Three experience modes: immersion, absorption, engagement.
technique — attributed to Andrew Lacanienta
Lacanienta names the three modes of structured experience. Immersion experiences require a balance of challenge and skill, or action and reaction (chess, fencing). Absorption experiences are sensory relaxation and pleasure (massage, wine tasting). Engagement experiences follow an unfolding narrative or story (sports, theater, books). The types are not mutually exclusive; some experiences are both immersion and engagement, or absorption and engagement. The framework matters because it surfaces design choices. A wine tasting should not be designed like a chess tournament. A leadership simulation should not be designed like a spa day. Knowing which mode the experience is in tells the designer which levers to pull.
For experience designers and program architects thinking about which mode their work occupies. The framework is most useful as a diagnostic when a program is underperforming and the mode-mode mismatch may be the cause.
three-modes, immersion, absorption, engagement