The dramatic arc illustrates the level of the persona's engagement at each step. It helps to reflect on the pace and rhythm of an experience.
What dramatic arc is and how to use?
A dramatic arc is a graph showing the level of a persona's engagement at each step on a 5-point Likert scale from 1 (very low) to +5 (very high). There are moments of “thrill” (i.e. high engagement) and moments of chill (i.e. low engagement) – and both can be positive or negative.
Use a dramatic arc to illustrate the rhythm of an experience. When is a persona relaxed and when excited? Each step is evaluated on a 5-point scale from 1 (low) to 5 (high). It can be used to analyze an existing experience as well as to plan a future concept along a desired dramatic arc. A low dramatic arc when purchasing a few standard pencils is acceptable but a low dramatic arc when sitting on a rollercoaster is definitely not.
Combine dramatic arc with emotional journey
Emotional journeys represent a persona’s level of satisfaction at each step. The higher the value, the higher the satisfaction.
A dramatic arc is a graph showing the level of a persona's engagement at each step. There are moments of “thrill” (i.e., high engagement) and moments of chill (i.e., low engagement). Both moments of high and low engagement can be positive or negative. For example, a high value on the dramatic arc on a rollercoaster is a must-have, however at a hospital most of the time it’s better to have people calm and relaxed.
Together with the emotional journey, a dramatic arc will indicate what the most essential pain points are: Those with a high value on the dramatic arc (high engagement) and with a negative value on the emotional journey (very unsatisfied) are the experiences you should fix first.
Combination of dramatic arc and emotional journey. In this case, the third step of the emotional journey shows a very low satisfaction and a very high engagement. This means this step should be made a priority to be analyzed and improved right in the beginning!