Designing for Emotion — The KPI Most Brands Are Still Missing

By Matthew Fairweather Studio

People forget what you said. They remember how you made them feel.

When experience teams talk about metrics, they usually focus on functionality: speed, ease, access, conversion, resolution.

But in a crowded, fast-moving world, those are just table stakes. The question isn’t just “did it work?” — it’s:

How did it feel?

🧠 Emotions are the real experience drivers:

• Confidence

• Clarity

• Delight

• Relief

• Inspiration

• Belonging

These are some of the feelings that make people trust, return, refer, and stay. But many brands don’t design with emotion in mind.

🚫 What happens when emotion is ignored?

• Robotic support that solves nothing

• Functional but forgettable platforms

• Cold, lifeless onboarding or wayfinding

• Friction points that spark stress, not loyalty

✅ What designing for emotion looks like:

• Mapping emotional journeys alongside functional ones

• Using tone, pacing, visual cues, and interactions to create calm, excitement, or confidence

• Building empathy into staff training and service scripts

• Balancing human design with business outcomes

At Matthew Fairweather Studio, we help brands shape experiences that feel human — not just look good or work fast.

We believe the best brands are emotional systems — because that’s what people respond to, remember, and advocate for.