Why the last moments of an experience shape what we remember — and how to design them right.
Hi,“Ms. Ula, we have a brilliant idea for improving our customer service!”
// this really begs for a separate post about spending money on dust-collectors instead of improving usability // “There was this study once — they gave two groups of people colonoscopies. One group got a candy drop at the end, the other didn’t. And guess what? The candy group was more satisfied with the whole process. So we’ll give our clients little gifts at the end of the collaboration! Genius, right?”
Over the course of my career, I’ve come across this colonoscopy story in business contexts at least a few times — always slightly different, always with some candy twist. And with legends, fairy tales, and lies, there are usually two things to keep in mind. First: if repeated often enough, they start being treated as truth — and, as in this case, actually implemented. Second: there’s often a grain of truth in them. And this story has both.
Let’s start with the grain. There is something called the peak-end rule, which explains how we remember experiences — or to put it differently: how cognitive distortions form.
Turns out, our memory of an event is shaped mostly by two key moments: the peak — the emotional high point, the most intense part — and the end — how the experience concluded.
And when it comes to that “end” from the peak-end duo, yes: there was a study by Daniel Kahneman that looked at exactly this. Participants were asked to put their hand into very cold water. In one version, they held it there for 60 seconds. In another, they kept it in the same cold water for 60 seconds, then stayed another 30 seconds — but with the water slightly warmer at the end.
Logic would suggest the shorter exposure should feel better. And yet — most participants preferred the longer version. Why? Because the ending was gentler. It softened the memory of the whole experience.
The duration of the discomfort didn’t matter. What mattered was how the experience ended. As Andy Sontag writes in The Peak-End Rule, “as experience designers, we need to always keep the narrating self in mind.”
It’s worth remembering that the peak-end effect mostly shapes how we remember things — not how we live them. Kahneman describes it as the difference between the “experiencing self” and the “remembering self.” And it’s the remembering self that decides whether we’ll return to a brand, service, or restaurant. Because, irrational as it may sound — it’s memory, not reality, that drives our future choices.
(For a more applied take, Blake Bassett shares practical advice on designing memorable endings in UX flows.)
As you can see, the colonoscopy legend mirrors this dynamic quite well — just in a sweeter, media-friendly version.
And what about putting it into practice?
Well — it’s like every attempt to blindly apply “internet wisdom” to real life. The result? Often the opposite of what you wanted. A kind of UX-style yo-yo effect after a miracle diet 🙂
Imagine two scenarios.
First scenario — the more business-y one. You’ve hired an IT agency to build an online store and a warehouse system for your brand-new super-product. The project went over both budget and deadline. You don’t know yet that this is perfectly normal in that world. The relationship with the vendor is tense. A few “clarifying” emails have flown back and forth between law firms. You’re tired and just want to start selling already, because every day of delay means actual financial loss.
And then — surprise! Along with the final invoice, you receive a thank-you letter for the “fruitful collaboration,” accompanied by a lanyard, a mug, and yet another linen tote bag with the logo of your “favorite” company.
Second scenario — a bit more subtle. You take care of your health. Maybe it’s the diet, allergies, or just common sense. You work out, drink water, choose healthy options at restaurants. You’ve just finished a delicious, well-balanced meal with friends. It’s a nice evening. Laughter, warmth, good energy. Then the waitress comes with the check — hidden in a box under… a handful of candy drops.
Try to describe what emotions pop up just imagining that kind of ending. Is it actually something positive? Or more like a mix of indifference, mild annoyance, and a quiet little “WTF”?
To understand this kind of cognitive distortion, there’s a great study by George Wolford and Amy Doe — often cited under the name less-is-better. In the experiment, kids went trick-or-treating on Halloween and received different sets of candy. Group one got a single candy bar. Group two got the same candy bar — plus a piece of gum, which was considered a less desirable treat. Turns out, kids in the first group reported greater satisfaction than those who got more. The candy bar on its own felt like a better experience than the candy bar with something meh on top.
And that’s super interesting.
Because it’s exactly what happens when we get an unnecessary branded gadget, a pack of flyers with our order, a candy drop with our healthy lunch, a plastic-wrapped cookie with our organic espresso — or even out-of-place congratulations after finishing some basic user flow in a system. A gift that doesn’t match the perceived value ends up lowering the quality of the experience, instead of adding to it.
The answer’s pretty simple: don’t shoot blindly. In other words — research the situation. This isn’t about never giving clients a branded t-shirt again, but about giving it when you’re sure the relationship you’ve built is strong and emotional. Otherwise, that t-shirt won’t even make it out of the closet (if it even gets there in the first place).
It’s worth designing and testing your endings based on — or at least brushing against — the following areas:
- Respond to user values.
Far too often, target group descriptions or personas end up as dead documents — gathering dust in binders or buried under a hundred emails. Which is a shame, because a well-made profile — one that’s based not only on demographic data (like age, location or education) but also on lifestyle, interests, needs, motivations — and most importantly, the values of your audience — can be a powerful design tool.
Remember: long-lasting, engagement-based relationships happen when we tap into user values. And the end is the perfect moment to reinforce them — it’s when that subconscious “yes, this is why I choose you” kicks in.
- Highlight brand differentiators.
Another often-overlooked element in experience design. Differentiators are all the things that make people choose your product or service over someone else’s. What makes you stand out? What sparks positive associations? What leaves a meaningful memory?
It’s worth going beyond dry product features — “cheapest on the market,” “intuitive interface” — and reaching for emotional differentiators: caring — “I feel looked after,” supportive — “I know someone actually gives a damn,” personal — “this feels made for me.” These feelings, not technical specs, are what stick with the user after the experience ends.
Emphasizing your differentiator at the end? That’s the cherry on top of the user’s memory cake. - Find the actual end.
In digital products, the end is often invisible. In the Calm app, it might be the screen after meditation that says, “Come back tomorrow to keep your streak.” In Slack, it’s a subtle summary after onboarding. Even how Duolingo says goodbye when you quit a lesson leaves a trace. Designers know the final impression influences the desire to return.
What’s especially interesting is asking yourself: what even is the end of the experience? Is it the last drop of face serum before dismantling the bottle and tossing it in the recycling bin? The footer of the website, not the final cart page? The TripAdvisor review, not the restaurant bill? Maybe it’s not the last invoice, but the feedback email sent a week later?It depends. That’s why it’s worth identifying, selecting, and deliberately designing the right flow. Because the end makes the difference. And it’s worth mapping it well. - Rethink the budget.
It doesn’t have to cost a million bucks. Remember the candy bar study — it’s better to give one thing at the right moment that truly hits home (meaning: it reflects user values and highlights brand differentiators), than to blow your budget on a bunch of dust-collectors no one wants.
To wrap up — some good news.
Designing an effective peak-end-style ending isn’t just for big companies with unlimited budgets. You can do it on a small scale — and still make it work — as long as you do it intentionally.
Take a look at these two footers.
The first one belongs to Patagonia.
This is an outdoor clothing brand known not only for high-quality gear, but above all for its radical commitment to environmental protection and sustainable practices.
Take a look at what happens in their footer: they tap directly into their customers’ values — care for the planet (“protect […] our only home”), anti-consumerism (“prioritize purpose over profit”) — and they do it in a way that’s direct, authentic, and scale-aware (“over 50 years”). It’s a brilliant way to close the page — and to reinforce the reason people keep coming back to this brand.
(If you’re curious about how that vision translates into long-term business thinking, this piece — Redefining Success: Inside Patagonia’s Revolutionary Business Model — digs deeper into their model of prioritizing regeneration over growth.)
And now, a totally different example — the website of my mentee Anita.
Anita is a junior UX designer who’s just starting to build her career, position, and portfolio. But her differentiators are already well thought through: she’s bold, direct (sometimes cheeky), and full of humor. That big “stalk me” in the footer perfectly reflects her personality — and the traits that hit home with recruiters looking for exactly that kind of candidate. While working on her strategy, we didn’t focus on the usual junior UX stuff. Instead, we highlighted what truly makes Anita stand out — the spark that could make someone want to work with her.
As you can see — there’s no need to overthink it. And no, the end of a peak-end experience is not your chance to clean out the merch closet.
What is worth doing: researching, designing, and approaching user experience strategy with maturity — whether you’re a well-known brand with years of tradition or a junior designer looking for your first job.
Do it well. Do it boldly. Do it consciously — no matter the scale.