How knowledge ruins a con experience

My mind is obsessing about how to run a Clocktower convention. Like so many products sold to the public, I see the curse of knowledge getting in the way of good design.

There is a test you can do that shows ‘the curse of knowledge’. With a friend, try tapping out a famous song and see if your friend can guess the song. While they most likely won’t be able to guess it, it’s hard for you to imagine not hearing it.

Designing something like a con can suffer from this curse. As the organizer, you know where everything is and why it’s there. You know when the events are and even where the food is. But your customers won’t know a thing unless your share that information in an easy to find and understand way. Or else it’s as useful as trying to decipher random tapping.

While organizers are worried about licenses and vendor terms, I as a an attendee want to know how to get to the venue and where parking is free. They might put up a welcome sign , but I’m looking left and right for the registration booth. With no clear instructions I feel anxious and confused.

And it’s not just information, it’s comfort. A con can be 3 long days, 12 hours at a time in a single place. We get tired. We want to rest and take a load off our feet. We want to cool down if hot, and vice versa. We require a quiet space and possibly a place to charge our phones. It’s simply not an option for long physically demanding days.

To create a great con, or any product really, you have to become a customer. Walk through the entire experience from the moment the event is announced, to buying a ticket, booking accommodations and travel, registration, sign ups, getting food, using the restrooms, tossing trash, shopping merch, storing your stuff, sitting, walking, looking for friends, finding my schedule, having a minor medical emergency, needing special accommodations, feeling safe, and also playing games.

You cannot guarantee a good experience if you have never experienced it for yourself. And you can’t experience it for yourself until you free yourself from the curse of knowledge.