The 50/40/10 Delight Allocation
Split your roadmap 50% low delight, 40% deep delight, 10% surface delight
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time to result
- ~weeks to results
- Steps
- 4
- Confidence
- 92%
A roadmap allocation guide for balancing functionality and emotion once features are categorized on the Delight Grid. It resolves the false 'delight vs functionality' trade-off by prescribing rough proportions, keeping products functional while still building emotional connection and brand personality.
Origin
A model created by Nesrine Changuel ('I created this model called 50/40/10'), presented in her book 'Product Delight' as guidance layered on top of the Delight Grid categorization.
Core principles
- 01Shift the mindset from 'delight VERSUS functionality' to 'delight IN functionality'
- 02A product must function, so the majority of work stays functional
- 03Deep delight is where most emotional ROI lives because function is still delivered
- 04Surface delight is rationed to a couple of features a year
How to run it
- 1
Categorize the backlog on the Delight Grid
Sort every roadmap item into low delight (functional only), deep delight (functional + emotional), or surface delight (emotional only).
Watch out This step depends on having done the Delight Grid first; the ratio is meaningless without categorized features.
- 2
Allocate 50% to low delight
Dedicate half the roadmap to pure functionality, because the product has to work (e.g. Spotify fixing broken search).
- 3
Allocate 40% to deep delight
Spend 40% on features that deliver a functional need but are built slightly differently so users feel valued (e.g. Discover Weekly, video podcasts on Spotify).
- 4
Allocate 10% to surface delight
Reserve roughly 10%, perhaps two features a year, for pure emotional/brand moments like Spotify Canvas looping clips.
Pro tip Aim for a 'bouquet' of all three delight types in each roadmap cycle rather than swinging fully to one.
In the wild
Changuel describes a Spotify cycle blending pure functionality (fixing underperforming search), deep delight (introducing video podcasts), and surface delight (Canvas, the small looping clip when you open a track).
→ A balanced roadmap that kept the product working while continuously building brand personality and emotional connection.
Common mistakes
Framing it as delight vs functionality
Debating whether to prioritize delight OR functionality misses the point; deep delight builds emotion INTO functional work, so the two aren't in competition.
Is it for you?
Best for
Product leaders and PMs planning a quarterly or annual roadmap who need a defensible split between shipping function and investing in emotional experience.
Not ideal for
Very early-stage products with no functional baseline yet, where nearly all effort must go to making the core work.
From the transcript
“we need to move away from the light versus functionality into the light in functionality”
“I created this model called 50410”
“50% of your features should be for low delight”
“40% for deep delight where actually functionality is there”
“only 10% for surface delight”
“how can you create a road map where you have a bouquet of deep delight surface delight and low delight all together”
From the episode
A 4-step framework for building delightful products
Nesrine Changuel (Spotify, Google, Skype)