Experience Design
What’s ‘Experience Design’?
Experience design has its roots in User Experience Design (UXD) – which is a broad term used to cover the design of a user’s interactions with a piece of software or, more recently, websites and apps. But rather than being limited to interaction with computer-based systems, UXD is actually just as applicable to a customer’s interactions with a brand.
Every time someone visits a website, picks up a business card, looks at a billboard or speaks with a company representative on the phone, they have an experience with that brand. Consistent and positive experiences increase trust in brands, while negative experiences decrease trust. And trust – that fragile human emotion – is the grease that allows the wheels of commerce to turn.
Now, thanks to modern technology, someone’s positive or negative experience – their evaluation of your trustworthiness – is broadcast far and wide at the speed of a Tweet. This means that, rather than looking at your various touch points – website, direct mail, etc. – in isolation, it’s critical to look at them as a system – a system that builds trust in your brand and lasting relationships with your customers.
So what the heck is an Oculus?
An oculus is an eye-like opening or design (think of the Pantheon in Rome). I think of it as something that bridges inside and outside – in much the same way as I help organizations connect with their prospects and customers through well-crafted brand experiences. I’m also half Italian, so I’ve got a bit of a crush on art & architecture from the Old World.
I started Oculus because I wanted to fill the gap between the solo designer and the full-on agency; to provide expertise for small-to-medium-sized businesses and help build a thriving local economy.
Many businesses avoid marketing and design because they see giant dollar signs and major time commitments. My approach, however, is that it should be affordable and implementable – you don’t have to have the budget of a running shoe company to grow your business strategically. Instead, you just have to be creative and practical. What I do is solve marketing problems using design thinking.
I have over 13 years of professional experience designing brand experiences and I’d be happy to talk to you about your needs. Whether it’s a graphic identity or logo, website, trade show display, an entire marketing campaign or just a business card, I’d love to hear from you.