When most people hear “TikTok features,” there’s usually some eye-rolling involved. But after 17 years of helping companies navigate digital transformation, I’ve noticed something more profound happening. When working with leaders in financial services, real estate, and healthcare, we’ve consistently discovered that consumers don’t want different experiences for different parts of their lives—whether ordering groceries, planning trips, or buying homes. What looks like feature copying actually signals a fundamental shift in how digital products evolve.
Think about what’s happening across platforms right now. Microsoft, Google, and Apple are integrating generative AI into core functionality. Social feeds appear in professional tools. Search boxes and our code editors anticipate what we’ll type next. Microsoft Edge now includes Copilot in the browser. It sits in the sidebar suggesting content, answering questions, and helping users write. The point isn’t just that browsers offer AI help; it’s that AI writing assistance is becoming as standard as spell-check. When every text box can help compose your message, the feature itself stops being special.
THE AGE OF PLATFORM CONVERGENCE
This isn’t random copying. These features spread because users expect them everywhere. When LinkedIn members can scroll through short videos like they do on TikTok, when Outlook suggests email responses like Gmail does, when Slack predicts your messages like iMessages, that’s convergence in action.
Professional networks didn’t embrace casual social tools on a whim. They watched their users switch between apps, bringing expectations with them. That LinkedIn scroll should feel just as engaging as the evening’s entertainment. Features that once sparked product owner envy are now standard fare.
BEYOND BORROWING FEATURES
Zillow read the room perfectly. Climate impact data belongs next to square footage. Modern homebuyers factor environmental risk into their decisions. Flood zones tell their own stories, just like school districts.
Duolingo reimagined learning entirely. Beyond badges and points, the company built an entertainment ecosystem where education feels natural. Its success pushed other serious platforms to really rethink engagement—from the ground up.
The New York Times spotted a different opportunity. Its Games platform bridges news and entertainment, creating a new category of intellectual engagement. Print puzzles walked so Wordle could run.
We saw this firsthand, creating a platform that protects and simplifies real estate transactions. Receiving a Fast Company Innovation by Design Awards honour for the platform validated how merging categories creates breakthrough solutions.
WHERE REAL INNOVATION HAPPENS
These category crossovers point to something bigger for 2025. Standard features—AI writing, social feeds, personalized recommendations—won’t turn heads for too long. The real action happens when platforms mix unexpected ingredients.
The pattern repeats across industries. Healthcare apps are adding gaming elements to serious medical tracking. Investment platforms add social features for retail traders. Education software borrows entertainment mechanics from streaming services.
The signs are everywhere. Project management tools integrate social recognition systems. Meditation apps hire sports influencers. Next year’s innovators won’t play safe within category lines.
Take Pinterest’s evolution as a signal of what’s coming. When they added shopping tools, they redefined the category. Newer features allow users to search for products via AI/ML models. Now they are catering to creators with tools that let you take their photos and use them to create boards. When every image becomes shoppable and every space becomes redesignable, the boundary between browsing and buying disappears completely.
WHAT USERS ARE TEACHING US
This shift runs deeper than feature sets. It changes user behaviour fundamentally. Eventually any gap between seeing and doing will feel like unnecessary friction.
What drives this change? Users bounce between apps all day, and their expectations travel with them. A seamless experience in one category—like booking a restaurant reservation—shapes what they expect elsewhere. When one process becomes frictionless, clunky experiences in other categories become more apparent.
Watch where users get frustrated. They’ll tell you what crosses over next. Why should scheduling a mammogram feel clunkier than reserving a restaurant table? What can expense reports learn from recipe apps? These are the kinds of questions we ask when thinking about how to improve digital products. There’s a friction here that can lead to something seamless in our everyday lives. Every pain point marks an opportunity for differentiation.
THE 2025 PLAYBOOK
When considering your playbook for 2025, think beyond features. The boldest innovations will dare to ask: What if we stopped thinking about what our product should be and started imagining what it could become?
Smart companies spot these signals early. Success won’t come from chasing features but from understanding how user expectations in one category can transform another.
By 2025, the best digital products won’t just cross categories. They’ll erase and redefine them entirely.
