Most businesses play it safe, operating within an echo chamber where they study the same competitors and recycle the same ideas. This inward focus rarely excites or builds real loyalty. But what if the key to creating more memorable experiences came from an unlikely source? By borrowing brilliance from other disciplines, you can challenge your own biases and find a powerful competitive advantage.
A perfect case study comes from a field that has mastered engagement: game design. For decades, designers have used “flavor text”—short, atmospheric lines that give personality to items and actions. This text isn’t strictly necessary, but it sparks curiosity and makes the experience feel human. A collectible card that reads, “Hatred outlives the hateful,” tells a four-word story. A video game item described as “Small pebbles… Can be thrown at foes. Quite thrilling,” adds a wink of personality.
This principle translates directly to the business world, turning mundane moments into memorable connections:
- Humanizing Dead Time: Games use loading screens to share tips, lore, or jokes. Similarly, web services like Notion turn a wait into a moment of brand connection by flashing messages like “Warming up the workspace.”
- Reimagining Errors: A dead end in a game is an opportunity for personality. This thinking led to the modern 404 page. Blizzard’s official site shows a shattered screen with the text, “Grats, you broke it,” a direct ancestor to Netflix’s playful “Lost your way?” pop culture references.
- Filling the Void: An empty inventory in a game is an invitation to explore. This philosophy now fills what would be dead space in modern apps. An empty Dropbox folder shows a cheerful drawing, offering subtle encouragement instead of a blank screen.
This mindset isn’t just digital. Think of Ben & Jerry’s witty commentary on its ice cream pints or Disney World turning construction walls into part of the show with signs that read, “Please Pardon Our Pixie Dust.”
Many brands never try this because they fear breaking professional norms. But history is a cautionary tale: Blockbuster didn’t fail because it tried something new; it failed because it clung to what was safe. Flavor text is the canary in the coal mine. If you’re afraid to let your brand have a human moment, what bigger opportunities are you missing? Brands don’t fail because a witty tooltip made someone roll their eyes—they fail because no one remembers them at all.
