I’ve always had a soft spot for the quiet ones.
Probably because it’s the personality trait that has dominated my childhood and adulthood alike.
In product, it’s easy to spot the loud users.. the ones who click everything, log every mood, try every tool. They show up in dashboards, they fill up the data.
But the quiet users… they’re harder to see. They might log in once a month, maybe only when things get tough. They skim an article, close it, and don’t leave a trace. Sometimes they’re just absorbing, watching, processing. That doesn’t show up in metrics.
Reading “Quiet” by Susan Cain was a game changer for me. She talks about the power of introverts. And also their penchant for environments that aren’t overstimulating. That made so much sense, because so often, products are designed to do the opposite: push, nudge, stimulate, remind. And if you’re a quiet user, that can feel like too much.
I relate. Just because I don’t say much in a meeting doesn’t mean I’m not engaged. It usually means I’m processing. It also means I’m choosing carefully when to speak, because words matter.
I think quiet users are doing the same. They’re there. They’re paying attention. They just don’t always announce themselves immediately.
The tricky part is designing for them. How do you make space for people who don’t want to be nudged too hard, but also don’t want to be left behind? How do you make sure the product feels kind and thoughtful, even in the way it reminds?
I don’t have all the answers or any, even.. but I do know this: the quiet users matter just as much as the loud ones. They bring a kind of steady resilience and thoughtfulness that the data alone can’t capture.
And that stacks up into something powerful.