I got pretty excited the other week because I realized one of my favorite experiences ever had been recorded and tossed up on Hulu. Way back in 2017, before the world changed, I took a trip to New York City to see a magic show. I had never been to a magic show before, but this performance caught my special attention. It did so because I believed that the premise behind it could change everything about how we in experience design do our work. And I still believe that four years later. Inspiration can come from unlikely places.
The performance I went to see (and which you too can now see on Hulu) was called In & Of Itself; a one man show featuring a fellow named Derek DelGaudio. Derek–according to the Playbill–is recognized as “a writer, performance artist and three-time Academy of Magical Arts Award-winning magician.” I bought tickets to see In & Of Itself because weeks before, I was happily listening to This American Life (for those of you who don’t listen to this wonderful radio show, please visit the website immediately to both learn about the concept behind the program and start exposing yourself to some incredible storytelling…) when a description of Derek’s show piqued my interest.
Derek is, above all else, a storyteller. And the themes he explored in this performance revolved around identity, perception and yes, illusion. The experience began with a wall covered with hundreds of cards beginning with the words “I am…” and ending with a one or two word descriptor (i.e. Troublemaker, Pharmacist, Tinkerer, Princess, Black Sheep, etc.). Audience members were instructed to select the card they felt most truly reflected them. By the end of the show–following a series of intensely personal narratives and tricks that unpacked some of who he is–Derek looked into every single one of those audience member’s eyes who selected a card and told them what they chose (with 100% accuracy). It was a deeply emotional and strangely intimate thing to watch happen – as you’ll see in the recorded version, there were a lot of smiles and tears all across the board. And, as each person surrounding me was identified by Derek for their true self, I felt a jolt of surprise or amusement or tenderness. When my descriptor was spoken aloud, I felt “seen” in a way that is rare in a room filled with 150 strangers.
When Ira Glass discussed In & Of Itself on This American Life, he explained it like this: “The magic is in service to this very human thing that’s happening…” And that, I believe, is precisely what we in experience design should be paying attention to. Derek’s performance was effective because it had emotional resonance and allowed people to see a reflection of themselves while they experienced it. Through magic, Derek found ways to make his audience think about the ways we’re all connected, the people we love, the damage we carry, and the stories we tell. His skills as a magician and illusionist were “in service” to helping his audience feel feelings and think about who they were in the process. And, odds are, they will always remember it as a result. I know I will.
It is my belief that all practitioners of experience design should take a page from Derek’s playbook and approach the work that we do as “in service” of our client’s humanity and ability to have an emotional experience. My call to experience design action is this:
- Be honest about who you are, who you are seeking to serve and how.
- Uphold emotional resonance and the human experience above more cerebral pursuits.
- Tell all the stories, even if they’re messy.
- Make space for creativity, conflict and failure.
- Help people to see themselves.
If we in experience design can commit to these things, we can free ourselves to approach our work in entirely new ways. We can create experiences that will stay with people and make them think. And, perhaps most importantly, we can advance our practice and drive positive social change. I still have my “I am…” card. Years later, I keep it on my desk as a reminder of the person I was in that moment four years ago and an ambition for who I can still become.
