UX DESIGNER
CASE STUDY
NEVERLAND
BY EPIC IMMERSIVE
An Interactive Experience.
THE DESIGN PROCESS
INTRODUCTION
A Note on Designing Immersive/ Interactive Theater:
In immersive experiences the audience has a role within the story, they can talk to and interact in world with the characters of the story, and sometimes, through their words or actions change the outcome of events in the story. At Epic Immersive, design processes (UX) were used to great success to create guest centered experiences and interactions. This case study focuses on the UX design process and not the creative process: How we built the structures of both the experience itself and the interactions within the experience, for the user. The creative design (characters and the narrative) were created simultaneously and integrated into this structure.
NEVERLAND
CASE STUDY
An Audience Centered, Immersive interactive experience
PRODUCT: NEVERLAND an immersive theatrical experience
DURATION: Ran for 5 months with one extension, delighting hundreds of audience members and resulting in a subsequent popular spin off show
PRODUCT:
NEVERLAND
Problem & Goal
THE PROBLEM: Audiences need a version of Peter Pan that is narratively complex, highly interactive, different from other versions in the market, has replay-ability and can be optimized for a larger audience.
THE GOAL: to make a repeatable, affordable, scalable (show wise) version of Peter Pan that supported audiences coming multiple times, that was high on interactivity, designed with great empathy for the audience, and that took them on multiple adventures. It needed to be safe, accessible and easy to navigate and understand.
My Role/ Responsibilities
Designer
ROLE: Experience Designer/ Environment Designer/ Writer/ Performer/
Guest (UX) design (with creative team) original concept/ original story, ideation over the course of multiple collaborative design sprints as part of a creative team, user journey maps, beta testing, incorporating feedback from testing, created original story concept and interactions for ticketed audience
RESEARCH
Research
Research for creating this experience included:
Doing research on other theatrical versions, and how guest (users interacted with the experience) conducting an informal competitive audit on other versions by competitors, addressing possible pain points, and creating journey maps.
User Research
Research and Persona
RESEARCH INCLUDED:
Reading the source material
Researching other adaptations in other mediums ( films/ cartoons/games etc) and the audience response/popularity
Researching other live theatrical narrative versions by industry competitors
Researching audience interactions/ role of audience in other theatrical versions ( both immersive and traditional)
PERSONA: Guests would be a mix of Immersive theater fans, and new audiences, from 18- 80. They would want very clear instructions and a lot of personal attention and interaction. Interactions should be fun and low pressure.
Comparative Audits
Audit of Competitors
Conducted an informal comparative audit of other theatrical versions (both traditional and immersive) Including a production, that was a free roam interactive experience, focusing on the Lost Boys.
Pain Points
Guest Pain Points
The goal for this experience was to have multiple overlapping narratives that were intertwined and would branch out out simultaneously. This meant:
Having each story have its own"track" with different levels of interaction, and different levels of engagement with the interaction.
Having games to play within the story where the specific interaction outcome would change that scene (but not the overall narrative)
Having the Audience go on different "quests" they needed to complete
The need to have all this communicated clearly, in addition to regular, nuts and bolts (exit this door/ enter this door) instructions.
And have it all be woven into the story
There were many many pain points within the basic outline, that could prove to be very frustrating for audience members
Journey Map
Mapping the Path
USER JOURNEY:
Mapping the user journey from arrival to end including pain points, w/r/t/ instructions (arrival, pre- show, in show w/ characters, in show w/ games, moving through the space, participating in the show (non game interactions), leaving the show, leaving the space)
THE DESIGN
The Design Process
Synopsis
Included ideation in multiple ongoing design sprints over the course of several weeks, designing all different types of audience experiences and interactions with both the actors and each other, problem solving and adapting the user journey to both to the structure of the narrative, and within the confines of the space.
Ideation
Collaboration & Creation
DESIGN SPRINTS
This experience was created with a team of 15 designers, artists and musicians over the course of several design ideation sprints over several months. The show was constructed and the script was written, and audience interactions crafted concurrently as the ideation/design phase happened, again, collaboratively, by the entire design team.
Problem Solving
Pain Points
Problem Solving
User Interaction and Instructions:
To insure that guests didn't get frustrated or thrown off by identified pain points in their journey, we crafted guidelines and instructions for the audience for different kinds of interactions and experiences within the story. It was important they:
have a clear understanding of their role in the narrative
have a clear understanding of game instructions
have a clear understanding of participation instructions
And how those instructions are given and who they are coming from
Experience Design
Interactions and Audience Path
Designed a path for the audience:
The audience path began when the audience arrived with preshow instructions for how they could interact with the characters. Then almost immediately the narrative began. The narrative for this interaction had multiple paths and a storyline like an adventure book or a video game and included playing games, singing, telling stories and teaching songs
User Journey
Complex Construction
LAYERED INTERACTION:
While their interactions could change the nature and feel of the scene, they couldn't change the actual outcome of the show. The audience was split up multiple times but started and ended the show together. There were concurrent storylines with different characters and interactions (games/ decisions/ actions) happening simultaneously. But the most important information to understand within the narrative was shared with everyone, regardless of path.
BETA TESTING
Refining the Design
Testing the prototype before public launch.Beta testing with a groups of 20 volunteers, both within industry and not in industry.
PAIN POINT 1: The audience journey was very disorganized in the middle of the experience
PAIN POINT 2: The audience had trouble focusing on the instructions
Key Takeaways/ Adjustments
Structure and Story
TAKEAWAY: The pathway for the audience at every transition needed to be clearer
ADJUSTMENTS: the characters in world, either needed to guide the guests through transitions or needed to give clearer instructions about what the audience had to do next in any given scene, and with every interaction.
NEVERLAND LAUNCH
This show was launched to a sold out audience, and proved to be immensely popular.
Launch
Pathways & Interactions
This show was launched with a 10 show sold out weekend and enjoyed multiple extended runs. As the initial run continued, the instructions to the audience became clearer, the pathways, timing and interactions more organized, and the audience more responsive as a result.
Feedback & Takeaways
Instructions
Overall the biggest takeaway was that the more complex the narrative, the more interactions there were, the clearer the instructions and timing had to be. If the interactions were clear and well paced, then the experience was fun and the guest journey was clear.
Accessibility
ADA Compliant
The set was designed to be ADA compliant and the interactions, pathways, and actions were design to be accessible for all guests
PREQUEL and TAKEAWAYS
Subsequent versions
After the extended run concluded- it was scaled down for a private party, and then spawned a prequel story
THE CHANGELING
Prequel
An original dark fairytale narrative experience, set in the world of Neverland, that was seen by hundreds of audience members over the course of a twice extended run.
Takeaways
Goals, Achievements and Reflections
GOAL: To create a complex narrative experience, and sell 75% of tickets.
ACHIEVEMENT: Created a complex narrative show with layered interactions. The interactions were clear, accessible, and enjoyable for the audience.
ACHIEVEMENT: Created a sold out experience that extended its run delighting hundreds audience members
ACHIEVEMENT: Created a successful show that spawned a successful spin off show that also delighted hundreds of audience members
ACHIEVEMENT: Created a show that brought in new audience members and increased the mailing list
REFLECTIONS: The more complicated the narrative and interactions, the clearer the design needs to be. And refining those interactions creates a very memorable experience.