Clinical Wedding
Designing Theater Through a UX Lens. People come to the theater expecting entertainment. I approached it as a living lab. Beneath the satire and absurdity, I mapped motivations, observed behaviors, and co-created with cast and crew. The goal wasn’t just to stage a comedy—it was to craft an experience that audiences stepped into, felt, and carried with them after the curtain closed.
Theater as UX Lab
From Stage to Experience
Designing Beyond the Curtain
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Project Details
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Role: Visual Experience & Brand Designer
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Year: 2017
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Team: Director, Choreographer, Actors
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Platform: The Stage :)
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Focus: Conversion lift, Immersive experience.
Why I Cared
Most people think theater is about drama. I thought it was about research.
This satiric comedy production was bold, absurd, and unpredictable — but behind the curtain, I applied UX design methodologies to shape the end-to-end experience. My challenge: ensure that audiences (and cast/crew) didn’t just watch a play, but lived it.
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Research Approach
I treated this production like a product launch:
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Audience Interviews = User Interviews — uncovering motivations, needs, frustrations.
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Rehearsal Observations = Contextual Inquiry — noting confusion points in real time.
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Feedback Sessions = Co-Creation Workshops — iterating with cast, crew, and test audiences.
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Thematic Analysis = Affinity Mapping — grouping feedback into patterns (connection, fatigue, accessibility).
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Persona Development + JTBD — framing who attends and why what role theater plays in their lives.
Personas + JTBD
1. The Tireless Worker
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Mid-aged immigrant, rare nights off.
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JTBD: “When I finally get a rare night off, I want an event that’s worth the effort, so I feel recharged and connected.”
2. The Curious Connector
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Second-generation Georgian-American, exploring heritage.
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JTBD: “When I attend cultural events, I want to learn in a fun, social way, so I can feel proud and connected.”
3. The Newcomer
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Young first-generation immigrant, recently arrived.
JTBD: “When I go to a cultural event, I want it to feel like home away from home, so I can stay rooted while building my new life.”
Design Process
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Color Story = Information Architecture
White = Normalcy (Act I)
Black = Conflict (Act II)
Red = Chaos (Act III)
Colors acted as experience cues, guiding emotions like a design system guides navigation. -
Rehearsals = Usability Testing
Each rehearsal surfaced usability issues (confusing transitions, cultural gaps). We iterated like wireframes -
Feedback Loops = Agile Iteration
Personas shaped design decisions:
Tireless Workers → shorter intermissions, clear signage.
Curious Connectors → more embedded cultural context.
Newcomers → affordability and easier navigation. -
End-to-End Flow = Service Design Blueprint
Ticketing → Arrival → Performance → Socializing → Exit. Each stage tied back to JTBD.​
Performance
By applying qualitative research, personas, and JTBD, this production moved beyond a script — it became an experience that resonated with audiences and scaled to new cities.
Outcomes
One of a kind user experience: exploration, experimentation, excellence.
Launch impact:
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60% increase in audience turnout post–NYC debut, enabling a successful multi-city tour.
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Personas felt validated:
Tireless Workers: “Worth the night out.”
Curious Connectors: “I learned something.”
Newcomers: “It felt like home.” -
The color-coded acts worked like UX navigation cues — guiding the emotional journey without explanation.
Stage or screen, the rule is the same: design for the humans in the seats.
From backstage chaos to product dashboards, research and design always make the show run smoother.
Theater is live usability testing: real users, real reactions, zero do-overs.