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Eyes That Never Close: UX Lessons from Lord Jagannath
Design doesn’t need to be perfect or realistic. True UX goes beyond function and designs for feeling.
UX Lessons from Lord Jagannath
Last week, I visited Puri to seek the darshan of Lord Jagannath. One of the most striking aspects of Lord Jagannath is His eyes, large, round, and without eyelids. They symbolise an eternal presence, always awake and always watching over the universe, showering unconditional love on their devotees.
Interestingly, these eyes are not “anatomically correct”. They do not aim for realism or perfection. Yet, they offer something far more powerful, “Emotional Clarity”. The eyes are large, but not intimidating. They don’t stare, but they reassure. Calm, consistent, and deeply comforting, they create an immediate emotional connection, a sense of devotion, comfort, and belonging. This sparked a few reflections from a design perspective:
- Design doesn’t need to be perfect or realistic.
- Design needs to be inclusive, accessible, and emotionally connected to users.
- Good design creates a feeling of presence and security, rather than a feeling of being monitored.
- A design language can be calm, assistive, and guiding, while still communicating clearly and effectively.
The emotional bond created by these eyes reminds us that usability alone is not enough. True UX goes beyond function and designs for feeling. Eyes That Never Close is an analogy for a simple truth in design.
Great UX solves problems before users ever need to complain.
As designers, we often chase efficiency and perfection, but real impact comes when users feel understood and safe. How often do we designCreating products or solutions that are user-centred and solve real problems while being useful, usable, desirable, accessible, and valuable, both for the user and the business. for emotion and not just interaction?
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