Ahhhh Design. One of the most rewarding and frustrating parts of my process. Design means different things to different people, so I think if you want to have a discussion about design, context matters. Statements like, "I just need a little more design on it." are very hard statements to untangle yet alone accomplish if there is not any context. So, lets look deeper into this! Today we will be exploring the design process and why I think this is one of the most under valued and misunderstood elements in the event industry today.
Design it!
So what is Design? According to Moses Kim of Shakuro, "Design is the creation of an experience. It’s also the process of the said creation and how well it’s organized. On top of that, design is the result, i.e. the things we see, hear, and feel."
Design isn't just about making things look pretty! Although there is a strong connection to the visual element, at it's core, design is about communication and more specifically, "Event Design" is about making the guest's or attendee's interaction with the environment a more natural and complete experience. (There could be a whole blog dedicated to this idea when applied to virtual events.)
It was at SXSW in 2008 that I was first introduced to the idea of UX (User Experience) Design. I was so enthralled with this idea and how it could be applied to event production. UX focuses on the users full experience; from the very first contact to the last. UX creates the structure and solutions for the pain points that the user can encounter anywhere along the journey resulting in an experience that delights the user and has a positive takeaway.
Although it may not seem like it, Walt Disney is often hailed as one of the first UX designers in history. Disney was obsessed with creating magical, immersive, near-perfect user experiences. Walt Disney’s guiding principles for his team of Imagineers, as he called them were all about knowing your audience, wearing your guest’s shoes, communicating with color, shape, form, texture, and so on.
For a design to be successful, the strategic placements of content and features are essential to the guest experience. For example after check in, the very first thing your guest wants to do it to get a drink. So you place the bar right next to the guest check in right? It starts to become clear after the first 15 minutes of the event that the line from the bar is backing up and it is now starting to effect the check in process. Guests are stuck outside waiting to get checked in due to the long wait at the bar. You have lost them right then and there; they have started the evening with a negative experience because the check in process is taking so long. But it doesn't stop there, the program that has been carefully curated is now delayed and you begin to negatively impact the experience of guests that are already inside the event space. This seems like it would be a no brainer and that no event designer would ever let such a thing happen, but I see this exact scenario play out time and time again!
In the end, practical value is only a part of what people are willing to pay for. Another part is happiness. If your design makes people feel good, they will forgive you for technical issues. How to make them happy? Be genuine and honest about your work, listen, and be willing to embrace change.