Spatial Design in the Experience Economy
Life is a string of experiences. Each experience is personalized, layered with perceptions and emotions of the person. What constructs an experience — is it the atmosphere, the emotions, the people it is shared with? What makes an experience sticky enough to form a memory? For years, spatial designers have been experimenting and theorizing the orchestration of experiences. Through navigating people’s movement, masking and revealing light, and stimulating all five senses, architects have mastered the art of shaping physical experiences. Where does this expertise put spatial designers in the experience economy?
The Experience Economy
As cultures evolve and economies shift, human civilization finds itself in an era of augmented wants and needs. The agrarian economy saw a primitive invention of economic value, preceding the goods-based industrial revolution that changed how people use resources. As activities grew more complex, service sectors flourished.
We now find ourselves in the experience economy. Brands are increasingly moving beyond selling products and services. As an economic offering, experiences are being staged to add a layer of emotional value. Rather than survival, pleasure has become the core focus of society. With a rise in the quality of living, people now seek thrilling experiences to collect.
Gone are the days of material consumerism. The youngest generation of customers — Millennials and Generation Z — demand more from brands. They wish to feel known, understood, and cared for. Hedonistic branded experiences can hold interactions between businesses and their users, fostering a connection. Social media has helped fuel a desire for experiences. With stories and highlight reels, people are pursuing events that make their lives impressive to share online.
The Value of Design
From the journey of products to experiences, design has an essential impact. In her book Design is Storytelling, Ellen Lupton elucidates this concept, exploring how Starbucks gets customers to spend more by building a narrative. Simple commodities like coffee beans are productized by packaging it as multiple varieties. Elevating it into a service, interactive baristas craft personalized drinks for the customer. The exchange unfolds as a theatrical experience where touchpoints are designed to entice and embrace. At every stage design adds the difference. Design adds value.
The economic shift has given rise to multiple industries, each working to perfect the experiences that businesses offer their customers. Domains like customer experience, user experience, and service design have emerged to benefit the growing industry. Within this ecosystem, spatial experiences contribute by hosting stimulating and memorable interactions. Experiential spaces strategically translate brand ideas, stories, and customer journeys into tangible three-dimensional entities.
Unlike digital experiences, people are more than end-users in a physical setting. They become participants, simultaneously co-designing the situation. Sensory stimulation — which helps register memories — engages participants as they process the flow of a spatial narrative. Experiential spaces strive to enhance the connection between participants, the brand, and the locational context.
A Phygital Future
The intersection between technological and tangible touchpoints is ripe with opportunities for innovative customer experiences. Phygital experiences bridge the gap between the online and offline worlds, allowing brands to play a part in multiple aspects of consumers’ lives. The distinction between digital and non-digital experiences continues to dissolve. A combination of spatial, digital, and strategic design skills is required to produce multidimensional ventures. The future of the experience economy is phygital.
Today, people are no longer mere consumers of products but of sensations and lifestyles. The commoditization of experiences puts individuals at the forefront of business goals. Connection, creativity, and empathy will drive the design of human-centered experiences. Brands will battle to offer occasions worth remembering. Welcome to the experience economy.
