emotional needs
   • Use "How might we..." statements to define the opportunity space

3. Identify Solutions and Categorize Using the Delight Grade

   • Place potential solutions in a matrix of functional vs. emotional motivators
   • Categorize features into three types:
     • Surface Delight: Solves only for emotional motivators (e.g., Spotify Wrapped, birthday animations)
     • Low Delight: Solves only for functional motivators
     • Deep Delight: Solves for both functional and emotional needs simultaneously (e.g., Discover Weekly, personalized recommendations)

4. Validate Ideas Using the Delight Checklist

   • Ensure solutions make user and business impact
   • Check for feasibility and familiarity
   • Verify inclusivity (will this delight all users or potentially upset some?)
   • Plan for maintaining delight over time (avoiding habituation effect)

Balancing Your Product Roadmap: The 50-40-10 Rule

• 50% Low Delight features (functionality-focused)
• 40% Deep Delight features (blend of functionality and emotion)
• 10% Surface Delight features (emotion-focused)

When to Invest in Delight

• Delight is not a luxury but a differentiator in crowded markets
• Both B2C and B2B products benefit from emotional connection (B2H: Business-to-Human)
• As markets mature and competition increases, delight becomes more important
• Products that create emotional connections drive loyalty, retention, word-of-mouth, and revenue

Building a Delight Culture

• Make delight a permanent pillar in your product strategy
• Incorporate it into regular team rituals (like squad health checks)
• Consider hosting "delight days" where teams can ideate on delightful features
• Recognize that working on delightful features increases PM motivation and satisfaction