Designing delight: What product engineering looks like in 2026

Date:
Fri, 22 May 2026 10:15:24 +0000

Description:
Why human storytelling and intentional design matter more than ever in the
age of AI.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Ask a product engineer what
they love about their job and very few will talk about coding.

Thats because good product management has never really been about the output. Its about building something that surprises people, earns their trust and ultimately drives impact. But it really excels when creating something original; when its about designing delight. Latest Videos From You may like The new engineering playbook: how AI design copilots are reshaping product development AI is breaking the limits of work (not jobs) Why AI-generated ads are becoming indistinguishable Marija Nakevska Social Links Navigation

Chief Product Technology Officer at Pleo. Currently though, this is under threat. Not from the engineers themselves, but from a rapidly evolving challenger that makes anything in creativity possible: AI. What creation
means in an era of possibilities AI tools have made creation feel limitless. In an era of possibilities, individuals no longer have to rely on a writer or a graphic designer to bring their ideas to life; it can happen with a few short prompts.

This shift has changed the face of creation. Its a process thats long been rooted in effort, inspiration and ideation. Now its something that happens quickly and without the need for advanced tools.

Which raises an important question for product engineers: when AI can literally create anything and the cost of creation drops to near zero, what makes a product meaningful? Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter Sign
up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed! Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. What my son teaches me about storytelling My son creates monsters. Hes nine, so at the beginning of his journey as a creator and, who knows, maybe even an engineer.

These monsters come straight from his imagination. Recent highlights include
a crow crossed with snowman (a crowman) and a flame-wielding,
eyepatch-wearing monster that defies categorization.

But while my own childhood creations stopped at this stage, my sons continue to evolve with the help of AI. With my supervision, his drawings become prompts. From here, the AI model helps them take flight, hurl fireballs and come to life. What to read next AI is redefining product discovery,
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Nevertheless, however convincing these animations are, one thing is missing that only my son can bring to the process: a compelling story. AI can
generate content, but to be meaningful, it needs to be selective, intentional and directional.

My son still carries this missing ingredient in him because, unlike AI, he isnt optimizing for what makes sense or repackaging whats gone before. The crowman is not based in market research, customer feedback or even logic. Instead, it exists because a nine-year-old found the idea funny and strange and worth exploring.

He runs on curiosity, surprise, delight and sometimes pure chaos. And these are very human qualities that remain essential to designing what delight
looks like. Creating is still about compelling stories Building isnt just about creating something its choosing what matters. The principle behind the crowman is the same as product engineering and SaaS: a good creation or product needs a good story, it needs the why

AI has seduced individuals into generating more, quicker than ever. Even engineers and developers are vibe coding using AI to generate code through prompting instead of writing it line-by-line. There is nothing wrong with taking a few shortcuts here and there. But the output must not be sacrificed in the process. Unless human storytelling and craft retain their role, users will always feel the creators absence when it comes to the product.

For my own part, I tell my team that we need to care. This is a
non-negotiable when were trying to create beautiful products that are built around beautiful, compelling stories. Thats what we all got into the job for.

This means following several key principles:

1. Design for emotional outcomes, not just functional ones: Unlike AI, we
are capable of emotional intelligence. So we have to make the most of this by not just tapping into what we want our customers to do, but how we want them to feel when they do it.

2. Craft as a core engineering responsibility: Similarly, its important to remember the link between initial product design and eventual craft. Its not about replacing skills with a paler alternative. Its about giving them the platform to shine.

3. Intentional constraints vs infinite generation: When there is an infinite number of choices, it can be hard not to fall into an uncoordinated, spray
and pray approach. Maintaining clarity over what you are trying to achieve
and establishing creative guardrails is essential. Knowing what to build is just as important as knowing what not to.

4. Narrative-led product decisions: Great products dont just function they tell a story. So we must ground decisions in a clear narrative about who the user is, what theyre trying to overcome, and how a product helps them get there. AI can help us prioritize what matters AI has changed the model for
how we create. Not just as product engineers, but in most walks of life, from writers to artists, teachers and more.

But some things partnerships, empathy, judgement, ethics, stories will stay just as important. These are rooted in human creativity and are the things that create story and meaning, not just output.

In a world of infinite generation, we must acknowledge that value has shifted from making things to choosing what matters. In this era of possibilities, AI isnt the enemy; designing without purpose and delight is. We feature the best product information management software . This article was produced as part
of TechRadar Pro Perspectives , our channel to feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today.

The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/pro/perspectives-how-to-submit



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