Matt Kay
I architect the systems that high-performing product teams run on: research, content, design, code, and growth, all connected. My philosophy is built around genuine care. I call it Design with Heart.
Book a free discovery callDesign with Heart
Most products plateau at viable. They work. People complete tasks. But they don't feel anything. The gap between a product that works and one people love is where all the real value lives. I've spent 20 years working in that gap. The framework I use to close it is called HEART. I use it to audit products, shape design direction, and give teams a shared language for quality. It's the standard I hold every product to.
Read moreHow I can help
I work with founders and design leaders on long-term engagements, sequentially fixing the things that matter most. I typically help teams:
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View moreExperience
I've spent 20 years working across early and growth-stage businesses where content, community and commerce converge.
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A 15-minute call is usually enough to know if I can help. My inbox and DMs are always open too.
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Design with Heart
Most products plateau at viable. They work. People complete tasks. Metrics tick upward. But nobody feels anything. The gap between a product that works and one people love is where all the real value lives. It's also where most teams stop investing.
The reason is simple: teams don't have a shared language for quality beyond functional. "Make it more delightful" isn't a brief. "Improve the user experience" isn't measurable. Without a standard, quality becomes subjective and subjective things get deprioritised.
The framework
HEART is a 100-point scoring system across five dimensions, each worth 20 points. It gives teams a shared vocabulary, a practical audit tool, and a clear picture of where the product falls short of lovable.
Does this product feel genuinely human? People aren't task-completers. They have good days and bad days. They change their minds. A product that feels human accommodates this reality rather than fighting it.
Does this feel like it was built by people who understand you? Empathy in design goes beyond user research. It means making decisions that show genuine care for the person's context, constraints, and emotional state.
Does this product feel honest and true to its values? Trust is built through consistency over time and destroyed the moment the product acts in its own interests at the person's expense.
Does each interaction create moments worth remembering? Not because they're flashy, but because they exceed expectations in ways that feel earned. Delight that comes from understanding, not decoration.
Does this help people write better stories about themselves? Transformational products don't just solve problems. They change the person. They enable identity evolution and create lasting positive change that extends beyond the product itself.
How scoring works
Each dimension is scored out of 20, with four criteria worth up to 5 points each. The total across all five gives the overall HEART score out of 100.
Learn the method
The Design with Heart book walks through each dimension in detail, with real case studies, audit templates, and the thinking behind the methodology.
Design with Heart
How to close the gap between products that work and products people love.
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Get your HEART score
I'll audit your product across all five dimensions, score it, and show you exactly where you're losing people emotionally. You walk away with a prioritised roadmap to close the gap between viable and lovable.