For my simulated final project I have selected the theme of waiting. This past week I dug into doing some research on waiting. I looked into psychology of slowing down and boredom, the psychology of waiting in lines, waiting design (formally known as service design) and waiting narratives. I also brainstormed different types of waiting and categorized them by type. Here are some summaries from my findings.
Waiting for Godot
Boredom/Slowing down
Default mode network - our brain when we are “bored”
“It is during these times that we might be daydreaming, recalling memories, envisioning the future, monitoring the environment, thinking about the intentions of others, and so on--all things that we often do when we find ourselves just "thinking" without any explicit goal of thinking in mind.”
In her TED Talk, podcaster Manouch Zomorodi talks about how learning about this inspired her to write a book about our relationship with devices and why default mode is important:
So our body, it goes on autopilot while we're folding the laundry or we're walking to work, but actually that is when our brain gets really busy. Here's boredom researcher Dr. Sandi Mann: ‘Once you start daydreaming and allow your mind to really wander, you start thinking a little bit beyond the conscious, a little bit into the subconscious, which allows sort of different connections to take place. It's really awesome, actually.’
In this “default mode” a few things happen according to Zomorodi:
we connect disparate ideas
solve some of our most nagging problems
do "autobiographical planning”, looking back on our lives, taking note of big moments, create a personal narrative and set goals and figure out steps to reach them
There is still a lot about it that isn’t well understood, but with constant stimulation from devices, this is happening less frequently for the average person.
Other related ted talks:
Psychology of waiting in lines
NYTimes - Why Waiting is Torture
“This story hints at a general principle: the experience of waiting, whether for luggage or groceries, is defined only partly by the objective length of the wait.”
“Occupied time (walking to baggage claim) feels shorter than unoccupied time (standing at the carousel).”
Research on queuing has shown that, on average, people overestimate how long they’ve waited in a line by about 36 percent.
Mirrors are next to elevators so that people have something to pass the time with
For the same reason, supermarkets have impulse buy items
Uncertainty magnifies the stress of waiting
Feedback on waiting experience can make it better
Experiences of waiting strongly influenced by final moments
“Slips and skips” in line - demand for fairness
Lines are a social system
Choosing lines - people focus on the line they’re “losing” to instead of the one they are beating
Fairness also dictates that the length of a line should be commensurate with the value of the product or service for which we’re waiting.
More on The Psychology of Waiting in Lines
People want to get started
Anxiety makes waits seem longer
Uncertain waits are longer than known, finite waits
Unexplained waits are longer than explained waits (same idea as feedback)
Unfair waits are longer than equitable waits
Solo waits feel longer than group waits
Service Design/Queueing theory
There is a whole science around making people wait in lines! Everyone points to Disney as the master fo this.
8 principles
Emotions dominate
Eliminate Confusion
The Wait must be appropriate
Set expectations
Keep people occupied
Be Fair
End Strong, Start Strong
Memory of an event is more important than the experience
Design Implication: Make the surrounds bright and cheery, attractive and inviting.
More resources on queueing theory
Another Queueing Theory explanation from wikipedia
Art About Waiting
I also revisited one of my favorite plays, Waiting for Godot, to understand what makes the play so compelling. The whole plot is people waiting together (for Godot) and the whole time it’s unclear who Godot is or why they are waiting for him or when he will come. I found the below diagram that explains really concisely the emotional arc that makes the play work:
Waiting Experiences
For something to start - anticipation:
Movie
Summer
For someone to come back
Pot to boil
Cookies to be done
Internet dial-up
Tape to rewind
For something to change:
Delay on an airplane
Delay on the subway
Stoplight to turn green
Someone to leave
Ice to freeze/Ice to melt
For something to arrive:
Subway platform
Bus stop
Santa
Letter
Phone call
For a friend
Takeout delivery
Food at restaurant
Coffee order
Elevator
Email
Text
In line:
Post office
Grocery Store
Airport
Drive through
DMV
Voting
Doctor’s office
For something to pass by:
Cars when crossing the street
On the sidewalk: birds, dogs, bikers, joggers
Parade
Race
And finally, from Phantom Thread:
Reynolds: “Waiting for what?”
Alma: “For you to leave me”