Have you ever laughed at a commercial only to forget what it was advertising? Used a product but couldn’t recall the brand? Visited a website, found what you needed, and left—never thinking about the website again? It happens all the time.
That’s because many UX designers focus so much on functionality that they overlook something just as critical: Brand Experience (BX).
A smooth UX ensures users find what they need effortlessly, but does it make them remember you? A good user experience (UX) is about making interactions seamless, intuitive, and frictionless. It helps users’ complete tasks efficiently.
However, a good brand experience (BX) is about making interactions memorable. It ensures that beyond usability, a brand leaves a lasting impression and builds brand equity.
A customer never buys just a loaf of bread. They choose San Francisco sourdough—a decision that goes far beyond satisfying hunger. A simple loaf fills an appetite, but sourdough represents something deeper: a love for craftsmanship, a taste for the gourmet, and a reflection of personal sophistication.
If user experience focused only on the product, it would highlight the bread’s texture, taste, and aroma. While these qualities matter, they alone don’t create a brand experience.
What transforms a product into an experience is everything around it—the heritage of a storied San Francisco bakery, the artisanal packaging, the premium price that signals exclusivity, and the carefully curated retailer that elevates its value.
To build a powerful brand experience, companies must go beyond function. They must tap into the emotional and aspirational layers of consumer desire—because people don’t just buy products, they buy meaning.
Digital products can be deceptively complex. Take a physician finder tool—a seemingly straightforward app designed to help users locate a specialist. Or a travel website built to help families plan the perfect Orlando vacation.
However, complexity quickly sets in.
Imagine searching for a gastroenterologist in a city with 200 options—where do you even begin?
Or planning a family trip to Orlando that satisfies mom, dad, a teenager, and a 7-year-old—a task that soon becomes an overwhelming maze of choices.
While these tools aim to make life easier, they often leave users feeling overwhelmed, especially when time is limited.
This is where brand design principles step in to transform complex tools into seamless, intuitive journeys and experiences.
For a physician finder, a well-crafted brand experience builds trust, guiding users seamlessly from search to decision. By narrowing choices effectively and incorporating consistent branded iconography, the tool becomes more intuitive, reassuring, and reliable—something users feel confident depending on.
For an Orlando travel site, the challenge isn’t just choice overload—it’s the pressure of making everyone happy. A thoughtfully designed site anticipates user needs, offering smart, interactive tools that simplify planning while keeping the excitement alive. Instead of feeling drained by endless options, users leave the site feeling energized, inspired, and eager to return.
At its core, great brand design doesn’t just remove friction—it creates delight. The result? A site users’ bookmark, revisit, and trust to help them plan their next move.
A major financial institution had it all—a strong brand, top-tier UX, and a seamless online loan application process. Their website, built by the IT team, was fast, intuitive, and efficient. Usability testing and benchmarking confirmed it was the best in the industry.
So why were conversions only a fraction of their biggest competitor? Users were visiting but not applying. If they started the process, many abandoned the form halfway.
IT blamed Marketing. Marketing blamed IT. But the real issue?
The institution prioritized speed—getting users to the application as quickly as possible. But consumers weren’t ready to commit that fast. They needed time to explore, understand, and feel reassured before making a decision.
You might wonder—what does a retirement calculator have to do with a $5,000 personal loan? Everything.
The competitor’s site gave users a reason to stay. The longer they engaged, the more comfortable they felt with the brand. Taking out a personal loan is stressful—helping consumers feel psychologically prepared before asking them to apply is crucial.
To drive conversions, brands must look beyond usability and consider the full emotional journey. It’s not just about making the process easy—it’s about making it feel right.
