TL;DR: Notion’s 2024 keynote shows how the right framing can make a familiar idea feel fresh. By using a common metaphor, they turned modular software into a story about creativity, ownership, and empowerment. We’ll break down why this works, how the visuals reinforce it, and how you can apply the same approach to your own product messaging.
Many new software products solve the same base problem. They take something clunky, complicated, and frustrating and promise a better way: simpler, smoother, more intuitive.
But here’s the challenge—simplicity alone doesn’t drive adoption. Plenty of products claim to be easier to use, but that’s not what makes people stick with them. What really matters is how a product changes the way people work—how it removes friction in a way that feels natural and necessary.
Look at any product that has truly taken off. It’s not just about being faster or more intuitive. It’s about rethinking the experience in a way that fits seamlessly into people’s workflows and enhances what they’re already trying to do.
That’s why just saying, “We make things easier” isn’t enough. Everyone says that. The real difference comes from showing—both in the product itself and the way you talk about it—how it solves a problem in a way that feels obvious once you experience it.
Notion’s 2024 Product Launch Keynote did this exceptionally well, turning a common product story into something that felt new.
CEO Ivan Zhao sets it up with a simple but powerful line: “Raise your hand if you played with LEGOs growing up.”
With that one question, he pulls the audience into a shared experience—something instantly familiar. From there, he frames a well-known problem, introduces a metaphor people already understood, and made it feel like something new.
Then, the presentation brings the idea to life visually:
Made with Notion 2024: Product Launch Keynote (Ivan Zhao)
- Left side: A dense, chaotic mess of UI screens—tiny text, complicated menus, overlapping dashboards. A visual wall of information that screams, “this is hard.”
- Right side: A hand-drawn figure holding a LEGO-like block, surrounded by other labeled blocks—Text, Charts, Automation, Integrations. No clutter, no dashboards, no complexity. Just simple, modular pieces that feel easy to arrange.
It’s the same core message every software company preaches: “We take complexity and simplify it.” But here’s what made it different: It wasn’t just about efficiency—it was about empowerment. Instead of positioning Notion as the hero (“We built the perfect tool for you”), they flipped the script: "You know what you need better than we do. Now you can build it yourself."
Why this approach works
1. It reframes an old idea in a new way
Modular software isn’t new—we see it in APIs, no-code platforms, and more. But instead of presenting it as an engineering concept, this keynote stripped software down to its basic elements—text, databases, views—making modularity feel obvious and inevitable.
This subtle shift does two things:
- Turns modularity into a natural conclusion: Instead of asking “Why isn’t all software modular?” the framing makes it clear that software already is—just in pieces waiting to be put together.
- Moves the focus from complexity to empowerment: Instead of modularity being a backend feature, it’s positioned as a tool for users to shape their own workflows.
2. The LEGO analogy goes beyond just modularity
“Software should be like LEGOs” is a common metaphor, but here, it’s expanded into something more layered:
- Commonality: Just like all LEGOs share the same basic bricks, most software is built from the same fundamental components.
- Interoperability: LEGOs connect by default—mirroring how modular software should work seamlessly, without silos.
- Scalability: A LEGO set can evolve from a car to a house to a city—just like software can adapt to different use cases.
This isn’t just about snapping pieces together—it’s about adaptability, longevity, and effortless connection.
3. It flips the typical software narrative
Most software pitches focus on what the company has built—how flexible, powerful, and well-designed their system is.
Notion flips that: the user becomes the builder. Instead of engineers being the problem-solvers, the power is handed to the people who actually use the tools.
One of the strongest lines from the keynote captures this perfectly:
“LEGOs are creative. They are beautiful because they are yours.”
This reframes modularity from just flexibility to self-expression. Instead of a product that "makes things easier," this messaging makes the user feel like a creator—someone shaping their own workflows, not just using a tool.
This aligns perfectly with the rise of no-code and low-code platforms—where the value isn’t in the software itself, but in what users can create with it.
Wrap-up: Framing changes everything
The concept—modularity—isn’t new.
The metaphor—LEGOs—is common.
But together, framed through the lens of empowerment, simplicity, and creativity, it feels fresh and exciting.
It’s not enough to just say "our product is easier." The way you package the story—through contrast, a sticky metaphor, and a message that’s bigger than just productivity—is what makes it resonate.
That’s why this works. It takes a familiar problem/solution and a familiar metaphor and turns them into something that feels like a breakthrough.
