Dramatic arcs are introduced in #TiSDD 3.3, Journey maps. Thinking about the dramatic arc of an experience can give a whole new direction to ideation and help you focus your efforts.
Step-by-step guide
- Take a visual representation of your experience, such as a journey map.
- Consider customer engagement level at every step. Are they very involved, or more detached? If you have the opportunity to observe customers within the experience, this will be quite easy to see. If not, you will have to try to put yourself in the customers’ shoes and think through the experience. Generally, physical, face-to-face moments are more engaging than digital or paper ones. Mark the engagement level for each step in an extra perspective row on the map, from 1 (low engagement) to 5 (total engagement).
- Reflect on the shape and rhythm of the whole arc. Is it overloaded? Frontloaded? Are early promises fulfilled? Are the periods of low engagement or high engagement too long? Must a highlight be added, or – this is often more practical – should a less engaging step be spotlighted to increase engagement and show value more clearly?
- (Recommended) Compare the dramatic arc to the emotional journey. Low points on the emotional journey which coincide with high points on the dramatic arc are moments when the experience is bad, and the customer is very aware of it – those moments need urgent attention! Ideally, your most satisfying moments will also be the highly engaging ones.
- Use this reflection to focus your ideation around the experience.
