The Intimacy Contract: How Health Tech Earns Its Place
Wearables and health devices aren’t just accessories; they’re branded body parts that clip to our skin, collect intimate data, and witness our most private moments. This creates an ‘intimacy contract’ – an unspoken agreement where users grant biometric access in exchange for support, not surveillance or judgement.
Most health tech brands don’t realise they’re in this contract, let alone know how to uphold their end. Users give up sensitive data, patterns, and private signals, expecting clarity, control, and compassion in return. They don’t want to feel burdened by dashboards that shout ‘Do Better’ or nudges that feel like nags. Instead, they seek a partner to lighten their load.
The disconnect lies in brands chasing adoption, daily use, and lifetime value, often designing for an idealised version of behaviour. Users, however, are flawed, busy, and distracted, using devices according to their own needs. This gap erodes trust and causes most health tech to fall short.
Many brands focus on form factor rather than friction, building smart UX but forgetting emotional UX. They can read a heartbeat but not the room. In health tech, the product is never just the product; it’s the emotional labour it relieves or adds. This is where ‘behavioural fluency’ comes in – the ability to design for how people actually manage their health, emotionally and imperfectly.
For instance, Omnipod 5’s ‘Life Gets Bigger’ campaign celebrated freedom rather than selling control. It highlighted the freedom to sleep through the night, enjoy activities, or say yes to more. This approach reduced the invisible load on users. Another example is KEEPR, a discreet biometric device for alcohol awareness that prioritized privacy and subtle, private cues to help users build self-awareness on their own terms.
When brands understand the emotional labour behind health decisions and design to reduce it, they build real loyalty. Health tech needs better ‘bedside manner’ – emotional intelligence that designs for real life, not just ideal states. Access is easy, but staying invited into someone’s body, habits, and health is the hard part. That’s when a brand becomes more than a product.
The key takeaway is that health tech brands must move beyond just creating smart products and focus on providing emotional support and understanding to their users. By doing so, they can build trust and loyalty, ultimately succeeding in this sensitive and behaviour-driven category.
