Experience mapping at a house party
If you are a student you might happen to be invited to so-called «house parties». Well for those unfamiliar with the term and older semesters such as myself, such an event doesn’t necessarily have to do anything with the identically named music genere.
A student house party may be an BYO open door event set up by kind people that sacrifice their beloved home with the risk of having it trashed by the end of the night or at least facing some serious cleaning the next day.
As experience design master students at Hyper Island you get trained to be a critical design thinker. This involves being a conscious observer that takes in anything that happens or might happen around you. Therefore you «map your experiences». If you are experience mapping you want to thoughtfully take in what you do, see, think and feel.
With no intention of doing so I actually did so when I went to such a house party last night, being fully sober — unlike an average party guest – and turning up late or even as one of the latest straight from Uni with some fellow students.
Arriving late at such an event results in being either over excitingly greeted, hugged, loudly «hey bro»ed, gazed at or even ignored. In the last case at least until you literally bump into them again at a later point of the night. Feelings about this range from excitement to awkwardness.
During the party you notice all kinds of things. When booze supply is low people tend to drink and mix anything they wouldn’t usually touch. I happened to place my beer behind me when queuing for the toilet and chatting to people. Not a minute later, turning around, trying to fetch my can for another sip, it was gone. Vanished… Not blaming anyone for bad intentions or purpose. Cans are cans. There were lots about. Interestingly another minute later, one passed by placing the exact same can at the exact same spot where it had magically disappeared from. A quick weight check revealed that this person was at least economical on fuel consumption. In a public space such as a bar or nightclub you would want to think twice to give this drink another go…
Music is another topic of interest at a house party. At such an event, especially if the audio set up consists of a Macbook connected to a set of TV speakers everyone seems to have hidden talents at being a youtube or Spotify DJ. Music is of course a matter of opinion and will therefore not be further explored or commented on.
Unless approved by the hosts, smoking is often banned to an outside area. This results in a split of the audience with the smoking minority regularly disappearing into the cold dark of the night. Usual issues for regular and part-time smokers are supplies of cigarets and lighters. This leads to the circumstance that people that would have not or barely talked to you might find a sudden interest in you, in case you are in possession of the desired goods. This interest often lasts until goods have been exchanged. These exchanges are usually one-way. Well obviously as donor of a cigaret you have little interest in having it returned and then recycle it for the other person. A lot of smokers — including myself — although often honest and kind people seem to be notorious pickpockets or magicians when it comes to lighters though. You lend yours to someone and it magically disappears in the darkness of their pockets or handbags. Disclaimer to my fellow students: I wouldn’t mind getting my lighter back! Turquoise in color, branded with my favourite restaurant «Hardhof». In exchange I may offer a light-green, semi-transparent one, I successfully but with no intention managed to steal from someone, as I discovered this morning.
BTW — pro-tip to any house party visitor: Before you feel this particular urge that occurs after the consumption of a certain amount of beverages, get familiar with the doorknobs in the loo! I would like to refer to Don Norman «The Design of everyday things» — can’t remember the page, but you know what I mean!). You do not want to have your probably most enjoyable, quiet and relaxing moment of a party destroyed or exposed to the other guests. It might result in personal embarrassment or serious amusement at your expense.
Leaving a party is a topic by itself. I happened to be caught in surprise when my fellow uber rider ran up to me stating that our uber was already waiting outside. In such a situation you might happen to unexpectedly leave a party without being able to properly say goodbye to your fellow students and thank the hosts and their selflessness again, as they will be the ones stuck with ground zero the next day….
In this sense a late goodbye, hope you made it home all right to everyone and a huge THANK YOU to the hosts!!!
BTW: This observation is by no means complete in itself and could go one for much longer… Just can’t be bothered right now….
