The idea
When recalling an experience, people can give disproportionate weight to its most intense moment and its ending. The pattern appears in particular experimental settings and does not capture every part of an experience.
Why it matters
An unclear ending can leave someone uncertain after an otherwise successful task. Recovery from a difficult moment also shapes how the interaction is remembered.
A real-world example
After an appointment is booked, a service confirms the time, location and cancellation options on one screen, with a downloadable calendar entry.
What this doesn’t mean
A delightful confirmation cannot compensate for harm, exclusion or a broken journey. Do not deliberately create frustration to make a later improvement feel better.
Try this.
Review the most stressful point and the final screen of a key journey. Resolve uncertainty at both, then evaluate the whole experience.
Sources & further reading
Our explanations and examples are original. These references provide the underlying research or design perspective.