In today’s crowded market, building products that merely solve problems is no longer enough. To stand out, products must resonate emotionally with their users. At the Digitale Leute Summit 2025, product coach and former Spotify/Google PM Dr. Nesrine Changuel will deliver a closing keynote and a full-day workshop on how to create “Product Delight.” We sat down with her to learn more.
Hi Nesrine, can you tell us what Product Delight is?
Sure! Product Delight happens when a product not only fulfills functional needs but also creates an emotional connection with the user. It’s that moment when a feature feels so thoughtful, seamless, or human that users feel genuinely understood.
The best products don’t just “work.” They form a deeper bond with us. And that’s the essence of delight.
Take Spotify as an example. Millions of people can stream music anywhere, but Spotify features like Wrapped or mood-driven playlists make users feel seen. That emotional connection is why they keep coming back.
Why do you believe delight is so important?
The hard truth is that a product that functions perfectly may still fail if it doesn’t make users feel something. People don’t just want efficiency; they crave human experiences. Delight is not a luxury – it’s the differentiator that turns a good product into an irresistible one.
Design and marketing already use emotional connection as a core principle, yet product management often lags behind. That creates a gap. It is important to close it and give teams practical ways to align around emotional connection.
What to Delight in practice?
I define delight in two ways. Theoretically, as psychologist Robert Plutchik described, delight is a mix of Joy + Surprise. Practically, in product, it isn’t about random gimmicks – it rests on three pillars: removing friction, anticipating needs, and exceeding expectations. Chrome’s password manager is a great example of removing friction – what could be a stressful moment is instantly solved with autofill. Google Meet’s background replace shows how anticipating unspoken needs, like privacy during the pandemic, can turn into an indispensable feature. And Microsoft Edge Shopping illustrates exceeding expectations: automatically applying a coupon during checkout created an unexpected moment of joy. Together, these examples show how delight transforms ordinary interactions into memorable experiences.
Your new book is also called „Product Delight“. What can readers expect?
The book offers a practical model to help teams identify, design, and measure delight. I share frameworks I’ve developed, like the Delight Grid, the Delight Excellence Checklist, and the Delight Enhancers, tools to make emotional connection tangible.
It’s also filled with stories from my career at Skype, Spotify, and Google, plus insights from interviews with product leaders at GitHub, Atlassian, and more. The goal is simple: to help you build products that don’t just work, but that people love. You can dive deeper into these ideas in my book Product Delight, available on Amazon in both paperback and ebook versions.
What will you be bringing to the Digitale Leute Summit 2025?
I’m thrilled to join the conference for two sessions:
- Full-Day Workshop (Nov 12) – A hands-on session where participants will map user motivators, identify delight opportunities, and translate them into product decisions that win both hearts and markets.
- Closing Keynote (Nov 13) – I’ll share stories, frameworks, and real-world examples of how to turn functional features into delightful experiences that build loyalty.
Whether you’re a product manager, founder, or leader, you’ll leave with methods you can apply immediately in your work. My message is simple: Let’s go beyond functionality. Let’s create products that stand apart through delight.
