I recently had the opportunity to take a one day trip for business. I flew to Baltimore and back. I guess you could call that an experience. Well, a trip is really a collection of individual events, experiences, that make up a larger experience.
To take that trip, I had to book a flight and a rental car, travel to the airport, park, check in with the airline, get through security, buy a cup of coffee, board the plane, fly, exit the plan, navigate the airport to the exit, take a bus to the rental car facility, get my car, and finally, start driving to my destination. Whew! Then, later in the day, I reversed the whole process to get back home.
Some of the definitions I found in the Merriam-Webster dictionary for experience are a state of being affected from without (as by events) also an affecting event (a startling experience); something or the totality experienced (as by a person or community); to know as an experience; suffer, undergo.
When I look at that trip, which part of it is ‘the experience’? When we talk about user experience or customer experience, what do we mean? Just the part where I booked the plane ticket online? Or the part where I stopped to get a cup of coffee in the airport? And, what does any of that really have to do with business, anyway?
There are many things that people want or need to do. We can design situations that help people enjoy accomplishing the things that they do. Maybe, if we stretch, we can even help them achieve their dreams. For a business to set out in this direction is a strategic decision, one of many possible business strategies. By creating a better experience, we can have customers that are more loyal; more willing to come back for more and to recommend us to their friends, family, and co-workers. By providing a great experience, a company’s brand may be strengthened.
One of the main ideas in experience design is touch points. For any given event, each touch point must be considered. Who is the person who will be experiencing the event? When, where, and how will it take place? Why is the person seeking out the experience? All the touches come together to build the experience.
So, when I had trouble booking the plane ticket online and had to call someone, that was part of the ticket buying experience. Getting the call experience right is just as important as the design of the web site. Buying coffee at the airport was part of my trip experience – it affects the way I think of the trip experience; it affects the way I think of my flight even though buying coffee is owned by a different company than the airline – they become linked into the trip story.
Companies that understand this work hard to own the entire experience or to create partnerships that help ensure a high quality experience. On a recent Disney Cruise, I noticed that the port terminal with check in, security, waiting area, and gift shop were all run to a high degree of quality. That contrasts with the airport experience where separate vendors provide varying levels of quality.
There are many tools and techniques that can be used to design and deliver great experiences. In future articles, I plan to provide specifics on the experience design process, metrics, and examples. If your company is doing a great job of delivering experiences, I would love to chat with you. If you have questions or comments, please send them. I look forward to continuing the discussion.
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