It’s come to my attention that design plays a specific role in the experience economy. I’m not going to lie; I never really knew that was an actual term. However, after doing a bunch of research, it’s actually understandable.

The Role

Let’s start with what design means in this context. It’s about shaping how people feel about a product, and those feelings can increase its perceived value or the value of the experience. 

A good way to frame this definition of design is from B. Joseph Pine II and James H. Gilmore’s concepts of the experience economy. They both argued that economies have progressively moved from selling commodities to selling experiences. In other words, design is a primary way companies turn an ordinary product or service into an experience.  

For example, two companies might sell essentially the same type of product, but one can be perceived as more valuable because of elements like packaging and branding. This relates to what Pine and Gilmore argue: businesses can create memorable experiences by using those elements, along with others like a consistent theme and memorabilia. 

The Research

Although Pine and Gilmore make important arguments about this subject, I took a deeper dive and learned several lessons. 

One lesson is that people’s reactions to products aren’t necessarily rational. This is something explained by Don Norman’s TED Talk, “Three Ways Good Design Makes You Happy.” Norman identifies three levels of emotional design: visceral, behavioral, and reflective. 

While these levels have different meanings and interpretations, you could infer that he shows product value isn’t determined solely by what it does. It’s also shaped by how it makes people feel while using it, even before and after. 

If you want to know more, you should watch Aarron Walter’s “From Designing For Emotion” video. He argues that instead of treating emotion as a decoration added at the end of the design process, designers should build it into the product itself.  He means emotional design should be seen as influencing trust in the product, followed by returning to it, and then recommending it to others. 

There are all sorts of examples of Walter’s statements, especially in relation to his hierarchy of user needs: functional, reliable, usable, and pleasurable, all in that exact order. If a website lets you pay for something without issues, the process is enjoyable and leaves the customer satisfied. It’s that simple. 

Real-World Examples

Many real-world examples illustrate this point. For me, I’m into sports, and through research, I found that Nike By You uses an “emotion by design” strategy in its footwear production. This mainly applies to their Air Max products, as shown below.  

So, this illustration is essentially saying, “Nike provides me the opportunity to make something out of what represents me.”

Now, to expand my research to non-sports items, how about Apple? That brand has created tons of anticipation, which is why lots of customers, like me, have Apple products. 

You can probably tell from the image above that Apple’s packaging design makes the unboxing experience more immersive. It shows the anticipation and communicates quality right before the customer opens it. 

Post-Research

After my research, I can totally understand that design’s role in the experience economy is much bigger than some may think. Pine and Gilmore’s explanation, along with the videos by Norman and Walter, clearly outlines the process. This affects me positively, and I’ll keep it in mind moving forward, especially when buying apparel and unboxing a device. The next time either of those things happens, this topic will ring a big bell and remind me that the product’s design shapes the experience.