What if ends mattered more than starts?
Let me start with a personal story. A few months ago, I was involved in a service improvement project for my organization. It was an exciting opportunity to fully redesign the target experience in line with business goals. Everything went relatively smoothly until, just before delivery, our sponsor announced that internal priorities had shifted, and the best course of action was to shut down the service and forget about the project. I freaked out - not because months of work were going to waste, but because everyone seemed fine with simply shutting the service overnight.
I pushed back, advocating for a proper service sunsetting process, and eventually got my win. But the experience made me reflect: in organizations we often focus on launches, onboarding, and first-use experiences but we hardly, if ever, talk about endings. We fundamentally overlook them. We have an “end gap” when designing experiences.
Yet, endings matter. According to the Peak-End Rule in psychology, people remember and judge experiences largely by their most intense moments (peaks) and how they end. This makes endings an untapped opportunity.
The Forgotten Phase of Design: Ends (Source: Joe Macleod. AndEnd.)
Three types of endings in the consumer lifecycle
Endings are everywhere: the end of a day, a stay, a relationship, etc. Yet, in the consumer experience lifecycle, endings generally fall into three categories: experience conclusion; disposal or termination; and transformation or shutdown. Let’s take a look at each of them.
Experience conclusion: this is when we are going through an experience and we either transition from one phase of the journey to another or directly reach the end of it. Poorly handled conclusions - like purchasing a product and receiving no confirmation - leave us worried or confused. Done well, endings can leave us feeling satisfied and reassured. For example, Revolut sends a celebratory email confirming a user’s sign-up, creating a strong end to the onboarding process. Similarly, my company’s latest team retreat ended on a high note with an emotional video that, after a few days of work, reminded us of our shared purpose. Giving us the motivational push to start the year strong.
Disposal or termination: this is when we are ready to let go of a product or service and decide to terminate our relationship. What often happens is that we do not know how to properly dispose of the product or leaving the service is a real nightmare. Yet, things can go well too. For instance, Heura Foods provides clear instructions on how to separate their packaging for recycling once the food is over. While ING Bank made canceling my account as easy as a one-click experience. They also followed up with a kind, non-pushy email thanking me for the time together and leaving the door open for future engagement. This was such an unexpected experience that I captured it as a best practice to share in the Service Design course I teach.
Transformation or shutdown: this is when a product, service, or business undergoes a major transformation or closure. Poor communication during this time can easily lead to frustration or lost trust. However, these moments can also be a unique opportunity to rebuild relationships. A course creator once informed me that their platform would shut down in six months. While I was sad to see it go, their transparency gave me time to reflect on the great value they had provided, learn more about the trajectory they were taking, and engage with them in the new direction.
Why endings matter
When endings are taken care of, we notice them. They stand out. And they not only matter for the users but for the business and sustainability too. Good endings strengthen the relationship between the consumer and the producer, increase satisfaction, and can even turn customers into advocates. They also nurture brand equity and open up space for insights and innovation. At the same time, intentionality around endings supports sustainability efforts focused on taming the systemic overexploitation of physical and digital resources. Straightforward examples are those linked to circularity, data protection, and compliance with emerging policies related to Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR Directives) and the Right to Be Forgotten (GDPR).
How to start designing better endings
It’s only once we start to see the value of thinking about ends that then this question pops up: how do we design for them? Here I have three tips to put this work into practice:
Ask the right question: just start a conversation by asking this simple question: how does this end?
Map the end journeys: identify the key ending scenarios for users and design how you’ll guide them through the transitions plus the stage of how you’ll bring them (or the product) back.
Look at the experts: dive into the pioneering work of Joe Macleod and his consultancy AndEnd. and give a read to the fantastic book “The Power of Moments” by Chip and Dan Heath.
The missed value of endings
Circling back to my personal story, it’s often too easy to overlook the importance of endings. By then, we think all the work is already done. Yet, the value we risk leaving behind is too big to be missed. Engaging consumers throughout the lifecycle, from purchase to termination, is essential. By creating meaningful ending experiences, businesses can maintain strong consumer relationships, enhance their brand equity, and reinforce their commitment to sustainability. If we then recall the Peak-End Rule and combine it with the general notion that 80% of a product or service impact is determined at the design stage, we have a case. So, why not seize this opportunity? Why not start from the end and make it memorable?
