Every human experience has a beginning and an end. Yeah, no kidding, right?
Thanks for the lesson in Being Human 101, Laurens.
But seriously, whether it’s grabbing coffee with a friend, stepping into The Haunted Mansion at Disneyland, or using a website, every experience follows a similar flow. And here’s the kicker: understanding the parts of an experience helps us design new ones. Better ones.
Whether they’re digital or real-life, knowing the structure of experiences helps.
The Buildup
The experience starts way before the event itself. It's not just showing up on time, it's the whole pre-game hype. You’re texting your friends about it, buying tickets, picking an outfit, and posting it on your story to get those early likes. You’re in the zone before you even arrive.
For a short-term event like a concert, the buildup might be jamming to the band’s latest album on the way there, or even that last-minute scramble to find parking. For something long-term, like a month of backpacking through Southeast Asia, the buildup could take months—saving up, buying gear, planning your route, and imagining yourself as a world traveler (even though you know you’ll forget something important).
No matter the event, the buildup creates the anticipation. And anticipation?
That’s what keeps the excitement alive.
The Start
Here’s where it all kicks off. The start is the first impression. It’s walking into the concert venue, hearing the crowd, seeing the lights. It’s stepping off the plane in a new country, taking a deep breath, and feeling like you’re ready for adventure. It’s the moment that says, "Yep, this is happening."
The start sets the mood. It can either pump you up or make you go, "Wait… is this it?"
The Middle
This is the good stuff. The middle is where you're fully in it—screaming the lyrics at a concert, hiking a remote trail, or lost in the experience of whatever you're doing. For a concert, it's the big performance, the energy of the crowd, and the songs you’ve been waiting to hear live. For long-term travel, it’s the breathtaking views, the spontaneous detours, and even the mishaps that make great stories later.
You’re in the thick of it. And when the middle is done right, you’ll forget all about the fact that you spilled coffee on your shirt earlier.
The End
Ah, the end. The big finish. And believe it or not, this part often decides how the whole thing is remembered. This is where the "Peak-End Rule" comes into play. We tend to remember experiences based on how they peak and how they end. So even if there were some hiccups, if the end is epic, we’ll walk away happy.
Think about it: after a vacation full of delayed flights, dodgy food, and bad hotel neighbors, you still rave about it if the last night had an amazing sunset, right? It’s the finale that sticks with you.
The Takeaway
The takeaway is the part of the experience that lingers—the keepsake, the feeling, the thing that brings it all back. Maybe it’s a concert T-shirt, or a snapshot of the moment. Maybe it’s just the memory of that epic encore.
For a backpacking trip, it could be a memento you picked up along the way, or just the fact that you came back with more stories than you could possibly fit into one dinner conversation. Either way, the takeaway is the cherry on top that turns an experience into something you’ll carry with you.
The Aftercare
Ah yes, the unsung hero of great experiences—aftercare. This is the follow-up that shows the experience isn’t over when you leave. It’s the thank-you email after a concert, the customer service that asks how your stay was, or the “miss you already” message from the Airbnb host.
For backpacking, aftercare might mean staying in touch with someone you met on the road, or it could be your body reminding you that hiking 20 miles a day wasn’t your best idea.
Understanding these stages—the buildup, the start, the middle, the end, the takeaway, and the aftercare—is like knowing the basic chords of any experience. It’s the default, the foundation that every experience follows, whether it’s a concert, a trip, or even navigating a website.
But within each part, there’s plenty of room for variation. These are the basics, sure, but just like in music, you can play them in countless ways. The buildup can be long or short, the middle can be full of surprises or smooth sailing, and the end can be a slow fade or a dramatic finale. The key is to understand the structure so you can play with it—making each experience unique in its own way.
It’s not about reinventing the wheel every time; it’s about knowing the notes so you can create something worth remembering.
Every human experience has a beginning and an end. No shit.
Thanks for the lesson in Being Human 101, Laurens.
Whether it's going for a coffee with a friend, going into The Haunted Mansion in Disneyland, or using a website. Heck, life itself has a beginning and end.
Understanding the parts of an experience helps us understand what makes certain experiences memorable and enjoyable helps us when designing new ones, whether digital or in real life.
The Buildup
Usually the engagement of an experience starts earlier than the start date. It's not just arriving somewhere in time, it's the entire process of discussing the idea with a friend, buying a ticket, getting ready for the event, traveling to the event, getting excited for the event and more.
The Start
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The Middle
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The End
In terms of real life experiences, research has shown that we usually remember the end of an ev.
Most of the time, people talk about their holidays with raving reviews, even though the process of getting there, waiting for the taxi in the rain, having loud neighbors in the hotel, etcetera - caused a range of frustrations and anxieties.
The Take-Away
Something that you can takeaway from the experience that will trigger memories of the good times.
This can come straight away or after a while. It's a token that represents the experience. It's the goodybag. It helps to add to making a memorable ending.
The Aftercare
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