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Aleksandar Derbogosijan explores how functional design, clarity, and seamless user experiences help brands sustain engagement, improve retention, and drive stronger conversion outcomes beyond the initial click.
Grabbing attention has never been easier—or more fleeting. Brands spend enormous effort driving clicks, impressions, and traffic, yet many lose their audience moments after that first interaction.
In a digital environment crowded with notifications, competing content, and endless choices, engagement is earned through experiences that are clear, intuitive, and genuinely useful. The real challenge is giving them a reason to stay.
As customer expectations continue to rise, sustained engagement has become less about attracting attention and more about designing experiences that keep audiences coming back.
“We don’t just design to impress, we design to convert. If you ask me, the function beats the form every single time. I know it’s silly coming from a creative director and a graphic designer, but when it comes to performance, we are leading with functionality first,” said Aleksandar Derbogosijan, Creative Director & Brand Architect, Instashop.
Aleksandar Derbogosijan took the stage at Vibe Marketing Tech Fest, Dubai, to explore how functional design, user-centric experiences, and continuous optimisation can help brands keep audiences engaged long after the first interaction.
Three things Martechvibe learned from his talk;
1. Real customer journey begins after the click
Capturing attention is only the first step. Sustained engagement depends on what users experience after arriving on a platform. So, clear pathways, relevant content, and intuitive navigation reduce friction, helping users complete actions while creating stronger reasons to return in the future.
2. Functional design consistently outperforms visual complexity
Beautiful, creative alone does not guarantee results. Users scan rather than read, making clarity critical. Therefore, strong focal points, concise messaging, and mobile-first design help users quickly understand offers, navigate experiences, and convert more effectively than cluttered visual environments.
3. Retention requires constant optimisation
Consumer behaviour evolves continuously, making engagement a moving target. Brands must regularly analyse data, conduct user research, test experiences, and refine design elements. As a result, sustained retention comes from ongoing iteration that keeps digital experiences relevant, efficient, and easy to use.
