The Experience-Centric Organization

9. D4Me: Designing for Meaningful Experiences

9

D4Me: Designing for Meaningful Experiences

This guest chapter by Ted Matthews explains how meaningful experiences are made and why they are especially memorable and powerful. It describes how we, as a society, have developed behavioral and experiential patterns such as rituals and myths. It will also introduce his method, D4Me, which explains how these mechanisms can be systematically used in your design as a way of creating memorable and heightened customer experiences.

Meaningful and Memorable Moments

Recently I heard an interview with a young fan talking about Burnley Football Club’s return to European football (“soccer,” if you prefer) after an absence of 51 years. In his excitement he explained that his dad had actually been at “The Orient Game.” Burnley was therefore in their blood, and neither could believe that the team was now back playing top-flight football. I too was at “The Orient Game” (see Figure 9-1). I felt a curious sense of pride and belonging that I could say I was there. The experience of that game was one of those meaningful and, indeed, memorable experiences in my life.

It was May 9, 1987. I was 16 years old. My friend Tony had nipped out during school lunch break to get us tickets. My parents didn’t like me going to football games. However, this game was important; if we didn’t win, we would be thrown out of the football league forever!

So damn it, I had to go, despite parental protestations and the £1.10 ...