EREISE Framework

A useful guide to designing end-to-end immersive entertainment experiences in a physical space. 

Published on: 5 December 2023


Introduction

This framework is a proposed complement to Larry Keeley’s 5E Experience Design Model in 1994, which was later developed further by various organizations to meet their unique design needs.

The 5E Experience Design Model is a popular guideline utilized by Experience Designers to design the entirety of a physical experience from considering ways to attract participants to the space to evaluating methods that can allow participants to reminisce in post-experience.  The beauty of this intentional end-to-end framework is in its applicability to a broad spectrum of experiences, such as a restaurant guest experience or a gallery visitor experience. 

5E Experience Design Model
Photo: Courtesy of Conifer Research

However, due to the intricacies involved in an immersive entertainment experience, the 5E model’s general applicability might lack the latitude to account for such complexities. 

Let's design a Holistic Immersive Experience

Hence, this is the guide for immersive entertainment experience designers, one that invites individuals to temporarily live and be in an alternate world that has been carefully orchestrated.

To be wholly immersed in such an experience is akin to Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s Flow state theory where one wholly involves themselves in an activity that challenges the mind whilst doing it in enjoyment.  In the Flow state, the individual is completely undistracted and the experience feels almost effortless.  In the case of an immersive entertainment experience, it would mean that the participant would be able to temporarily convince himself that he is living in an alternate realm.

However, in this article, it is opined that as our brains have a mind of their own and our past experiences unequivocally affect our perspectives, it is practically impossible for an individual to be fully immersed throughout the entire duration of an experience.  Hence, due to such intricacies that need to be considered when designing for a fully immersive experience, it is opined that the 5E model’s broad applicability is insufficient to do so.

EREISE

An immersive entertainment experience is complex in nature as in its essence, it is an attempt to temporarily convince the participant of the realism of an alternate world and distract him from reality.

To ease into such a mind-boggling situation, it takes time and space for participants to acclimate to the experience; which is absent in the 5E model which goes from Entice to Enter, and Enter to Engage. Similarly, to depart from such an experience can be disorientating and would require time and space to transition back to reality. Hence, the EREISE Framework is designed to account for these intricacies that can assist designers in advancing toward creating a fully immersive experience.

Additionally, unlike the 5E model, the EREISE Framework ends with Exit and does not end with Extend as this is constructed with the belief that if an experience is truly immersive, there is little purpose in designing for Extend. Upon the conclusion of the immersive experience, participants would have formed an impressionable memory around the experience and it should be permanently lodged in the crevice of their brains.

Lastly, it is to be noted that this framework is not proposed as a replacement for Keeley’s 5E model, but should instead be used as a complement; especially in designing immersive entertainment experiences. 

This concept can be thought of closely as the experience of a journey on an airplane, which is a surprisingly relevant portrayal of how an immersive experience intends to elevate one to an alternate realm. 

Entice: Checking In 

Entice provides a sense of anticipation and lays the expectations of the experience. Similar to checking in for a flight, one builds up anticipation for the flight journey that will happen in due time and gain an overview of what is to come. 

Regulate: Airplane Taxiing 

Regulate aims to orientate one’s emotions and prepare their mindset for the experience. This stage is akin to the plane driving on the runway right before take-off; one can sense the ascend coming and begin mentally preparing themselves for it. 

Enter: Airplane Take-off 

Enter marks the official beginning of the experience which is akin to the lift-off and the ascent itself. 

Immerse: Airplane in Aviation 

Immerse is a multisensorial journey that takes one through the story being told and into an alternate realm. This is much like the airplane flying in the skies where one experiences turbulence, thunderstorms, blinding sun, and various conditions. 

Soak: Airplane Descending 

Soak works as a gentle reminder that the experience is coming to an end and prevents disorientation by reeling in the expectation of a conclusion. As the plane descends, one can begin to expect the bumps of the airplane wheels against the runway shortly. 

Exit: Airplane Landing 

Exit provides the clearest indication that the experience has concluded, which is similar to the action of landing where the bumps are a direct signal that the airplane journey has ended. 

1.  Entice

The first stage retains the original essence of the 5E model which describes that at this stage, designers should consider why participants would decide to go to the experience and methods to attract participants to the experience.

Questions to consider at this stage are: 

2.  Regulate

An additional step right before Enter, Regulate is a stage that allows participants the time and space to ease into the immersive experience of an alternate world. As participants arrive at the experience from all walks of life and their respective prior plans on the day of the experience, some may be feeling tired, some may be upset about something, or some may even be overly excited.

This stage considers ways to calm down extreme emotions and level everyone’s emotions as close to neutral as possible. Additionally, this stage allows designers to begin introducing the storyline of the experience or certain details of the alternate world to participants.

Questions to consider at this stage are: 

a. What might be considered as “too much” information?


b. What information delivery methods are most suitable for the experience?

3.  Enter

While the 5E model describes this stage as “[marking] a beginning and [providing] guidance and orientation to the experience”, this framework takes the stance that it simply marks the official start of the experience and orientation should have occurred in Regulate. As immersive experiences are a multisensorial event, it is belated for orientation to occur at this stage as it could potentially overload the participant’s sensory input.

Questions to consider at this stage are: 

4.  Immerse

The 5E model describes this stage as ‘Engage’ where designers would consider the artifacts that can indulge participants’ senses. This stage proposes an additional consideration on top of that: The minimization of distractions.

Distractions are found to be one of the deep-rooted reasons why a fully immersive experience is hardly achievable. While our brain is not something that we can realistically control to not be distracted during an experience, we can attempt to control the physical distractions as much as possible. Examples of distractions include phones, overcrowding of participants, and an overly complicated backstory.  

Questions to consider at this stage are: 

a. What are the materials, tools, and artifacts being used?

5.  Soak

An additional step right before Exit, this stage provides the space and time for participants to anticipate that the experience is concluding and mentally prepare themselves to return to reality.

This area should also be designed to allow participants to acclimate back to reality and act as a final parting embrace to the experience before heading to Exit. This can prevent an abrupt end of the experience and potentially disorient the participant.  

Questions to consider at this stage are: 

6.  Exit

In line with the 5E model, the exit should provide a clear indication that the experience has concluded. As this is the final touchpoint before participants return to reality, this area should be definitive and guide them to where the exit point is.  

Questions to consider at this stage are: