This week’s Wish I Thought of That opens a mini-series on health and wellbeing by asking a blunt question: why do so many health apps feel clever, but not caring? We dig into the messy, human side of health-tech design — from journaling tools to nutrition platforms to long-term coaching systems — and what it takes to build products people trust with their bodies and inner lives.
We explore why trust must be earned before someone even downloads an app, and why that trust is lost instantly through clumsy UX, overblown promises or gimmicky “delight.” Tom breaks down the principles behind products like Five Minute Journal, RNT Fitness and The Doctor’s Kitchen: clarity over cleverness, empowerment over dependency, and features that feel like an attentive friend rather than a dopamine trap.
Along the way, they tackle the myth that AI can replace mid-level product thinking. Lived experience, emotional nuance and narrative discipline are the invisible backbone of any tool meant to support real change. And we argue that the real magic happens when everyone on the team, from backend engineers to designers, can feel the user’s stakes.
This episode asks what happens when we treat digital health not as engagement optimisation, but as long-term companionship. Can a product support someone through difficult change without pretending to replace a human? And how do you design tools that fit the complexity of real lives, not just tidy user journeys?
If you want a nudge to rethink how your team builds trust, care and context into products, this one is worth your time.
Key themes
Building trust before the first tap and how quickly it can be lost.
Clarity over cleverness: why “delight” is never enough in health tech.
Designing empowerment instead of dependency loops.
Human nuance as the irreplaceable layer AI can’t simulate.
Health tech as long-term support, not engagement farming.
Why lived experience matters more than generic AI-generated specs.
Links
Hiba on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hibaganta/
The Needful is Hiba’s newsletter on cultural intelligence for sharper, human-led product decisions. It’s for indie founders and small teams who want clarity without the AI hype. Expect pragmatic strategy, mental models, and cultural research that lift your team’s thinking. Hiba reads features, stories, and signals in one go — from product to org culture — so you can ship with craft, protect user trust, and keep real judgment in the loop.
Tom on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-horak/
Tom is the founder of All Shapes, a design and product studio working with founders, scale-ups and innovative enterprises to build meaningful digital tools that last. All Shapes blends craft, culture and human clarity — helping teams move from early concepts to high-performing, values-aligned experiences.Subscribe for more conversations at the intersection of culture, values, and technology.
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