Nathan Shedroff - Elements of experience design

During our research we came across Nathan Shedroff and he discusses the importance of learning through experience, whether that be traditional, physical or digital online experiences. He also discusses the significance of implementing a framework to these experiences, much like a story, therefore a beginning, a middle and an end. This then reinforces more engagement for the participant. Obviously, this is a vital element for our project and his ideas have inspired us to take on board some of his ideas. Please see below some of his ideas:

Nathan Shedroff (2001) Elements of Experience Design. Available at: http://www.peachpit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=23343

At the very least, think of an experience as requiring an attraction, an engagement, and a conclusion. The attraction is necessary to initiate the experience, though this need not be synonymous with distraction. An attraction can be cognitive, visual, auditory, or it can signal any of our senses. For example, the attraction to fill-out your taxes is based on need and not a flashy introduction. However, there still needs to be cues as to where and how to begin the experience.

The engagement is the experience itself. It needs to be sufficiently different than the surrounding environment of the experience to hold the attention of the experiences as well as cognitively important or relevant enough for someone to continue the experience.

The conclusion can come in many ways, but it must provide some sort of resolution, whether through meaning or story or context or activity to make an otherwise enjoyable experience satisfactory. Often an experience that is engaging has no real end, leaving participants dissatisfied or even confused about the experience, emotions, or ideas, they just felt.

Image available at: http://users.ices.utexas.edu/~natacha/CATTt/images/theory/3.disciplines.gif