Thesis | Megan Marflak Design

Beyond the Parks: Applying Theme Park Design to Everyday Experiences

Schreyer Honors College Thesis

Overview

This thesis, currently in progress, explores the enduring popularity of theme parks—focusing on the Walt Disney World Resort—and how their designers use psychological principles to create satisfying and memorable visitor experiences. Through a design case study, it examines the potential benefits of applying these strategies to enhance everyday commercial brands and experiences.

📌 Key Areas of Exploration

This thesis investigates how theme park design principles can be applied to an outdoor food and vending experience to foster emotional connection and engagement, showcasing their impact on everyday interactions.

Key areas of exploration in this study include:

Emotional Design

Examines how visual elements evoke human responses, including emotions and behaviors, especially in theme park environments

Mickey's 10 Commandments

Analzyes theme park deisgn principles through the lens of psychology and applies them

in a design case study

Audience Research

Defines research-based target users and their expecations through personas and journey mapping

Experiental Development

Considers the development of meaningful, interactive, and immersive guest interactions.

Design Development

Implements intentional, story-driven branding while considering vendor touch points and opportunities for engagement

Everyday Experiences

Analyzes the benefits of applying theme park and psychological design principles to everyday experiences.

This thesis will be available in April 2025––please check back then for the complete design research case study.