What do anchovies and UX strategy have in common? More than you might realize.
I was in the grocery store yesterday, eyeing a tin of anchovies for a pasta dish I was getting ready to make. Those little fillets, when added to a recipe, bring a dish to life. Far too often, anchovies are overlooked or dismissed, but anyone who’s tried them knows they can transform an ordinary meal into something remarkable.
That got me thinking about UX strategy. It’s tempting to focus on the grand gestures, the splashy features, the major releases. But what about those subtle, small enhancements—the quietly powerful details that lift the entire experience? Anchovies are the unsung heroes, packed with depth and complexity, able to create delight when you least expect it.
When I approach UX, I try to find these anchovy moments: the small improvements that add surprising flavor. A nudge in the right place. An interaction that just feels right. The typo corrected, the extra click removed. These are the little things that make the user smile, sometimes without even realizing why.
Are we spending all our energy hunting for the next “main course,” or are we honoring the potential of these anchovy moments? From my experience, the difference between a good product and a truly great one comes from those overlooked enhancements—moments of delight often hidden in the margins.
So, the next time you’re fine-tuning your product, don’t forget the anchovies. Those small touches are what make the whole meal memorable.
