Enter the Muse
DESIGN, CULTURE & COMMUNITY
We inspire life enriching brands connected in culture, community and discovery. However, this simply can’t happen without an understanding of people. Enter the muse.
Guests, passengers, customers, people. They are the centrepiece of our design thinking - how can they not be?
We recently shared a retrospect looking at The Hoxton, a project with a clear vision to rewrite the rules of a sector that had lost its way and forgotten about its audience. It put guests first and reimagined the hotel experience. Remarkably well actually, read the papers.
Things have come along way since then. Not a day goes by without reading about a brand set to shake up a sector. Many come and go, but the ones that stick around share one thing in common. A deep understanding of people. What makes them tick, their pain points and a vision to enrich the experience - oh yes, bring on the muse!
There are many responses to the muse, from the cringe-worthy bare minimum, right through to spy-level commitment. At Abound, we believe building a muse (or persona) paired with a layered end-to-end journey is the best way to create experiences that are disruptive and meaningful. Looking holistically across the journey – we explore their personality and mindset, their drivers and motivations. A day in the the life of a guest, from AM to PM.
Looking across all layers and touch-points; identity, interiors, communications and service. It necessitates empathy and close consideration of key moments of differentiation; identifying the appropriate strategies, solutions and behaviours. Each touchpoint enhancing the journey, reinforcing the brand proposition and writing a line in the story.
One of the most rewarding parts of building a brand, is overhearing a positive experience people have had with a brand we’ve worked on. A random act of kindness, a breathtakingly simple check-in, a refreshingly sustainable approach to amenities. This is how we know we’ve made an impact.

Bottom line- when it comes to the muse, we’re all about empathically intuitive, yet beautiful meaningful design.
If you’d like a conversation about how designing with empathy could enrich your brand journey, get in touch.