I recently set up an old turntable in my house. I also acquired a small number of vinyl records to launch my collection. The experience felt remarkably structured and also extremely satisfying, so I mapped it. And I find that this provides a path from the discovery of a need, to having that need satisfied, as well as some clues to the kind of content that might follow that journey and the emotional experience surrounding it.
Point A: NEED. My digital music collection was leaving me intensely unsatisfied. I was consuming new music voraciously and finding decreasing levels of satisfaction with each new discovery. I was very bored. But loving music so much, also increasingly frustrated.
Point B: SHARE. I found I was sharing my frustration freely with anyone who would listen. It started with me asking my reliable go-to music-lovers for recommendations on new music, which I continued to purchase, and which continued to leave me unsatisfied.
Point C: DISCOVER. One music-lover who I was talking to launched into discussion about records, and a passionate conveyance of his love for the hobby. I felt it, and decided I would get a turntable and some records. That would be the cure for my state of music boredom.
Point D: PLAN. Excitement Ensued. The process of discovery became my focus: where would I get this turntable, should I get an old one or a new one; maybe my Dad has one in the basement. And think of all the old music I’ll be able to listen to.
Point E: ACQUIRE. Acquired Turntable and Records. Admittedly, there was a mini-crash of excitement around here. Once I had the pieces that would relieve my music boredom state, I had nothing to be immediately excited about. I had a wait until it was actually hooked up and a record was playing. This was kind of a flat stage in the process.
Point F: EXPERIENCE. Turntable Installed and Record Playing. Joy Ensued. My experience came to full bloom. And what made it so full? Just like any good positioning strategy: part need satisfaction i.e.: cure for my state of music boredom, but mostly an emotional experience.
Next post: The Anatomy of an Experience.
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