[🔍] When you’re not choosing, you’re defaulting

Hello and welcome to my experience design lens series, Reader 👋

Not theory.
Not frameworks.
But the real decisions underneath the work.

The parts most people don’t see.

Looking for a previous issue? They are all available to read on my website.

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Earlier this week, I wrote about lead magnets in the printable lane.

Today, I want to talk about what actually happened while building mine.

Because something shifted.

And it wasn’t the title.
Or the format.
Or the outline.

It was the audience 🤦‍♀️

Here’s what I realized:

I wasn’t choosing.
I was defaulting.

Defaulting to the audience that feels closest to me.
Defaulting to the one I enjoy imagining.
Defaulting to the one that sounds aligned on the surface.

But “closest” and “ready” are not the same thing.

And that’s where design gets interesting.

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Likelihood vs likeness

When I slowed down and worked through the structure inside Marisa Murgatroyd’s Amazing Lead Magnet Challenge, something became very clear.

The audience I like working with
is not automatically the audience most ready for what I offer.

Designing for likeness feels natural.

Designing for likelihood requires intention.

Likelihood asks:

• Who is already experiencing the problem I solve?
• Who is actively looking for relief?
• Who is most likely to step into the next layer of work?

That question changes everything.

Because it moves you from preference
to probability.

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Using tools without outsourcing thinking

I’ve been using Marisa’s AI generators as a structured container.

And I’ve also been using Nova, my ChatGPT assistant, alongside it.
Not to generate answers for me,
but to challenge my assumptions.

To ask:

• Why this audience?
• Why this angle?
• Why this format?

Good tools don’t replace thinking.

They expose blind spots.

That’s what happened here.

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A small data point

In Wednesday’s email (printable lane), I asked where you are with your lead magnet.

If you’re on both lists, you’ve seen it.
If not, I’m sharing it here too.

Quick poll…

Click the one that fits you best.

I’m genuinely curious.

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A timely nudge Marisa Murgatroyd is running her free Amazing Lead Magnet Challenge this week, and I’ve decided to use it as my container to build my new one. I’ve been part of her community for years and I’m entering my fifth year learning inside her programs. I’m not earning commission on this. I’m sharing it because it’s a structured way to move instead of overthinking. If you’ve been circling your own lead magnet, this might be a useful moment to act. You can check it out here: It ends this Sunday. There is an invitation to her annual live event inside the experience. I’ve attended for years and found it valuable, though I’m skipping this year because of timing (spring break) and family priorities (son’s bday). If you’re considering it and want an honest take, you can always reply and ask.

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Design isn’t just what you create.

It’s who you create it for.

And whether that choice was intentional.

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If you’re building or refining yours too, hit reply and tell me what you’re working on.
I’d love to see it!
I may even highlight a few in an upcoming issue.

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Stéphanie​ (making decision logic visible) Low-content creator & Experience Design Consultant

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PS: If your audience feels slightly fuzzy, it may not be a messaging problem. It may be that you never consciously chose them in the first place.

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NOTE: I’m moving things around in the backend to make room for a new project. Can you help me spot “bad experiences” regarding my site, your members’ area, communications, or whatever? I would really appreciate your help with this! It will make it so much easier for me to fix and improve everything that needs attention. Thank you!

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Disclosure: From time to time, I will include links in the emails that would include promotions for my own products or affiliate products, meaning I get paid when you buy the product. However, I only ever mention products I love and would recommend whether I was being compensated or not. Always use due diligence when buying anything and remember, what works for me may not always work for you!

Thank you so much for your support of Stephie The Happy Mom!

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