Focus on the Experience

When my wife and I took a short trip to San Francisco last year we were told Fisherman’s Wharf was a place we shouldn’t miss. We found the place a bit smelly. We had to hold our noses as we walked past the little seafood shacks.  Also, forget about the 5 second rule – that was not going to happen.

The best part of the pier was the Musée Mécanique, a stunning display of about 200 coin-operated, antique arcade machines. The most memorable machine was a large, animated carnival. With two quarters we witnessed the coordination of over 100 moving parts that simultaneously turn the merry-go-round, spin the ferris wheel along with numerous other moving figures.

It’s About What You Can’t See

As much as I was impressed and entertained by the display, I couldn’t help but to imagine how much work went into this – all for around 30 seconds of motion. It almost seems odd to think of the countless hours of mechanics and details to build one machine that entertains someone for such a short period of time. Then again, this isn’t that dissimilar from what web developers and designers do – hours of planning, copy writing, design, programming and testing for the average visitor to spend two or three minutes on the website.

What do websites have to do with this mechanical sculpture? Its all about creating a memorable experience.