The Tao of Product, Part 4: The Art of Unexpected Reference

At the heart of creating resonance lies a practice that might seem counterintuitive: drawing inspiration from realms seemingly unrelated to your product. My own attunement practice involves a deliberate expansion of vision—seeking references horizontally across disciplines rather than vertically within a single industry.

For a health technology application, I might find myself drawn to the structural elegance of Balmain, the understated luxury of Loro Piana, and the vibrant cultural fusion of Aimé Leon Dore. These references aren't arbitrary aesthetic preferences; they're resonant patterns that speak to deeper emotional and psychological qualities the product aims to embody—perhaps confidence, enduring value, or dignity at any age.

A beauty tech platform might find its visual identity influenced by Pedro Almodóvar's signature red—a color that pulses with life, passion, and transformation—combined with elements drawn from fruit packaging or artisanal food labels that evoke sensory richness and natural abundance.

This practice of cross-pollination requires presence in the world—walking through neighborhoods to observe wild postings, maintaining a daily practice of scrolling through diverse feeds, consuming art and culture across medium and genre. It means reading countless newsletters, following creators whose work feels alive, and collecting impressions that might initially seem disconnected from your explicit purpose.

The goal isn't derivative aesthetics but genuine synthesis—connecting dots between indie film, luxury fashion, architecture, food packaging, and local culture in ways that create something genuinely novel. When done with integrity, this approach doesn't result in appropriation but in translation—taking the emotional essence of inspiration and allowing it to express itself in a new context.

This practice stands in opposition to the closed-loop of digital design, where apps reference other apps in an increasingly self-referential spiral. The most vibrant products emerge when their creators spend less time looking at screens and more time dancing, painting, conversing with elders, or simply walking with awareness through the textured world.

Great design doesn't come from staring at what others have designed; it comes from developing the capacity to see what others have missed.