Broadway Never Thought This Way Before
Theater is an ancient art form. With fixing the modern problem, we can’t use ancient techniques. I’ve been introduced to a new way of problem solving called Design Thinking. It’s a highly creative way to identify problems and create meaningful solutions that will improve customer satisfaction. Design Thinking encompasses different stages, but let’s focus on Design Thinking’s Empathy and Journey Maps.
EMPATHY MAP
I’ll let the Chief Designer from NNgroup, Sarah Gibbons, go into detail on what an empathy map is and how to create one.
JOURNEY MAP
Here is Sarah again, but she shows us what a Journey Map is and how we can create one.
Special thanks to Ola Henfridsson, professor at the Miami Herbert Business School, for these videos and his council on this section.
Many tech companies use these Design Thinking to drum up new ideas for products and the issues they might face. Plus, it can be used Design Thinking for an existing business.
So, let’s use it on Broadway.
I created Journey and Empathy Maps to uncover issues that Broadway needs to overcome to reopen safely and effectively. Currently, we can name the glaring problems that will arise with return during a pandemic. But, through our Empathy and Journey maps, we will witness problems we might not have thought of.
The secret with Design Thinking? We transport ourselves into the minds of our customers.
Broadway’s Empathy Maps
These Empathy Maps have been written through the “No Covid-19 Protocol” lens. With this, we are pretending that Broadway opens back up right now with no protection protocols whatsoever. We can see through creating Empathy Maps for Entering, Intermission, and Exiting the overlooked issues that are holding patrons back from returning.
ENTERING
THINKS:
"There are too many people entering the theater at once."
"I don’t know if I want to grab something at the bar due to it being a high touch point area."
"I should use the restroom now because bathrooms at intermission will be busy."
"I hope all railings and seats were cleaned after the last show."
"How many people touched this hearing assistance system before me? I didn’t see any house staff clean it. I wonder if there is an alternative?"
"Did anyone wipe down these seats? Other contact points?"
"I’m worried about sitting next to someone I don’t know."
"Will my mask be the only thing that is protecting me?"
“Was that someone coughing?"
“Are they circulating fresh air in here?"
"I’m too stressed about COVID and the theater doesn’t have any safety precautions. This isn’t worth it."
SAYS:
“There were way too many people that came into the theater at once.”
“The restroom line is still long. No one is social distancing.”
“I’m happy to be back in a theater.”
“I decided to come early to sit sooner and not move past many people.”
“I decided to arrive right before curtain so I can avoid the rush and not be near as many people.”
"Did you see that ticket taker touch her eye before she took my ticket?!"
THINKS:
“I’m not leaving my seat, it’s too much of a risk.”
“I can go to the bathroom and use it but I will only wash my hands. Don’t want to touch the toilets handles.”
“I’m glad to be back in a theater and feel a sense of normalcy.”
“Maybe I should go to the gift shop or the bar?”
“The bar line will be way too long. People won’t be social distancing.”
SAYS:
“The show was great; I can’t wait to see the rest.”
“I hated it. Let’s leave.”
"I don’t feel safe here. The theater isn’t showing me that they are making sure no one gets sick.”
“I heard a person sneeze and cough next to me. Maybe I should switch seats?”
“I wonder if they will clean this place after we leave?”
“I missed Broadway."
EXITING
THINKS:
“Maybe I should’ve left when the curtain went down so that I don’t stand next to too many people.”
“I don’t want to get shoulder to shoulder with a stranger.”
“When I leave, I need to wash my hands.”
SAYS:
“People are not socially distancing as they leave!”
“If people don’t feel comfortable leaving in large crowds, then they shouldn’t be here.”
“I think we should wait till more people leave to not be close to people.”
“People aren’t leaving quickly enough.”
“I’m going to go to the bathroom to wash my hands.”
FEELS:
Overwhelmed
Excited to see a Broadway show again
Anxious to catch Covid-19
Cautious
Paranoid
Stressed
DOES:
Walk through security entrance
Pick up tickets
Use bathroom before show
Browse bar and gift shop
Asks an usher where the seats are
Takes Playbill from usher
Locates seats and sits in seats
Browse Playbill
Checks phone for messages and emails
Turns off phone before show
INTERMISSION
FEELS:
Excited to be back at a show
Overwhelmed
Paranoid
Anxious about catching COVID-19
Cautious
DOES:
Stays in seat for intermission
Leaves at intermission
Leaves seats to use amenities (bathroom/gift shop/ stretch legs)
FEELS:
Overwhelmed exiting in a huge crowd
Anxious
Cautious
Paranoid
Happy to have seen a show
DOES:
Leaves theater
Uses amenities before leaving theater (bathroom/gift shop)
Broadway’s Journey Maps
These Journey Maps have been created with protection protocols in place and how patrons would react. Although no recommendations are currently being discussed on this page, learning how patrons might react to recommended protocols can allow us to create better protocols to avoid possible issues.
Click on the buttons to view the full map for each stage of a patron’s experience at the theater.
Our Findings from Design Thinking
We have seen from our Empathy and Journey Maps that congestion entering the theater, inside, and exiting are the biggest issues we need to overcome. Frankly, Broadway will always have crowds in its small common areas. The Deadline article interviewing the head of the Broadway League, Charlotte St. Martin, nods to Broadway only returning when 100% capacity is guaranteed*. So, let’s prepare for that.
*https://deadline.com/2020/04/reopening-broadway-charlotte-st-martin-broadway-league-candid-conversation-1202910054/
Another issue is the amount of contact points where the virus can live. With that, we need to eliminate and/or replace as many contact points as possible. This includes, but not limited to Playbills, items at bars and gift shops, and audio assistance devices. Finally, we need to address the worry and stress people will have in returning. Broadway needs to notify its patrons prior to attending that theaters are doing their part to keep their customers and employees safe. In addition, if a patron is willing to return to Broadway, the patron must understand that they are putting themselves at risk to catching Coronavirus.
I predict that there will not be swarms of people returning when Broadway reopens. In talks with one house manager from The Shubert Organization, they predicted that shows attracting a more New York audience will rebound more quickly than shows that rely heavily on tourists. We may see shows like Chicago or Phantom close due to the lack of an out-of-town audience. Hopefully, that won’t be the case.
From our Design Thinking Maps, to our common knowledge of theater, we can now make recommendations on how Broadway’s audience can return safely and effectively.