Beyond Function: Design for Resonance

Humans don’t just interact with interfaces — they feel them.

The weight of an object in the hand, the texture of its surface, the ease of a gesture—these are cues that evoke memory and emotion. Neuroscience tells us that experiences anchored in feeling are remembered more vividly and trusted more deeply.

This is why emotional intelligence in design has become one of the most important skills of our time.

The best companies already understand this—designing for resonance, not just functionality. They’re tapping into emotional memory, nonverbal cues, and sensory connections that transform products into trusted companions.

A case study: Purple

A decade ago, I explored how design might help people nurture relationships — I didn’t begin with a screen or technology. I began with a question: How can design transform the way we preserve and experience connections with loved ones?

That inquiry led to Purple, a reimagining of the locket. For centuries, the locket has symbolized holding memories close. Instead of starting with technology and wrapping design around it, I started with the emotional archetype of the locket itself—a timeless cultural object that carries meaning across generations.

Purple merged jewelry and technology in a way that felt intuitive and deeply human.

Every decision was about connection first, technology second:

Peek. Effortlessly view a shared photo or message.

Pause. Step away from the digital noise to reminisce.

Smile. Let memories spark laughter, tears, or warmth.

The piece was designed to be held as much as seen—diamonds backlit by the display, a chain that felt precious, a shape that nestled naturally in the hand.

It wasn’t “wearable tech.” It was jewelry that happened to use technology to carry emotion.

A lesson that shaped thinking

Purple was ambitious. It bridged two industries—jewelry and tech—at a time when component costs were high and investors struggled to categorize it. Ultimately, the project was paused. But what it revealed has shaped how I think about design ever since:

The future of UX lies in how products make people feel, not just what they enable people to do.

Today, with round displays now mainstream and technology costs lower, the concept feels more viable than it did at the time.

More importantly, the insight holds across contexts: emotional intelligence is not a “soft” consideration—it’s a design imperative that the leaders are already proving out.

Emotional intelligence in design today

Whether designing healthcare systems, enterprise software, or consumer products, functionality alone isn’t enough.

What matters is empathy, trust, and resonance.

This requires a new kind of design toolkit and these principles are already visible in some of the most successful products on the market:

Emotional Memory: creating interactions that live on in people’s minds and hearts.

Use case: Duolingo
Duo the owl isn’t just a mascot; it’s a trigger for memory and accountability. Through humor, nudges, and playful guilt, Duolingo turns routine practice into an emotional connection that sticks.

Nonverbal Cues: using gesture, tactility, light, and form to communicate beyond words.

Use case: Apple
From the click of a trackpad to the resistance of the digital crown, Apple designs through gesture, tactility, and light. These nonverbal cues communicate trust and familiarity, making technology feel natural and human.

Sensory Connection: engaging multiple senses to anchor trust and meaning.

Use case: Headspace
Headspace is designed to calm the nervous system through sensory harmony. Gentle animations, soothing soundscapes, and breathing visuals engage multiple senses, helping users feel grounded and present. It’s not just functional—it creates an environment of safety and trust.

Together, these examples show how emotional memory, nonverbal cues, and sensory connection translate into competitive advantage. They are why certain products resonate, endure, and inspire loyalty—while others fade into the background.

An evolving, emotion-led frontier

Technology will continue to evolve.

What doesn’t change is the human need to feel seen, safe, and connected. As designers, our responsibility is to give form to the invisible—to make those emotional layers of experience tangible and trustworthy.

And this is not the work of designers alone. It is not the responsibility of one department, one gender, or one layer of an organization. Every leader, every engineer, every voice in the room must embrace emotion as essential to their craft.

We cannot leave it to chance. We cannot delegate it away. It must be woven into every decision, every interaction, every system we create.

The next measure of progress is not only how fast we can build but how deeply we can connect.

We must stop treating feelings as fragile or secondary. They are the foundation. They are what make technology human. They are what make it matter.

Because at the end of the day, people don’t just remember the interface.

They remember how it made them feel.

How are you designing for resonance today?