The Delightful Experiences Framework
Where does Delightism begin?
We started with a question:
What makes something truly delightful?
To begin answering it, we created an initial generative model.
A way to visualize Delight not just as a feeling, but as a designable experience—one we could observe, test, and learn from.
This was the beginning of a larger exploration into what we now call Delightful Experiences, and how they can be intentionally crafted.
What is a Delightful Experience?
A Delightful Experience (DE) happens when something is designed not just to work, but to spark joy, wonder, or meaning.
It goes beyond utility and function—inviting us to enjoy the experience itself.
A DE is born from the relationship between a person and a product (or system, or moment), shaped by context and intent.
How is a Delightful Experience generated?
Delight doesn’t happen by accident.
Each DE is shaped by a mix of mechanics, dynamics, and qualities—how something is built, behaves, and feels.
Our research explores how these layers interact within specific contexts to produce Delight.
That exploration led us to define a Grammar of Delight: a shared language to identify, analyze, and design for these moments.
What are the effects of a Delightful Experience?
A DE involves a rich emotional composition—not just a single emotion, but a blend and sequence of feelings that unfold over time.
This creates a specific type of delight—a unique emotional signature shaped by the dynamics of the experience.
The result?
We assign value to that experience—not just functionally, but emotionally.
It becomes memorable, meaningful, and worth returning to.
What influences a Delightful Experience?
Delight lives in both the object and the observer. We found two key forces that shape how DEs are perceived:
Material-Culture: The shared meanings embedded in objects, spaces, and systems around us.
Phenomenology: The personal lens—how we sense, feel, think, and remember.
Delight happens when both dimensions align. It’s both social and intimate. Designed and discovered.
What is the Methodology of Delight?
Explore the Four Acts; flexible steps to define, decode, describe, and design meaningful Delight.