Phase 4. Observed.

Phase 4 of the consumer off-boarding experience is Observed.
Visible or tangible evidence that the end is progressing.

At some point in the off-boarding experience the consumer might be shown a representation of the end happening. This could be the crushing of a plastic bottle, or a graphic depicting the deletion of files, or a piece of paper with evidence that actions are in progress. This is a useful method of informing the consumer of progress and encouraging the idea of closure at the end of the consumer lifecycle.

Sometimes this might be a difficult experience for the consumer to witness. In other situations, it might come as a relief. As an experience it helps to re-enforce a negative situation or a legal status. In other cases, it helps build trust that a conclusion is imminent.

A crescendo of fireworks

Fireworks have often been a feature of endings. They bring an awe–inspiring visual thrill that helps punctuate an event, bonding large groups of people together in reflective wonder. National holidays and New Year celebrations are common reasons for fireworks. As a world leader in creating experiences, Disney does a great job in bringing an end to a visitor’s day.

There are seven daily alternative shows. Some are located around the Disney Castle, which provides an impressive foreground feature. Others are located around different parts of the parks. They seem to be universally loved by guests, helping to embed memories for years to come. Here is a reaction from a visitor to the Florida park.

However, when researching this aspect of phases of the end in 2020, we were all locked down, as were the park attractions. Putting the crescendo out of reach at the time. As the Disney website puts it - Happily Ever After, Temporarily Unavailable.

Microsoft UX guidelines

The Microsoft UX guidelines describe how animations can help the consumer observe the deletion of a file. An added level of graphics helps the consumer see the difference between recoverable deleted files and permanently deleted files.

“The progress bar for the Outlook Delete command displays the Recycle Bin for the destination if the files can be recovered, but no Recycle Bin if the files can’t be recovered. In this example, the lack of a Recycle Bin reinforces that the files are being permanently deleted.”

The lack of a destination brings up a recurring problem with deletion of data, which is that there is no evidence to prove the end has happened.