The document discusses the development of a concept to address the feeling of guilt people experience when missing important social events, with initial concepts focusing on a restaurant experience that transports families to different cultural experiences through food and storytelling, but pivoting to focus specifically on tools to help people apologize and express empathy when unable to attend events. Research highlighted the importance of shared experiences around food, music, and storytelling for cultural transmission and forming social bonds.

1. Experience Studio
Design Journal
Future of Mobility
Nick Lawrence|Fall 2013
Nick Lawrence

2. What is the future of mobility?

3. Quadrant (2x2) Exercise
This is a rendering of the first version of our topic
exploration using a collaborative tool. Members of the
team populated the screen with ideas around our
interpretation of the topic of mobility and together we
migrated each post-it into areas that aligned with the
axis we set ranging from independent to collective,
physical to mental, and passive to active. From this
exercise we utilized our pattern recognition skills to
extract all of the commonalities we observed to help us
move towards the next phase of topic selection by
narrowing the focus.

4. solution space exploration
Quadrant (2x2) Exercise
tangible
active
The second version is the graph our team used to form
the direction and path we elected to explore. From this
exercise we arrived at a point where we wanted to
understand what motivates people and elicits a strong
emotional response around gathering and getting
together for significant life or milestone events.
mobility infrastructure
sharing/sharing economy
What gets people excited about
getting together?
wayfinding
sound
events
cross-cultural interactions
crossing neighborhood borders
recreation
collective
pa
ss
ive
independent
intangible

5. Qualitative Research //1 on 1 Interview Transcript
ExpStudioFuture of Mobility Research
David
Susan
Ben

6. Primary Research Findings
Communal events around food and music are critical to life experience.
Our psychological culture and formative character are shaped and influenced
by our parents, extended family, and those who are close to us.
Our set of values come from family related interactions that we choose to
covet. Values are the sum of principles, norms, and standards of behavior
that are passed on through sensorially rich traditions and experiences.
The nucleus of values transmission is the family dinner table, however, the
concept of the family dinner is evaporating from our culture. How do we
prevent the disappearance of cultural identity and sense of belonging to a
community?

7. Secondary Research // Psychology of Social Behavior
Collective
Effervescence
Emile Durkheim’s theory of collective effervescence played a significant role in the development of our desired experience.
The theory of collective effervescence is a perceived energy formed by a gathering of people. Durkheim established this
theory around the turn of the 20th century when observing a sacred ritual of Australian Aborigines known as a corrobbori, a
ceremony which marks the rejoining of Aborigine groups after periods of nomadic separation. Strong emotional reactions,
energy, and sense of electricity were evoked as a response of the group coming together. There were palpable feelings of
exaltation and pure euphoria, with a compounding intensity as the ceremony progressed. Durkheim observed it as a
transformative experience for the tribe members. He firmly believed from his observations that it is rituals analogous to
these where we obtain our reverence for society, a respect that can not be attained in isolation or autonomously.

8. Secondary Research // Shared Social Experiences
Evolutionary Origins of Music
There is a strong connection between emotion and music that goes
much deeper than what we see on the surface. In a concert or club
setting, people are experiencing emotions that are contagious in that
we respond to a prevalent mood which influences one’s own
interpretation of the music. Much of the value of listening to music is
derived from being in a communal and shared environment.
Mealtime Socialization
We discovered that food preparation, distribution, and consumption
authenticate our social and moral beliefs and values and also
promote a sense of continuity across generations. In many cultures,
food is highly symbolic and people tend to imbue particular varieties
of food with sentimental, moral, religious and health-related
meanings. Adults and children alike tend to associate food with a
communal identity and can be attributed to affirming or diminishing
affection and social bonds. What’s more, family mealtimes tend to be
used to recount narratives that convey moral messages and become
the central facet of the experience.

9. Identifying The Opportunities
Shared
Experiences
around food
Shared
Experiences
around music
Potential areas to be explored
• How do you bring families back to the table
in a compelling and innovative way?
• Can we re-define what the dining table is?
Transmission
of values
• How do you reduce the feeling of guilt
around someone not being able to attend
an event and still facilitate that connection
under the condition a person is absent?
• How do we leverage future technology,
environments or spaces to deliver a
collective family experience?

10. Concept Development // Phase 1
Restaurant Concept
We then modeled the experience in alignment with our primary and secondary research findings. As a group we felt we had identified parts of the
user experience in the context of a family dining event that we needed to focus on and enhance. We moved forward with the design of a creative
concept for a restaurant. To complement our intended solution, we also drafted a storyline for context and to highlight the experience triggers.
The restaurant idea was designed to elicit the core meanings of community, beauty and creation through the delivery of an authentic family dining
experience that would be engineered based upon a family’s unique shared memories and compelling history. It was meant to be a customizable,
immersive and emotionally charged event that allows patrons to explore the transformative powers and origins of a cornucopia of tastes, smells,
sounds, colors and textures that can be crafted and inspired by cuisines from around the world in a familial and historical context. This was
designed to be a dynamic way for families to rewrite the past, live in the present, and preserve the richness of the future. We created an elaborate
storyline in association with our research to underscore the triggers and core meanings.

11. Evolution Restaurant Storyline
Alex, 42, Dave, 40 and Jen Crane, 36, are siblings who were raised and currently live in Seattle,
WA. All three of them are married with children. Jen has just recently moved back to the city after
5 years of living in Frankfurt, Germany as a consultant.
Jen’s return to Seattle with her family is a cause for celebration. Growing up, Jen had a very close
relationship with her siblings, parents, and relatives. Family dinners, road trips, camping
excursions, and traveling to exotic destinations occurred with great frequency, however, as Jen and
her siblings have aged it has been difficult to get the Crane family collectively together because of
hectic schedules and being abroad. The Crane family has been yearning with great expectancy for
the time when Jen and her family returns to Seattle.
Alex, Jen’s older brother wants her homecoming to be a memorable experience for the entire
family. Alex is feeling a strong sense of nostalgia about past family gatherings. Family dinners for
the Crane’s have been formative experiences for the children, rich in storytelling and have been
catalysts in the strengthening of emotional bonds between them. In his search for a venue, Alex
mentions that he came across a compelling review in a food blog about the new “Evolution”
Restaurant.
The review discusses an experimental restaurant concept that evokes an unparalleled authenticity
and wanderlust. The concept is delivered in an intimate setting that is designed around immersing
people in a sensorially rich and emotionally charged experience that allows the patrons to explore
the transformative powers and origins of a cornucopia of tastes, smells, sounds, colors, and
textures that can be crafted and engineered from a wide variety of cuisines from around the world.
Dave tells his parents about this intriguing new restaurant concept, and also thinks that this would
be a great opportunity to celebrate and reunite as a family. Mom and dad are super excited.
When Dave makes the reservation online, some customizable options and “ingredients” are
displayed to make this experience a multifaceted tour de force for the family. The options range
from reservation date to some other unique and interesting options:
1.)When was the oldest person in the party born?
2.)The most memorable decade for the family, the decade most interested in, or the most
intriguing decade to the family.
3.)The most exotic place the family has traveled to or wishes to travel to.
4.)What kind of cuisine they most enjoy as a family.
5.)What music would they like to listen to during their meal or can be suggested/picked by
Evolution Restaurant.
After finishing this questionnaire the “Saigon Experience” is suggested for the family. A brief
description of the dining experience is presented about what Alex’s family will experience.
“1930 Vietnamese Cuisine” a fusion of French and exotic Asian cuisine…”
Dave gets excited because Vietnamese culture has always been an integral part of his family and
family history and is excited to be able to share this new restaurant concept with them. Their
grandfather Don, was born during the 30’s in Vietnam when his family served in The State
Department in the American embassy. A long and vibrant history between Vietnamese culture
and the family has existed but this is an opportunity to relive it and be transported to that time in
history.
They all arrive at the address at 730pm. The restaurant has the facade of an old french colonial
style house but located in a back alley off of a main thoroughfare. From the entrance you could
only see a small sign saying “Evolution”. They enter. A hostess takes them to their dining room by
walking through a narrow breezeway that is cavernous and crypt-like with a fragrant smell of
orchids. The wood floor boards creek beneath them. The space is very intimate. They are ushered
into a gorgeously appointed and decorated room with a big table and a modern and transitional
motif. Accents of Asian furniture and a low muted yellow lighting resembling a light emitted by a
gaslamp or edison bulb create a comfortable and reminiscent ambiance. The dining table wraps
around the chef’s workstation forming an amphitheater for the family designed to make the
family feel as if they are the audience of this spectacle but also are the protagonists of the
narrative. The family feels a growing and compounding sense of intensity and anticipation
around what will happen next. They all feel a moment of awe and collective sense of warmth
from the environment and from being in the presence of each other.
After they are served water, the Executive Chef comes out and explains the menu to the family
for the evening. After a short introduction all the family members immediately start talking
about grandpa Don and his exotic stories from when he lived in Vietnam (the distinctive sound of
a Vietnamese moon lute begins to play). While the stories are being recounted by the family,
pungent aromas of spices and a blend of metallic sounds of the ladle sweeping against the wok
with the crackling sizzle of food marinating in the iron skillet and the amber glow of the pilot
light dancing across the chef’s face provides the atmosphere of a bonfire. This scene was
indicative of the fact the family was writing the past, living the present, and preserving the future
all in this one food experience.
During the second course the chef brought out a big working table. Everyone stared at each
other with perplexed expressions on their faces. The chef was going to give them a 15-minute
lesson on how to make to make the Vietnamese dish Pho, grandpa’s favorite dish. The chef
provides a rich detailed history of how the dish has evolved under the influence of French
colonialism. Everyone was astonished at this decisive magic moment. Finding out the unique
history of this dish gave it more meaning to them and the history it had in their family
mealtimes.
After several other courses, the family had experienced a meal like no other. They had relived
wonderful past family memories, understood the cultural context about the food they
experienced, and had the opportunity to reconnect with their family history. At the end of the
evening the chef brings out 5 small booklets with the story of the food, the history of Vietnam
from the 30’s on, food history in Vietnam, and the colonial practices of the French.

12. Concept Development // Phase 1
Restaurant Concept Journey Map

13. Concept Development // Phase 1
Restaurant Concept Meaning Strategy & Triggers
Community + Creation: unity and sense of belonging + the art of
being able to create for a lasting contribution
Beauty + Creation: comfort and familiarity
Triggers:
• Via digital touchpoint_ Customer questionnaire for the
reservation: A cognitive trigger that would elicit shared and
collective family memories. Collective memories can be used
as a source of inspiration to define how and in what the
sequence the future touch points are designed for each
customer.
◦ Family dinners
◦ Road trips
◦ Camping excursions
◦ Traveling to exotic destinations
• Table design: Amphitheater form and location creates a sense
of anticipation and intensity around a spectacle or imminent
event. It brings people together yet in an unorthodox and
unconventional manner to inspire people to rethink the
traditional family dinner setting. The intention of the design
is so that everyone has a line of sight to be able to make eye
contact, engage, and interact with each other including
interaction with the chef.
• Menu explanation: A cognitive trigger to spark conversations
and storytelling.
• Chef sharing a lesson on a working table: The table
symbolizes the introduction of a new element to the
experience. The chef and the lesson speak to the collective
memory by deepening the knowledge of a family interest.
Triggers:
• Food Blog: Digital touch point that uses imagery and text to
capture the holistic experience in a moment in time to entice
and provoke the potential patron.
• Customizable triggers: using taste and smell (through food),
sound (music and cooking), colors and textures (through the
dining room layout, decorative objects,interior decor, and
lighting design). *The intensity of the triggers could also
change according to the story (input) the customer provides in
the reservation questionnaire.
• Web page: simple clean aesthetic of the webpage layout so
that the customer is not influenced by an specific aesthetic or
visual identity. Austere identity is to signify that will be
working with a clean slate or blank canvas.
• Architectural style: it communicates family ambiance,
intimacy, and period of history.
• Smell of orchids: A sweet smell that resembles an exotic
destination.
• Creaking of wood floor: Evocative of being in the warmth of a
home.
• Chef cooking: smell, sound and gestures create an
atmosphere to provoke a hypnotic, mesmerizing and
amplified experience.
• Booklets: as a way to delight (enlighten) the customer with
things that are of their interest. An artifact as a tangible
record, reminder, and time capsule of the family experience.
• Music: Customers select the music to compliment the dining
experience.

14. Pivot!

15. Concept Development // Phase 2
The Emotional Experience of Guilt
FORGING NEW PATHS : We realized that our previous potential solution was
especially feature-heavy, amenity-rich and over-complicated, diluting our intentions
and overall it wasn’t necessarily solving the right problem. Subsequently, we went
back to our research findings and revisited some of the key stakeholder pain points
in the shared experiences journey. We arrived at the consensus that we were
neglecting a substantial data point that came up in many of our interviews. It was
the feeling of guilt when people missed out on events that deserved more of our
attention and presented a more substantial opportunity to deliver positive impact.
How is guilt defined & How is it applicable ?
Guilt is an emotional experience that occurs when a person realizes that they have
compromised their own standards of conduct and bear a significant sense of culpability for the
offense.. When we see others suffer because of something that has been done, it causes us pain
and this constitutes our powerful system of empathy which kicks on like an internal thermostat.
It is in our altruistic nature and adaptive need to maintain connections to those we are close to
and rectify a certain situation in order to course-correct. Since guilt has this inherent adaptive
quality to it, we immediately are driven to fix our relationships and restore equity to them
however what we have realized is that we do not have all of the necessary tools readily
accessible to satisfy our needs for instant gratification or in this case instant reparation.
Modern relationships now have a more dynamic dimension to them because of technological
developments and tools. Empathetic gestures and coping mechanisms and their perceived
effectiveness is directly tied to easily discernible human emotions in order to gauge authenticity
and validity. In other words, in the scenario of offering an apology to someone, a text message or
email should not suffice and should not be used in lieu of or even replace the opportunity for
human connectedness. An emotive interpersonal exchange constitutes seeing someone’s facial
expressions and hearing the tenor of someone’s voice.
Anatomy of Effective
Apology & Empathy
1. Statement of regret for what
happened
2. Clear ‘i’m sorry’ statement
3. Request for forgiveness
4. Offers of compensation
5. Expression of empathy
6. Acknowledgement that certain
rules or social norms were
violated

16. Rapid Prototyping
Our initial solution was to be
integrated with a central calendar
such as google calendar where
one would be able to view all of
person’s events populated in one
central place.
The interface would allow the user
to see the events they are
attending or have declined. The
user would then have access to
capsule messages to send to the
invitee if the invitation was
declined. The option would be for
the person to record a video
message, send a text, send an ecard, or send a personalized
written note which could all be
deployed and sent to the recipient
with a timed-release technology.
There would also be a prompt for
custom gift suggestions which
would lead the user to ecommerce sites.
There is also a feature for the user
to be able to track their process in
a gamified way where they can
view if they have followed-through
with responding to invitations they
have declined.

17. Positioning Statement Exercise & Brand Strategy
BENEFIT
WIth
many
elements
and
variables
compe5ng
for
people’s
a9en5on
in
life,
Toast
leverages
the
ease
and
convenience
of
mobile
technology
to
provide
emo5ve
and
personalized
communica5on
tools
COMPETITIVE FRAME
With the proliferation of online event management
and invitation platforms, people are using these
technologies to rsvp or decline invites, however there
are no existing outlets that provide the opportunity
for sincere empathetic responses should someone be
unable to attend an event.
Designed to ease the emotional experience of guilt
Toast equips socially active people
with the convenience of expressive communication tools
to sustain meaningful personal connections with the people they care
about when unable to attend important events.
REASON TO BELIEVE
Being
absent
from
an
event
has
the
probability
of
being
a
conten5ous
issue
between
people,
especially
if
there
is
li9le
clarity
if
a
person
has
been
earnest
in
their
decline
of
an
invite.
Toast
provides
people
with
the
ability
to
preserve
a
sense
of
community
and
meaningful
connec5ons
through
redeeming
gestures
and
seamless
execu5on.
TARGET MARKET
Designed
for
socially
ac5ve
individuals
who
are
juggling
many
events
and
are
looking
to
retain
and
amplify
the
significance
of
their
personal
connec5ons
should
they
be
absent
from
an
important
life
event.

18. Positioning Statement
Designed to ease the emotional experience of guilt
Toast equips socially active people
with the convenience of expressive communication tools
to sustain meaningful personal connections with the people
they care about when unable to attend important events.

19. SOCIALLY
ACTIVE
Competition Audit
Through our solution we want to
help equip people with the tools to
get into quadrant one.
1
3
Need Guidance &
Tools to Leverage
People use platforms such as the
below to generate invitations and
correspondence for events and
may posses the capabilities to
deploy technology such as Toast.
So these companies can be
considered competitors or
potential strategic future partners.
Altruistic &
Community-Centric
EMPATHYDRIVEN
APATHETIC
2
4
Introverts
PASSIVE
Need Therapy
Competitors

20. Toast Prototype
The newest version of the prototype incorporates our research on the
anatomy of an effective apology to guide the user through crafting an
empathetic response.

21. Customer Journey Map

22. Customer Journey Map

23. Customer Journey Map

24. Customer Journey Map