Is experience overrated? Are experience designers only focusing on part of the picture? Experience is ephemeral, vanishing as quickly as it begins. It's memory, not experience that writes the stories we tell ourselves and forms the basis of our choices. So what does that mean for experience designers? This talk draws on classic psychology studies and theory to highlight the important distinction between experience and the memories that experience leaves behind. Humans convert experience to memory in predictable, if irrational ways. We can use that understanding to design for better outcomes. This session is for anyone who wants to change the way they think about thinking and learn how to be a better user memory designer.

1. USER MEMORY DESIGN
DESIGNING FOR EXPERIENCES THAT STICK
CURT ARLEDGE — IA SUMMIT 2016

2. A TALE OF TWO COLONOSCOPIES

3. PATIENT BPATIENT A
NOTE: ACTUAL LIKENESSES UNAVAILABLE

4. NO PAIN
🚨 EXTREME PAIN 🚨
9
8
6
4
2
0
10
7
5
3
1

5. TIME (MINUTES) TIME (MINUTES)
10
8
6
4
2
0
0 10 20
10
8
6
4
2
0
0 10 20
PAININTENSITY
PATIENT A PATIENT B

6. PATIENT BPATIENT A
PEAK PAIN: 8 PEAK PAIN: 8
REMEMBERED
A WORSE TIME
HAD A WORSE
TIME
DURATION: 24 MIN.DURATION: 8 MIN.

7. [CLIFFHANGER]

8. I WANT TO TALK TO YOU GUYS ABOUT
EXPERIENCE
@curtarledge

9. CAN INSPIRE BETTER
@curtarledge
UNDERSTANDING THE DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN EXPERIENCE AND MEMORY
DESIGN.

10. THE RESEARCH
@curtarledge

11. DANIEL KAHNEMAN
@curtarledge

12. TIME (MINUTES) TIME (MINUTES)
10
8
6
4
2
0
0 10 20
10
8
6
4
2
0
0 10 20
PAININTENSITY
PATIENT A PATIENT B
8
7
7.5
4.5
8
1
@curtarledgeREDELMEIER, DONALD A; KAHNEMAN, DANIEL (1996). "PATIENTS' MEMORIES OF PAINFUL MEDICAL TREATMENTS: REAL-
TIME AND RETROSPECTIVE EVALUATIONS OF TWO MINIMALLY INVASIVE PROCEDURES". PAIN 66 (1): 3–8.

13. THE PEAK-END RULE
PEOPLE’S MEMORIES OF AN EXPERIENCE ARE BASED ON
AN AVERAGE OF THE MOST INTENSE MOMENT (THE PEAK)
AND THE FINAL MOMENT (THE END).
(DURATION NEGLECT)
@curtarledge
¯_( )_/¯

14. @curtarledge@curtarledge

15. @curtarledge

16. HEDONICVALUE
10
8
6
4
2
0
-2
-4
-6
-8
-10
TIME
@curtarledge
GOOD
BAD

17. EXPERIENCE IS A STREAM
MEMORY IS A COLLECTION OF
SNAPSHOTS
@curtarledge

18. 10
8
6
4
2
0
-2
-4
-6
-8
-10
TIME
IMPORTANT
IMPORTANT
@curtarledge

19. THE DURATION
THE PEAK
THE END
@curtarledge
WHAT DO PEOPLE REMEMBER?
WHY?

20. @curtarledge

21. LIVING WITH TWO SELVES
@curtarledge

22. EXPERIENCING SELF REMEMBERING SELF
• “HOW DO I FEEL RIGHT NOW?”
• EXPERIENCES THE WORLD
MOMENT TO MOMENT
• FEELS PLEASURE, PAIN, JOY,
FEAR, FRUSTRATION, ETC.
• “HOW DID I FEEL OVERALL?”
• INTERPRETS OUR EXPERIENCES
AFTER THEY OCCUR
• NEGLECTS DURATION, FOCUSES ON
A FEW KEY MOMENTS
@curtarledgeKAHNEMAN, D. (2011). THINKING, FAST AND SLOW. MACMILLAN.
THE BOSS

23. @curtarledge

24. @curtarledge

25. @curtarledge

26. @curtarledge

27. @curtarledge
PEAK
END
@curtarledge

28. @curtarledge

29. spkr8.com/t/51691
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN
FOR USER EXPERIENCE?
@curtarledge

30. SHOULD WE BE
USER EXPERIENCE DESIGNERS
OR USER MEMORY DESIGNERS?
YES.
@curtarledge

31. DESIGN FOR BOTH SELVES
@curtarledge

32. FOUR GUIDELINES
@curtarledge
NOTE: THIS ISN’T “SCIENCE”

33. GUIDELINE 1
DON’T SCREW UP
THE ENDING
@curtarledge

34. BUT WHAT ABOUT BEGINNINGS?
@curtarledge
1 DON’T SCREW UP THE ENDING
LINDGAARD, G., FERNANDES, G., DUDEK, C., & BROWN, J. (2006). ATTENTION WEB DESIGNERS: YOU HAVE 50
MILLISECONDS TO MAKE A GOOD FIRST IMPRESSION!. BEHAVIOUR & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, 25(2), 115-126.

35. @curtarledge
BEGINNINGS ARE OBVIOUS.
LOOK FOR THE ENDINGS.
1 DON’T SCREW UP THE ENDING

36. EXPERIENCES SCALE
TIME
@curtarledge
FORLIZZI, J., & BATTARBEE, K. (2004, AUGUST). UNDERSTANDING EXPERIENCE IN INTERACTIVE SYSTEMS. IN
PROCEEDINGS OF THE 5TH CONFERENCE ON DESIGNING INTERACTIVE SYSTEMS: PROCESSES, PRACTICES, METHODS,
AND TECHNIQUES (PP. 261-268). ACM.
1 DON’T SCREW UP THE ENDING

37. @curtarledge
1 DON’T SCREW UP THE ENDING
COMPLETING AN ARTICLE
✓

38. @curtarledge
1 DON’T SCREW UP THE ENDING
SOMETHINGAWFUL.COM/NEWS/SPONSOR-AD-LINKS
COMPLETING AN ARTICLE
X

39. @curtarledge
1 DON’T SCREW UP THE ENDING
EXIT WEBSITE
X

40. @curtarledge
1 DON’T SCREW UP THE ENDING
CHECK OUT AS GUEST
✓

41. @curtarledge
1 DON’T SCREW UP THE ENDING
PROMO CODES
X

42. @curtarledge
1 DON’T SCREW UP THE ENDING
UPS.UBERFLIP.COM/I/327876-UPS-PULSE-OF-THE-ONLINE-SHOPPER-EXECUTIVE-SUMMARY/18
SHIPPING COSTS IN FINAL STEP
X

43. @curtarledge
1 DON’T SCREW UP THE ENDING
GITHUB.COM
DELETE
✓

44. @curtarledge
1 DON’T SCREW UP THE ENDING
GMAIL.COM
DELETE
✓

45. @curtarledge
1 DON’T SCREW UP THE ENDING
THEEMAILZOO.WORDPRESS.COM/TAG/WELCOME-EMAIL/
WELCOME EMAIL
X

46. UNSUBSCRIBE
@curtarledgeSPOTTHEUNSUBSCRIBE.TUMBLR.COM
1 DON’T SCREW UP THE ENDING
X

47. GUIDELINE 2
SLOW DOWN
(WHEN APPROPRIATE)
@curtarledge

48. “[META-MOMENTS ARE] TINY MOMENTS OF REFLECTION
THAT PROMPT US TO THINK CONSCIOUSLY ABOUT
WHAT WE’RE EXPERIENCING.”
ANDREW GRIMES, A LIST APART 2015
META-MOMENTS
@curtarledgeGRIMES, A. (2015, MAY 19). META-MOMENTS: THOUGHTFULNESS BY DESIGN. RETRIEVED MAY 19, 2015, FROM HTTP://
ALISTAPART.COM/ARTICLE/META-MOMENTS-THOUGHTFULNESS-BY-DESIGN
2 SLOW DOWN (WHEN APPROPRIATE)

49. @curtarledgeUSERONBOARD.COM/HOW-SLACK-ONBOARDS-NEW-USERS
2 SLOW DOWN (WHEN APPROPRIATE)

50. @curtarledgeADICTED.IO/AD/255FF0
Per Year
The CRM That Takes 25 Seconds To Set Up, But Saves Up to 124 Hours
2 SLOW DOWN (WHEN APPROPRIATE)

51. @curtarledgeARIELY, D. (2010, DECEMBER 15). LOCKSMITHS. RETRIEVED APRIL 05, 2016, FROM HTTP://DANARIELY.COM/2010/12/15/LOCKSMITHS/

52. USING TIME AS A PLACEBO
@curtarledge
2 SLOW DOWN (WHEN APPROPRIATE)

53. @curtarledge
2 SLOW DOWN (WHEN APPROPRIATE)
TURBOTAX.INTUIT.COM

54. @curtarledge
2 SLOW DOWN (WHEN APPROPRIATE)
TURBOTAX.INTUIT.COM

55. GUIDELINE 3
CREATE PEAK
MOMENTS
@curtarledge

56. @curtarledge
AWESOME + MEMORABLE = PEAK
3 CREATE PEAK MOMENTS
EMOTIONAL!
MOREWEDGE, C. K., GILBERT, D. T., & WILSON, T. D. (2005). THE LEAST LIKELY OF TIMES HOW REMEMBERING THE PAST
BIASES FORECASTS OF THE FUTURE. PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE, 16(8), 626-630.

57. ANTICIPATION
ATTENTION
DELIGHTERS
EASTER EGGS
EXCLUSIVITY
HUMOR
PERSONALIZATION
POSITIVITY
LEVITY
LOYALTY
MICROCOPY
REWARDS
SURPRISE
TRUST
UNIQUENESS
VOICE & TONE
ELEMENTS OF EMOTIONAL DESIGN
@curtarledgeSCHMID, S. (2012, JULY 18). THE PERSONALITY LAYER – SMASHING MAGAZINE. RETRIEVED APRIL 05, 2016, FROM HTTPS://
WWW.SMASHINGMAGAZINE.COM/2012/07/THE-PERSONALITY-LAYER/
3 CREATE PEAK MOMENTS

58. DESIGNING FOR PEAK
MOMENTS IS HARD
@curtarledge
3 CREATE PEAK MOMENTS

59. @curtarledgeJAMBELLS.COM
3 CREATE PEAK MOMENTS

60. @curtarledgeJAMBELLS.COM
3 CREATE PEAK MOMENTS

61. @curtarledge
3 CREATE PEAK MOMENTS
FEATURE 1 FEATURE 2 FEATURE 3 FEATURE 4 FEATURE 5
5 6 5 4 5

62. @curtarledge
3 CREATE PEAK MOMENTS
FEATURE 1 FEATURE 2 FEATURE 3 FEATURE 4 FEATURE 5
6 7 6 5 6
OPTION A

63. @curtarledge
3 CREATE PEAK MOMENTS
FEATURE 1 FEATURE 2 FEATURE 3 FEATURE 4 FEATURE 5
OPTION B
5 6 4 5
10

64. THE VALUE OF PEAKS
@curtarledge
😀
😠
😀
😠
3 CREATE PEAK MOMENTS

65. THE VALUE OF PEAKS
@curtarledge
😀
😠
😀
😠
3 CREATE PEAK MOMENTS

66. IT TAKES A LOT TO RUIN A
REALLY GOOD EXPERIENCE
@curtarledgeNORMAN, D. A. (2009). THE WAY I SEE IT MEMORY IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN ACTUALITY. INTERACTIONS, 16(2), 24-26.
3 CREATE PEAK MOMENTS

67. PERFECTION IS SELDOM
WORTH THE EFFORT. SO
WHAT IF PEOPLE HAVE SOME
PROBLEMS WITH AN
APPLICATION, A WEBSITE, A
PRODUCT, OR A SERVICE?
WHAT MATTERS IS THE
TOTAL EXPERIENCE.”
DONALD NORMAN, 2011
NORMAN, D. A. (2009). THE WAY I SEE IT MEMORY IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN ACTUALITY. INTERACTIONS, 16(2), 24-26.

68. GUIDELINE 4
BE A STORY
DESIGNER
@curtarledge

69. THE STORY OF THE DESIGNER
WHO WAS SICK OF HEARING
ABOUT STORYTELLING
4 BE A STORY DESIGNER
@curtarledge

70. “RECENTLY I READ AN
INTERVIEW WITH SOMEONE
WHO DESIGNS ROLLER
COASTERS AND HE REFERRED
TO HIMSELF AS A ‘STORYTELLER.’
NO FUCKHEAD, YOU ARE NOT A
STORYTELLER, YOU’RE A
ROLLER COASTER DESIGNER!”
STEFAN SAGMEISTER, 2014
FITC. (2014, JUNE 16). YOU ARE NOT A STORYTELLER - STEFAN SAGMEISTER @ FITC. RETRIEVED MAY 01, 2016, FROM HTTPS://VIMEO.COM/98368484

71. THE WORLD’S GREATEST STORY
@curtarledge
POPOVA, M. (2012, NOVEMBER 26). KURT VONNEGUT ON THE SHAPES OF STORIES AND GOOD NEWS VS. BAD NEWS.
RETRIEVED APRIL 05, 2016, FROM HTTP://WWW.BRAINPICKINGS.ORG/2012/11/26/KURT-VONNEGUT-ON-THE-SHAPES-
OF-STORIES/
4 BE A STORY DESIGNER

72. THE DISNEY FORMULA
@curtarledgePILCHIK, B. (AUGUST 24). DISNEY MOVIES (IN 5 EASY STEPS) · JUMBO TALK. RETRIEVED APRIL 05, 2016, FROM HTTP://
ADMISSIONS.TUFTS.EDU/BLOGS/JUMBO-TALK/POST/DISNEY-MOVIES-IN-5-EASY-STEPS/
4 BE A STORY DESIGNER

73. EXPERIENCE IS A STREAM
MEMORY IS A COLLECTION OF
SNAPSHOTS
@curtarledge
EXPERIENCE IS A STREAM
MEMORY IS A COLLECTION OF
SNAPSHOTS A STORY
4 BE A STORY DESIGNER

74. From Adaptive Path’s Guide to Experience Mapping
MAP THE EXPERIENCE
@curtarledge
4 BE A STORY DESIGNER

75. 4 BE A STORY DESIGNER

76. LICHAW, D. (2016, APRIL 05). THE USER’S JOURNEY. RETRIEVED MAY 01, 2016, FROM HTTP://ALISTAPART.COM/ARTICLE/THE-USERS-JOURNEY
“WE HOPED THAT BY CREATING A
SIGN-UP FLOW THAT FUNCTIONED
LIKE A STORY, THE RESULT WOULD
BE MORE ENGAGEMENT AMONG
NEW USERS, AND IT WORKED.”
DONNA LICHAW,
THE USER’S JOURNEY

77. @curtarledgeLICHAW, D. (2016). THE USER'S JOURNEY: STORYMAPPING PRODUCTS THAT PEOPLE LOVE. BROOKLYN: ROSENFELD
MEDIA.
THE LANGUAGE OF STORY
4 BE A STORY DESIGNER

78. “WE HOPED THAT BY CREATING A SIGN-UP FLOW THAT
FUNCTIONED LIKE A STORY, THE RESULT WOULD BE
MORE ENGAGEMENT AMONG NEW USERS, AND IT
WORKED.”
DONNA LICHAW, THE USER’S JOURNEY
@curtarledgeLICHAW, D. (2016, APRIL 05). THE USER’S JOURNEY. RETRIEVED MAY 01, 2016, FROM HTTP://ALISTAPART.COM/ARTICLE/
THE-USERS-JOURNEY
4 BE A STORY DESIGNER

79. RECAP
@curtarledge
WITH CATS

80. EXPERIENCE AND THE MEMORY
OF EXPERIENCE ARE DIFFERENT…

81. …AND MEMORY IS THE BOSS.

82. MEMORY BIASES THE PEAK…

83. …AND END MOMENTS.

84. TO DESIGN FOR BOTH
EXPERIENCE AND MEMORY:

85. 1. DON’T SCREW UP THE ENDING

86. 2. SLOW DOWN (WHEN APPROPRIATE)

87. 3. CREATE PEAK MOMENTS

88. 4. BE A STORY DESIGNER

89. THANKS!
@CURTARLEDGE

90. ARIELY, D. (2010, DECEMBER 15). LOCKSMITHS. RETRIEVED APRIL 05, 2016, FROM HTTP://DANARIELY.COM/2010/12/15/LOCKSMITHS/
ARIELY, D., & CARMON, Z. (2003). THE SUM REFLECTS ONLY SOME OF ITS PARTS: A CRITICAL OVERVIEW OF RESEARCH ABOUT SUMMARY ASSESSMENT OF EXPERIENCES.
TIME AND DECISION: ECONOMIC AND PSYCHOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES ON INTER-TEMPORAL CHOICE, 323-350.
FITC. (2014, JUNE 16). YOU ARE NOT A STORYTELLER - STEFAN SAGMEISTER @ FITC. RETRIEVED MAY 01, 2016, FROM HTTPS://VIMEO.COM/98368484
FORLIZZI, J., & BATTARBEE, K. (2004, AUGUST). UNDERSTANDING EXPERIENCE IN INTERACTIVE SYSTEMS. IN PROCEEDINGS OF THE 5TH CONFERENCE ON DESIGNING
INTERACTIVE SYSTEMS: PROCESSES, PRACTICES, METHODS, AND TECHNIQUES (PP. 261-268). ACM.
GRIMES, A. (2015, MAY 19). META-MOMENTS: THOUGHTFULNESS BY DESIGN. RETRIEVED MAY 19, 2015, FROM HTTP://ALISTAPART.COM/ARTICLE/META-MOMENTS-
THOUGHTFULNESS-BY-DESIGN
KAHNEMAN, DANIEL. THINKING, FAST AND SLOW. MACMILLAN, 2011.
LICHAW, D. (2016). THE USER'S JOURNEY: STORYMAPPING PRODUCTS THAT PEOPLE LOVE. BROOKLYN: ROSENFELD MEDIA.
LINDGAARD, G., FERNANDES, G., DUDEK, C., & BROWN, J. (2006). ATTENTION WEB DESIGNERS: YOU HAVE 50 MILLISECONDS TO MAKE A GOOD FIRST IMPRESSION!.
BEHAVIOUR & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, 25(2), 115-126.
MOREWEDGE, C. K., GILBERT, D. T., & WILSON, T. D. (2005). THE LEAST LIKELY OF TIMES HOW REMEMBERING THE PAST BIASES FORECASTS OF THE FUTURE.
PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE, 16(8), 626-630.
NORMAN, D. A. (2009). THE WAY I SEE IT MEMORY IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN ACTUALITY. INTERACTIONS, 16(2), 24-26.
PILCHIK, B. (AUGUST 24). DISNEY MOVIES (IN 5 EASY STEPS) · JUMBO TALK. RETRIEVED APRIL 05, 2016, FROM HTTP://ADMISSIONS.TUFTS.EDU/BLOGS/JUMBO-TALK/
POST/DISNEY-MOVIES-IN-5-EASY-STEPS/
POPOVA, M. (2012, NOVEMBER 26). KURT VONNEGUT ON THE SHAPES OF STORIES AND GOOD NEWS VS. BAD NEWS. RETRIEVED APRIL 05, 2016, FROM HTTP://
WWW.BRAINPICKINGS.ORG/2012/11/26/KURT-VONNEGUT-ON-THE-SHAPES-OF-STORIES/
REDELMEIER, DONALD A; KAHNEMAN, DANIEL (1996). "PATIENTS' MEMORIES OF PAINFUL MEDICAL TREATMENTS: REAL-TIME AND RETROSPECTIVE EVALUATIONS OF
TWO MINIMALLY INVASIVE PROCEDURES". PAIN 66 (1): 3–8.
SCHMID, S. (2012, JULY 18). THE PERSONALITY LAYER – SMASHING MAGAZINE. RETRIEVED APRIL 05, 2016, FROM HTTPS://WWW.SMASHINGMAGAZINE.COM/2012/07/THE-
PERSONALITY-LAYER/
SILLENCE, E., BRIGGS, P., FISHWICK, L., & HARRIS, P. (2005, MAY). GUIDELINES FOR DEVELOPING TRUST IN HEALTH WEBSITES. IN SPECIAL INTEREST TRACKS AND
POSTERS OF THE 14TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON WORLD WIDE WEB (PP. 1026-1027). ACM.
REFERENCES