Year
2026
Category
Product
Country
Italy
Design Studio / Department
Milan Experience Design (MED)
Three questions to the project team
What was the particular challenge of the project from a UX point of view?
The main UX challenge was designing an experience that feels instantly familiar while introducing a completely new interaction model. The slider had to be understandable yet powerful enough to unlock advanced, customizable behavior. It needed to work equally well for users who prefer traditional, hands-on control and for those who rely on technology to optimize performance automatically. Another challenge was successfully blending physical and digital interaction without creating cognitive overload. Achieving this balance meant carefully shaping recognizability, tactility, and clarity so that innovation never felt intimidating or disruptive to everyday use.
What was your personal highlight in the development process? Was there an aha!-moment, was there a low point?
A key highlight was realizing that the slider could become more than a control. This was the main “aha!” moment: transforming a physical interaction into a recognizable, reassuring anchor that leads users through the experience. Once this principle was clear, many design decisions aligned naturally around it. One of the more challenging moments was validating that a new “phygital” interaction would truly feel intuitive across very different user profiles. Early on, there was a risk that the innovation could be perceived as unnecessary or confusing. User testing helped refine the gesture logic and feedback, ensuring the slider felt purposeful, meaningful, and easy from the very first use.
Where do you see yourself and the project in the next five years?
As MED team, we see ourselves continuing to work at the intersection of UX strategy, interaction design, and product ecosystems, focusing on making advanced technology feel natural, elegant, and human. This project represents a meaningful step in that direction, showing how thoughtful UX design can elevate everyday routines, support sustainable behavior, and create long-term value for both users and brands.
