What is the sweet spot between new and familiar, and how do you design for it?
Create products that feel groundbreaking and instantly intuitive by applying the psychology of the MAYA Principle.
By unpacking how humans respond to familiarity and novelty, you’ll gain practical guidance for designing experiences that spark excitement without overwhelming users.
WHAT WE COVER IN THIS EPISODE
- What is the MAYA Principle, and why does it matter for product and experience design?
- How do familiarity and novelty interact to shape user adoption?
- Why did products like the iPad feel revolutionary and intuitive to use?
- When should you release a big innovation versus gradually introducing features?
- How psychological barriers like loss aversion affect how people receive new ideas.
- How designers can pace innovation to keep users comfortable and engaged.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- The MAYA Principle stands for "Most Advanced Yet Acceptable"—a formula for balancing innovation with usability.
- People adopt new ideas more readily when they resemble something they already understand.
- Successful products often anchor new concepts in familiar mental models (e.g., Uber reimagined the taxi).
- Understand your audience: tech-savvy users tolerate faster change than general users.
- Manage the speed of innovation—disruptive or incremental—based on what your users can handle.
- Incorporate user feedback early and often to gauge readiness and reduce risk.
- Frame change as a gain, not a loss, to overcome psychological resistance like loss aversion.
- Design psychology empowers us to bridge users into the future—delighting without alienating them.
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
Cardiac Cowboys
The heart was always off-limits to surgeons. Cutting into it spelled instant death for the patient. That is, until a ragtag group of doctors scattered across the Midwest and Texas decided to throw out the rule book. Working in makeshift laboratories and home garages, using medical devices made from scavenged machine parts and beer tubes, these men and women invented the field of open heart surgery. Odds are, someone you know is alive because of them. So why has history left them behind? Presented by Chris Pine, CARDIAC COWBOYS tells the gripping true story behind the birth of heart surgery, and the young, Greatest Generation doctors who made it happen. For years, they competed and feuded, racing to be the first, the best, and the most prolific. Some appeared on the cover of Time Magazine, operated on kings and advised presidents. Others ended up disgraced, penniless, and convicted of felonies. Together, they ignited a revolution in medicine, and changed the world.