The Emotional Value Proposition: Why Users Choose—and Love—Your Product

Unlocking the Hidden Power of Feelings in Product Success

What makes you choose one product over another? Is it the list of features, the price tag, or something deeper? Jon Kolko’s insights reveal that the most successful products promise—and deliver—an emotional value that goes beyond functionality. Emotional value is the feeling your product evokes in its users—confidence, delight, belonging, or trust. It’s what makes a product not just useful, but unforgettable.

Modern consumers are bombarded with choices. The products that stand out are those that make people feel understood and cared for. Kolko describes the process of uncovering emotional value through deep research: observing users, listening to their stories, and paying attention to the moments that spark joy or frustration. Teams then synthesize these findings into clear emotional goals, using vision boards, storyboards, and user journeys to bring the desired experience to life.

Every touchpoint matters. The words you choose, the way a button animates, the color palette—all these details contribute to the product’s personality and emotional stance. A map app, for example, might promise confidence and clarity, while a social platform offers connection and validation. The key is consistency: every aspect of the product must reinforce the emotional promise, creating a seamless, trustworthy experience.

Kolko’s book is filled with examples of companies that succeeded by focusing on emotional value. One popular fitness app, for instance, didn’t just track workouts—it celebrated small wins, offered words of encouragement, and created a supportive community. The result was not just engagement, but genuine loyalty and advocacy.

To build emotional value into your product, start with empathy. Spend time with your users, feel what they feel, and let those insights guide your decisions. Use tools like storyboards and user journey maps to visualize the emotional highs and lows, and craft every detail to support your promise. When you design for feelings, you create products that people don’t just use—they love, recommend, and remember.

Embrace the emotional value proposition, and watch your product become a beloved part of your users’ lives.