When I was thirteen or fourteen years old I went with my dad to visit a friend of his. 

As soon as I walked into the living room I was captivated by a Bang & Olufsen CD player where the disc was spinning behind a pair of glass doors. 

I asked how you changed the CD, and Dad’s friend said to walk over to it and outstretch my hand. As I did the doors magically parted and the machine lit up with a warm glow.

A light bulb went off in my own mind at the same time. 

It was the first time I realized that we could be intentional about the experience we wanted to create for the user of a product or service. That somebody had deliberately set out to make something playful and theatrical out of a typically mundane and perfunctory interaction. 

I realized, by extension, that we could consciously evoke any feeling we liked through the design of the products or services we made. They could be fun, silly, or calming. They could feel expensive, solid, or functional. They could evoke excitement and speed, or stability. Isn’t that amazing?

My perennial frustration with most brands, products and services is that this opportunity to be deliberate, intentional, distinctive and evocative is wasted.

And when brands spin up customer experience programs they often also lack this intentionality — about what exactly they want interactions with their brand to be like. 

This is a huge opportunity to create a greater perception of value; create more memorable, distinctive and engaging interactions; and help your brand stand out from the crowd. 

The leader’s guide to CX e-learning course can get you started down this road. Link in the comments.

See this post on LinkedIn