“I’ve just enjoyed a rather large glass of red wine with dinner. Will I need to embarrassingly sneak out mid-show for a bladder break?”

In isolation, it seems an odd question. But it can be a very real and concerning question for concert-goers. This small but significant example demonstrates how a simple design intervention can help ease the anxiety that a concert-goer may experience.

Spotting poorly-designed services and customer experiences is much easier than good ones. We notice poorly designed experiences because they don’t feel quite right or confuse us in some way. Well-designed experiences make us feel good (or at least not bad) or maybe even great. They excite us and make us happy.

This simple inclusion in the concert program could mean the difference between a visitor having an outstanding experience or missing their favourite piece of music and building a memory around popping out for a pit-stop.

What am I talking about?

The inclusion of 3 numbers and dashes and the word Interval. This time information allows visitors to prepare themselves for the experience they are about to enjoy. It costs the Australian Chamber Orchestra nothing to implement and promotes an excellent visitor experience.

Including time information on concert programs is good experience design.