Signature delights
Signature delights is all about going beyond utility to design experiences that spark emotion.
This experience design platform links to a trend we defined in our What Matters 2025 report as ‘Micro Joy’. We found that people are seeking moments of relief, balance and emotional grounding to counter life’s seriousness.
This is also relevant when it comes to customer experience. Where our recent survey highlighted that 81% of people in APAC, value small moments of surprise or joy in interactions with brands.
Access the 2025 What Matters report, our yearly consumer trend report exploring what matters to people today and tomorrow.
When it comes to customer experience, we don’t just want to remove friction, but inject delight. This links to 'peak-end rule', where if you look at an experience we don’t remember the averages, we remember the peaks, both good and bad.
So, in essence, we want to include emotional high points, those micro delighters and sparks of joy need to be consistently embedded in the customer journey.
Four signature delight codes
We identified 4 experience codes, inspired by Gen Alpha, in this ‘signature delight’ space.
CODE 1:
Milestone magic
Delight through celebrating personal moments and achievements with meaningful cues and feedback. These celebrations are not just badges, but interactive or playful moments of validation, pride and agency.
Underlying Alpha insight:
- With so much out of my control, it’s the small wins that give me meaning and bring me joy.
Cross generational resonance:
- 74% find it important that brands make them feel genuinely recognised for progress and achievements.
- 70% find it important that brands celebrate personal milestones and achievements in a meaningful way.
CASE
Duolingo Learning, one cheer at a time
Global - Education
Duolingo turns daily practice into moments of playful recognition. Streak milestones are celebrated with animated cheers from Duo the owl, unlocking extra interactions that reward persistence and progress. By gamifying personal achievements, the platform gives users a sense of agency and pride, transforming small learning steps into emotionally resonant moments that reinforce growth and encourage consistency.
CASE
Strava Celebrate every personal win
Global - Health
Strava transforms everyday workouts into meaningful milestones by wrapping user progress with visual trophies, challenge badges and socially shared “kudos.” Whether tackling a monthly distance goal or hitting a new personal best, the platform celebrates each win with progress bars, virtual trophies and affirming interactions from peers. This seamless mix of recognition and social validation fuels motivation and forges emotional memory.
CASE
Headspace Personal growth in focus
Global - Wellbeing
Headspace marks meditation streaks with calming animations and affirmations, such as “You’ve taken 10 mindful moments this week.” By highlighting personal progress with gentle, validating cues, the app transforms daily practice into moments of recognition and self-worth. These micro-celebrations reinforce growth, encourage consistency and make mindfulness feel both rewarding and personally meaningful.
CODE 2:
Sensory refresh
Tactile, low-stimulation or sensory interactions, that offer moments of grounding and emotional relief. From low-stimulation zones to interactive physical-digital hybrids, this code taps into their need for flow, emotional grounding and analog joy.
Underlying Alpha insight:
- I crave moments that let me slow down and reconnect with myself, not everything needs to be loud, fast or screen-based.
Cross generational resonance:
- 77% find it important that brands provide calm and comforting experiences when I need them.
- 59% find it important that brands offer tactile sensory interactions that bring joy.
CASE
Lululemon
Mindfulness in-store
Canada - Retail
Lululemon’s Mindfulosophy spaces offer areas for guided meditation and mindful practices. Comfortable seating and headphones let customers experience mindfulness while browsing, blending wellbeing with retail.
CASE
McDonald's
Smells like McDonald's
USA - Food & Beverages
In the Netherlands McDonald’s used yellow and red billboards without any messaging, letting their iconic smell do the talking. The campaign taps into scent’s power to trigger clear and emotional memories.
CODE 3:
Peer power
Authentic, peer-driven connection fueling joy through social resonance. Whether it’s building something together in real-time, receiving peer kudos or sparking spontaneous connection around shared passions, the delight emerges from feeling seen, supported and socially energised.
Underlying Alpha insight:
- I get energy from connecting with like-minded people.
Cross generational resonance:
- 64% find it important that brands connect me with people who share their values and interests.
- 67% find it important that brands facilitate meaningful engagement and recognition between customers.
CASE
DeviantArt
Feedback that inspires
Global - Art
DeviantArt allows artists to share their work and receive likes, comments and critiques from a vibrant community of peers. This cycle of social affirmation transforms individual achievements into shared moments of recognition, fostering motivation, trust and a sense of belonging. By making progress visible and celebrated within the community, DeviantArt demonstrates how peer feedback can energise creativity and strengthen connection.
CASE
AirBnB Exeriences Discover, connect, enjoy
Global - Travel
With “Airbnb Experiences,” the platform goes beyond accommodation to offer activities hosted by locals, from cooking classes to guided hikes. These experiences bring people together around shared passions, fostering authentic connections between travellers and hosts, as well as among participants themselves. By creating moments of spontaneous friendship and peer-driven discovery, Airbnb taps into the joy of feeling seen and supported – transforming travel into something more meaningful and socially energising.
CODE 4:
Surprise sparks
Small sparks of surprise break through the predictable and the everyday. Leveraging real-time data to create moments that feel magical, deeply empathic, fostering wonder and connection. Emotionally intelligent personalisation that feels more like a caring friend than a predictive algorithm. Deliver seamless pre-emptive support by using predictive intelligence, behaviour signals and contextual cues to meet needs before they’re even voiced.
Underlying Alpha insight:
- I love surprises, they make a moment feel magical and memorable.
Cross generational resonance:
- 73% find it important that brands surprise them with positive moments when they least expect them.
- 76% find it important that brands deliver surprising moments that feel genuine and delightful.
CASE
PARKnSHOP
Sparks in the aisles
Hong Kong - Retail
Supermarket chain PARKnSHOP is adding unexpected delight to everyday shopping with its “笑通佳” initiative. Shoppers encounter playful brain teasers placed throughout the store, each linked to specific brands, turning routine grocery trips into moments of surprise and curiosity. The riddles have sparked social media buzz as customers share their discoveries, amplifying the sense of wonder beyond the store. Alongside interactive shopping, PARKnSHOP hosts “FOOD PARC Music Nights,” bringing live performances and local flavours to its community.
CASE
The Alchemist
Sip, savour, surprise
UK - Food & beverages
The Alchemist turns eating and drinking into a multisensory spectacle, where cocktails steam, bubble and change colour and dishes arrive as works of art. Each visit is designed to surprise, blending flavour with theatrical presentation to spark wonder and delight. By transforming the ordinary act of dining into moments of spectacle and storytelling, the Alchemist shows how small sparks of surprise can make every night out feel unforgettable.
From fixing pain points to infusing delights
The traditional view of customer experience, where it is about fixing pain points is no longer enough.
It is about infusing moments of delight and joy, that make the experience stand out and be memorable.