A few days ago, I had the chance to experience Ragnar Kjartansson’s The Visitors at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA). It was mesmerizing—nine screens, each showing a different musician performing in separate rooms of a historic mansion, yet all playing the same song in sync. The effect was immersive: you could move closer to a single screen to focus on an individual performance or stand in the middle of the room and take in the entire symphony of voices and instruments. Over time, the artists began moving between rooms, guiding the audience toward a collective moment where all performers came together on one screen for a unified finale.
As I stood there, watching and listening, I had a realization: this wasn’t just a profound artistic experience; it was a masterclass in product innovation.
Experiencing Music in Layers, Experiencing Products in Journeys
Most of us listen to music as a whole, enjoying the melody without consciously thinking about its individual layers—vocals, percussion, strings, and more. Composers, however, experience music differently. They hear every element separately as they build the song, ensuring each part contributes to the final harmony.
The Visitors lets audiences experience music the way a composer does—moving between layers, appreciating them individually, and then seeing them merge into a complete experience.
Product design works the same way. Users don’t experience products as feature lists or discrete functions; they experience them as holistic journeys. When designing products, especially in tech, it’s easy to focus on the features (the layers) rather than the way users flow through and experience them together.
The Best Product Innovation Comes from Experience Design, Not Just New Technology
One of the biggest lessons from The Visitors is that you don’t always have to invent new technologies to create something profoundly innovative. The piece doesn’t rely on cutting-edge tech—it’s just nine video projections playing in sync. The magic lies in how they are arranged and how the audience is guided through the experience.
The same applies to great product innovation. Some of the best tech products didn’t invent entirely new technologies; they innovated in how people experienced them. Consider:
Spotify’s Discovery Weekly – The underlying recommendation tech wasn’t new, but the experience of receiving a personalized playlist every Monday transformed how people discovered music.
Slack’s Channel-Based Communication – Slack didn’t invent messaging, but it restructured workplace communication into a more seamless, organized experience.
Apple’s iPhone Gestures – Pinch-to-zoom and swipe-to-unlock weren’t new concepts, but Apple designed them in a way that felt intuitive and natural.
Like The Visitors, these products don’t just “play the tune”—they guide users through an experience, syncing with their behaviors and emotions.
Syncing with Users: Designing for Flow, Not Features
One of the most striking aspects of The Visitors is how the installation guides the audience’s attention. At first, you explore freely, moving between screens to focus on individual performers. But as the piece progresses, the movement of the artists and the build-up of the song naturally lead you toward a collective moment of convergence.
This is exactly what great product design should do. Instead of forcing users to figure out how to piece together different features, a well-designed product nudges them through a seamless journey. Some examples:
Figma’s Real-Time Collaboration – Instead of separate tools for design and feedback, Figma naturally moves users from creation to discussion to iteration—all in one interface.
Notion’s Modular System – Notion allows users to start simple (a single note) and naturally expand into databases, wikis, and project management tools as their needs evolve.
Tesla’s Over-the-Air Updates – Tesla cars improve over time, with software updates adding new capabilities in a way that feels effortless to the driver.
In all these cases, the product doesn’t just offer features—it guides users through an evolving, intuitive experience.
Final Thoughts: Designing for Harmony
Ragnar Kjartansson’s The Visitors is a powerful reminder that innovation isn’t always about new tech—it’s about crafting experiences that resonate. Whether you’re an artist composing a symphony or a product manager designing an app, the goal is the same:
Think beyond the individual layers and focus on the full experience.
Guide users naturally through their journey rather than expecting them to piece things together.
Sync with your audience—not just functionally, but emotionally.
After all, the best products, like the best art, don’t just deliver features—they create moments of harmony.
Experience The Visitors
If you’re in San Francisco, I highly recommend checking out The Visitors at SFMOMA. The installation runs until September 28, 2025.
What are some of your favorite product experiences that feel intuitive and immersive? Let me know in the comments or on Twitter @1sprintatatime.