Love It or Leave It: How to Conduct a Design Thinking Session on the iPhone Experience?

Design thinking is all about understanding user needs and finding innovative solutions by focusing on empathy, ideation, and experimentation. Conducting a design thinking session for the iPhone is an exciting opportunity to explore the emotional connections users have with this iconic product while identifying areas of improvement. Inspired by exercises like the Love/Breakup Letter, here’s a step-by-step guide to help your team uncover the highs and lows of the iPhone experience.

The Love/Breakup Letter Exercise for iPhone

This activity taps into users' emotional relationships with the iPhone, treating it not just as a device but as a companion. The exercise helps highlight positive and negative aspects of the iPhone’s design, features, and overall user experience.

Expanded versions are available on below links:

• https://twitter.com/viv1ag/status/1862094397736661354
• https://twitter.com/viv1ag/status/1862094814197473463

Session Overview

Primary Goal:

To identify what users love and what frustrates them about the iPhone to inform design improvements or inspire new ideas.

When to Use:

During product brainstorming, user experience research, or kick-off sessions for a new iPhone feature or update.

Time Required:

30-45 minutes.

Number of Participants:

2-6 (ideal for focused discussions).

Who Should Participate?

Stakeholders, product teams, iPhone users, and UX researchers.

Supplies Needed:

• Pens/pencils
• Lined or decorative paper (consider using heart-shaped or broken-heart stickers for fun)
• Optional: iPhones for demonstration or examples of existing features

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Set the Stage

Start by introducing the session and its goal: to better understand the emotional connections users have with the iPhone. To set the tone:

• Prepare Example Letters: Use a playful love letter and a heartfelt breakup letter (like the ones shared above) to help participants grasp the concept.
• Avoid using letters that are specific to the iPhone to avoid biasing participants’ thoughts.

Explain to the group that their task is to write either a love letter, a breakup letter, or a mix of both to the iPhone. Emphasize that honesty and emotion are key.

2. Writing the Letters

Distribute pens, paper, and stickers to the group. Share these instructions:

• Think about your relationship with the iPhone, as if it were a person.
• Reflect on moments you’ve appreciated its design and features (the love story).
• Consider frustrations or annoyances you’ve encountered (the heartbreak).
• Write freely for 10 minutes. Combine emotions if needed—tough love is welcome!

To get everyone started, read one example letter (love or breakup) aloud.

3. Share the Letters

Once everyone has finished, ask each participant to read their letter aloud. If someone is hesitant, read yours first to ease the tension.

Listen carefully as each letter is shared, and take notes on recurring themes or unique perspectives.

4. Follow-Up Discussion

After all letters have been read, facilitate a discussion to unpack the findings:

• What are the recurring themes? (e.g., love for the camera, frustration with battery life.)
• What emotions stood out? (e.g., trust, annoyance, admiration, or regret.)
• What features are celebrated, and which are criticized?
• Are there surprising insights?

Collect the letters and scan them for future reference. These artifacts can provide valuable input for further research or design discussions.

Next Steps: Synthesizing Insights

After the session, analyze the feedback to identify actionable opportunities. Here’s how:

1. What’s Working?
2. What’s Not Working?
3. Opportunities for Innovation:

Pro Tips for Facilitators

• Create a Comfortable Environment: Use a casual tone to encourage honest feedback. Add props like heart-shaped stickers or fun sound effects to make the session more engaging.
• Invite Diverse Perspectives: Including participants with varying levels of tech-savviness can uncover a broader range of insights.
• Tie Findings to Action Plans: Connect emotional insights with measurable outcomes, ensuring the session directly impacts future designs.

Why This Exercise Works for iPhone

The iPhone is more than a phone—it’s an integral part of people’s lives, carrying emotional weight that’s often overlooked in product design. By treating it as a "person" in this exercise, we uncover deeper truths about how users feel about it, paving the way for innovation and user-centered improvements.

Final Thoughts

Design thinking is all about empathy, and exercises like the Love/Breakup Letter remind us of the emotional relationships users have with their products. Whether it’s love, frustration, or a bit of both, these insights are invaluable in driving user-centered design.

Have you tried a design thinking session like this? Share your experiences or results in the comments below!