DiscordEXAMPLE 01
Preview the upgrade using the user’s identity
Discord lets a person see how their own profile could look with Nitro. The upgrade is demonstrated as a personal experience rather than an abstract list of features.
Endowment Effect
A sense of ownership can affect perceived value.
01 / UNDERSTAND
The idea
People sometimes value something more once they regard it as theirs. Personalisation, saved work and time invested may create attachment. Respect that investment when people move, export or stop using a product.
Ownership can be psychological as well as physical. A personalised profile, a configured workspace, or a preview involving someone’s own identity can feel like something they already possess. This can affect perceived value and willingness to leave. Balance personalisation with setup effort and make the status of a trial or preview clear.
02 / RECOGNISE
See it in real products.
Examples of how the principle can appear in an interface.
CrumblEXAMPLE 02
Keep the user’s creation present through checkout
Crumbl builds a live box preview as cookies are selected and carries it into order review. The chosen arrangement already feels like a specific personal creation.
Shoe customisationEXAMPLE 03
Ownership can begin before checkout
A shoe customisation journey illustrates how personal decisions can make an unpurchased product feel like your own.
03 / CONNECT
Why it matters.
Personal investment can influence perceived value, continued use and willingness to share. Lengthy personalisation can also create friction before that sense of ownership develops.
Possible influences to investigate, rather than guaranteed outcomes for every product.
04 / APPLY
Put it into practice.
- 01
Preserve user-created work
- 02
Explain portability and retention
- 03
Make leaving and exporting straightforward
05 / EXPLORE WITH UPSLIDE
Apply it with Upslide.
Use a practical guide, read a deeper explanation.
The B2B SaaS User Persona Framework
Test whether attachment to an existing setup is helping the task or making change harder.
Persuasive Design vs Dark Patterns: UX Examples and Boundaries
7 mins readCompare respectful persuasion with choices that obscure refusal, commitments or consequences.
CONNECT THE IDEAS
Related principles
Keep exploring
Small additions can accumulate into a complicated experience.
