The secret to User Engagement
How to create user epiphanies
Some call it the “wow” moment. Others describe it as a spark or a revelation. No matter what you call it, that instant is the magic of the product. It’s the moment when a user stops clicking around aimlessly and, suddenly, understands. Not just how the tool works. They understand what they can achieve with it.
So if, as a product leader, you're able to design a radically simple interface for a highly complex product, go ahead and change your title. You’re no longer a Product Lead — you’re a game changer. Because when you take this approach, you’re not building a product — you’re designing discoveries. And that’s a key difference in user experience: the products that show users what they can accomplish are the ones that truly activate emotions and trigger that… “wow” moment.
So, how do you make it happen?
Essentially, clarity of use is the real path to conversion. Users don’t engage unless they have a moment of clarity — a true epiphany. Without it, a product is just an empty promise. And provoking an epiphany is not a matter of luck. It’s the result of a clear intention: to design for understanding. That’s where the ‘wow effect’ is born. Because the most compelling products are the ones that explain themselves. Those are the solutions users remember.
Keep in mind:
Remove friction: Eliminate everything unnecessary. Everything. Yes, E-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g. When a user doesn’t understand your product, no funnel, tutorial, or growth loop can save you.
Users want answers, not features: The magic happens when the user finds a solution to their problem, not when they discover how many options your product has. It’s not about the product; it’s about the transformation it enables.
Use real, concrete, human examples: When you’re conceptualizing the product, put yourself in the user’s real-life context.
In the end, your clarity as a Product Lead — that user epiphany — is what will turn your product into a true experience. If you lead with that intention, you’re creating discoveries. You’re making an impact. And that, beyond the “wow” moment, is what truly changes the game.