The power of the ‘familiar surprise’ when starting something new

7 Jan

When we think about trying something new, a new role, a new idea, a new way of working, we often imagine a bold leap into the unknown. Radical change. A clean break. Reinvention. But, it can be a bit more gentle, less dramatic, maybe even easier. It can be less overwhelming.

In my research for the book, Another Door Opens, I came across the concept of MAYA which inspired me to think differently about trying something new.

MAYA stands for “Most Advanced Yet Acceptable”, a principle coined by the industrial designer Raymond Loewy. Raymond believed that people are drawn to innovation and new shiny objects, but only up to the point where it still feels safe, recognisable, and familiar. Push too far ahead of what people are ready for, and the idea is rejected. Stay too close to what already exists, and nothing changes.

Progress, he believed, lives in the tension between the familiar and the surprising.

What MAYA Really Means

I read a few articles challenging MAYA as people felt it wasn’t pushing boundaries enough in the innovations space. MAYA is often read, or even misunderstood as “don’t change too much.” But that’s not quite right. It’s about how change is introduced.

Raymond observed that people resist what feels alien or incomprehensible, even if it’s objectively better. At the same time, they get bored by what feels stale. The sweet spot is innovation that feels new enough to excite, but familiar enough to trust.

Think of it as a familiar surprise.

You recognise enough of it to feel comfortable. But there’s just enough difference to make you curious.

This is why many of Raymond’s most iconic designs, from household products to logos, didn’t feel shocking at the time. They felt right. Obvious, even. Which is often the highest compliment innovation can receive.

Why This Matters When You’re Trying Something New

So why is this interesting in a moment of change? Most of us don’t struggle with ideas. We struggle with permission and that moment of getting started. Either ourselves, or the thing we are trying to share with the world.

With ourselves it’s sometimes -

Permission to start before we feel ready.
Permission to change without burning everything down.
Permission to evolve without explaining ourselves endlessly.

MAYA gives us a useful reframe: you don’t have to abandon what’s familiar to move forward.

Whether you’re:

exploring a career pivot
starting a side project
changing how you show up at work
experimenting with a new identity or direction

…the most sustainable moves often build on what already exists. Not because you lack courage but because humans are wired for continuity. And we have more chance of starting in this space.

The Psychology Behind the Familiar Surprise

Our brains love patterns. Familiarity reduces cognitive load and increases trust. When something feels recognisable, we relax. We’re more open. More willing to engage. But novelty matters too. Surprise activates curiosity, motivation, and learning.

MAYA works because it respects both.

Too much novelty triggers fear: “I don’t belong here” or “Not for me”
Too much familiarity triggers stagnation: “What’s the point?” or just doesn’t grab attention at all.

The familiar surprise says: “You’ve been here before but not quite like this.”

That’s a powerful invitation, a temptation, a prompt to set of intrigue - and grab attention.

MAYA in Personal Change (Not Just Design)

We often think of innovation as external, products, brands, technology, but MAYA might be even more useful when applied inwardly.

For example:

A corporate leader moving into independent work might keep their expertise but change the way they deliver it.
Someone returning to work after burnout might stay in the same field but redesign their boundaries.
A creator might explore a new medium while keeping the same core message.

These are not dramatic pivots. They’re soft, achieveable evolutions.

And they work because they are acceptable to the nervous system, not just aspirational to the ego.

When Change Fails, MAYA Is Often Missing

Many ideas fail not because they’re bad, but because they ask too much, too fast.

We see this when:

organisations roll out transformations with no bridge from the past
individuals set goals that require them to become a completely different person overnight
“reinvention” is framed as rejection of everything that came before

Without familiarity, there’s no foothold.

MAYA reminds us that the past is not an obstacle to change, it’s often the platform for it.

How to Use MAYA in Your Own Next Step

If you’re in a phase of “something needs to change, but I don’t know what yet,” try asking:

What already works for me that I don’t want to lose?
What’s the smallest advanced step I could take from here?
How could this feel like a stretch and a continuation?
What would make this change feel acceptable to future me?

This thinking creates a bridge to your next chapter.

The Quiet Power of Acceptable Progress

MAYA doesn’t demand radical reinvention. It doesn’t chase shock value. Instead, helps people to move forward best when they feel safe enough to try.

Think about: How can MAYA Thinking help you - either personally to support your change, or to help you create something new for your audience and clients.

The most powerful changes often is not as revolutions, but arrives as a familiar surprise.

And that, perhaps, is where real change begins.