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Waiting is difficult, especially when there is nothing we can do to help or change the situation. We often say, “I wish there is something I can do to help.” In other words, we cannot influence the outcome of whatever has put us in the waiting situation. We as humans like to be able to control things or at the very least influence the outcome, but sometimes that option is taken away from us, and all we can do is sit tight and wait.

Another reason why waiting is so difficult is because in many cases you do not know what the outcome will be. “If I only knew that he was going to be alright I would feel better,” Vicky said to herself while sitting in the waiting room at the hospital. Uncertainty is not easy to handle and some are more difficult to handle than others. A student waiting to see if she is going to pass a certain course which will determine whether he/she can graduate or not is a different kind of uncertainty than a mother waiting in a hospital room to hear if her son is going to make it or not. Some uncertainties give you another chance even if inconvenient. You can try another lender if one bank turns you down. You can go back to school an extra semester if you fail that class. But you cannot bring your child back to life if he doesn’t make it. All uncertainties are not equal.

A third reason why waiting is hard is that we as people don’t like to wait. We like things to happen when we want it to happen and even how we want it to happen. Patience is not something that is cultivated a lot these days. We like “instant” everything and “ready-made” stuff. We don’t like waiting in lines. We don’t like waiting for our food. We can’t wait to grow up. Then we can’t wait to get promoted or later to retire. This “waiting” thing drives most of us crazy and we complain about it. One particular government department was infamous for making people wait. I think you can guess. Things have gotten much better now.

Well, whether we like waiting or not it is a part of life. We may never get accustomed to it but we have to accept it. Not everything we want can be instant. And some things are just better when you wait. Just remember, patience is a virtue, and some things are just worth waiting for.

"We as humans spend 2 to 3 years of our live in queues"

How Corona influenced the waiting queues in different situations.

“The new queuing culture creates more fairness and I think people are nicer to each other. It does something for the harmony in our bodies,”

“We are basically behaving better and have a lower heart rate.”

Waiting in line never has been fun, but now with COVID-19 it can be dangerous. Grocery stores, theme parks and other retail outlets have tried to use tape or other systems to enforce social distancing measures that prevent the spread of COVID-19; however, it can be a struggle with customers not used to the system or simply not paying it any mind.The solution may be in virtual queuing, methods that allow customers to get in a line that exists outside the physical realm and then be notified when they should come in.

There are two theories: We might get over it and continue our lives as we did before, or, as many scientists predict, we may change our behavior and become more cautious about infections. In case we become more cautious. Theme parks are known as crowded places, where people are often packed, with queue lines being the most intense form of this.

Do guests really want to stay in queue lines after Covid-19? Or will they be reluctant to do so and prefer to go to Theme parks without queue lines? Research has shown that waiting in queues already was the no. 1 guest complaint and until now somehow the parks could get away with it as a kind of fact of life. But now there is a much more pressing health and hygienic awareness that can make crowded queues simply no longer socially acceptable. Also just imagine what a social distancing of 1,5 meters between people would mean for the required queueing length and space.

The Theme park world is used to queue lines and it is even part of their business plans. But maybe this is the time to step away from traditional models and investigate alternative business plans. What if one can manage to run a Theme park without queue lines? Does this negatively influence the daily capacity? The good news is that operating without queue lines is possible, keeping the capacity and improving park business models.

My Own Waiting Experiences

Two weeks ago I needed to go to the dentist because it had been a long time that I had an appointment. I go to a dentist in the village I grew up called Budel. It was not possible to book an appointment online, the only way is to call the receptionist. I am really used to making appointments online and would like to call as little as possible so for me, this is a point which the dentist can improve. After making my appointment I was focusing on my waiting experience for this project. The waiting room is the first chance to tell patients that the dentist cares about you. Once I arrived at the practice the receptionist welcomed me warmly. Unfortunately, there was only one person allowed in the waiting room due to corona, so I had to wait outside. Lucky the weather was nice but this would not be acceptable if it is raining outside. I do understand that it is really hard for them to adjust their office with the current corona guidelines. It was a than a typical quite small white, cold and hygienically clean waiting room. So how about my research question. I guess that this dentist is too small to use gamification in their waiting room however they can create some sort of digital experience for patients on their mobile devices. Maybe it is about teaching children how they can properly clean their teeth. Which is remembering me of a project created by Achtung for Phillips. I will dive a bit deeper in this project below.

To make children’s car journeys more entertaining, Volkswagen has created a location-based app that tells personalised stories based on what kids can see out of the back window.

A road trip is a right of passage for many families. It is a time for families to spend hours on end enjoying one another, playing games, seeing new sights, and creating memories. But waiting to get from point A to B can be tough on kids.

Road Tales is originally tackling the issue that kids are using too much screen time. By inspiring children’s imaginations by giving them a reason to put their tablets away and look outside the window instead. The app detects ordinary objects such as tunnels, windmills, pass overs, gas stations, and electricity poles and transforms them in real-time into story elements. For example, a tunnel turns into a rocket launcher. It gives parents an alternative to the usual screen-oriented car entertainment while ensuring that kids are still kept happy in the back seat. It makes the waiting experience for kids fun and playful. I guess this level of interactiveness improves the waiting experience not only for kids but also for the parents. It can be seen as a great example of how we can use gamification to improve our waiting experiences in other practices for the future.

In this thesis written by Christine Anna Marie Lohmann the effect of Gamification and emotional framing on the Overall Satisfaction of waiting at the dentist is explained. Gamification resulted in a lower Level of Stress and Frustration

Within previous studies there is already shown a positive effect of Gamification on in waiting situations. This thesis builds upon these findings and aims to make a distinction between congruent and incongruent Gamification to further improve the satisfaction with the waiting situation. The thesis concludes that Gamification has a positive influence on Time Appraisal and the Overall Satisfaction of the waiting situation at the dentist. The type of game that the person plays, and the emotional setting he/she is in,may not influence the overall satisfaction. Based on these findings, dentists may consider adding Gamification to their waiting process to improve the Overall Satisfaction of their patients. So this paper is a guideline that gamification has a positive effect on the waiting experience of the patient.

The Effect of Gamification and Emotional Framing on the Overall Satisfaction of Waiting at a Dentist

Waiting is inherent in to our daily life. We are waiting in line at the checkout of the supermarket, when we are calling a service desk or for train to arrive. It is a part of our life we do not enjoy.

Well, whether we like waiting or not it is a part of our life. We may never get accustomed to it but we have to accept it. Not everything we want can be instant. I do believe that corona changed the way we experience waiting. It became more efficient but waiting will not disappear.

While most studies investigate economic factors, population-oriented or marketing, my document is focused on the experience people have when waiting and how gamification may play a role in their waiting experience.

An investigation based on significant events and fairs of digital interactive games such as roadtales can improve the daily waiting experience of kids maybe even for adults. Gamification leads to a lower level of Stress and frustration as well as Time Appraisal, which is a positive outcome. It has a main effect on Mood and Perceived Waiting Time. Me as a designer will after my research consider the opportunity of adding Gamification to the waiting process. In summary: