The Peak-End Rule

We don’t remember entire experiences — we remember how they felt at their most intense and how they ended. That’s the essence of the peak-end rule, a psychological insight with powerful implications for how we design not just products, but people experiences.

Why Endings Deserve More Attention

Companies pour time and effort into onboarding — the welcome mat is pristine. But offboarding? Often an afterthought. And yet, the way someone leaves is what lingers. That final chapter becomes the story they carry, retell, and believe.

A thoughtful ending signals care, values, and maturity — in both design and leadership.

Practical Ways to Design Better Goodbyes:

• Rejection letters → Replace cold templates with kind, human notes. Acknowledge the effort, share strengths, and close with encouragement.

• Employee exits → Celebrate contributions, not departures. The tone of goodbye becomes the tone of memory.

• Difficult conversations → End with dignity. Be clear, kind, and swift. Minimize the pain, maximize the respect.

• Personal relationships → Breakups and farewells deserve compassion too. The grace in parting says everything about who we are.

The deeper truth? Experiences reflect the giver more than the receiver. Endings are where your character — or your culture — becomes unmistakably visible.

Designing for Peak + End

The best brands already practice this — quietly, deliberately:

• Netflix ends a show with seamless recommendations, never a jarring stop.

• Apple Stores turn checkout into ceremony: unboxing, setup, and smiles.

• Airbnb nudges hosts to end with warmth — from local tips to follow-up messages.

• Spotify Wrapped closes the year with celebration, not just data.

• Headspace ends sessions with calm closure — not silence, but presence.

It’s not limited to tech. Great restaurants send you off with dessert on the house. Memorable events close with a moment, not a mic-drop.

Because in the end, the ending is the memory.

So next time you’re designing an experience — a meeting, an interview, a product flow, a relationship — ask yourself:

How will they feel as it ends? What story will they take with them?

That’s what they’ll remember. Make it count.