Dimensions of Experience

The Elite 2.0 line captures attention not only for its supposed elite functionality but also for the striking stylization. Characterised by the vibrant colour pairing - the almost neon accents against the intense blue and grey. This bold aesthetics adds freshness to the line and provides for excitement during play. As Legaard (2023) argues, excitement is a crucial element for creating meaningful experiences with the toy. Toys designed for excitement can unlock meaning during play through exploration. 

There are five differents categories of meaning that toys can unlock (Jensen, 2013):

  1. Symbolic
  2. Associated
  3. Pragmatic
  4. Profound
  5. Affective

Each of the categories is unlocked through a different dimension of experience, as seen in a table below. 

Dimensions of Experience and Categories of Meaninng. Source: Legaard (2023)

Associated and symbolic meaning are linked, both relating to the form and aesthetics of the toy (Legaard, 2023, p. 176). They are “directly perceivable attributes of an object such as form, materials, colours, and signage” (Legaard, 2023, p. 176). Pragmatic meaning is expressed through the interaction with the object, such as the affordances of different buttons and their functionality. This dimension of experience provides for a more profound experience - as the experience is not interacting with a toy on its own, but to engage in play that is bigger than the toy itself. Lastly, the affective meaning. It does not relate to the single experience with the toy but rather its repeated use, creating a temporal dimension of experience with space and time (Legaard, 2023, p. 176)

In this tour, we will focus on various attributes of the toy on hand and discuss they can create meaningful experiences for the user. We approach this task from the standpoint of design thinking and user experience to analyse the different types of experiences that are possible with the Nerf gun. In this effort, we look both at the toy itself as well as the context around it. 

We will argue that the Nerf toy gun is imposing an imagined narrative for play – the affordances of a gun nudge the children into play revolving around elements of violence. On top of that, the vibrant colours, and the cues on the toy – such as Elite and Commander signs – direct the players into creating a specific narrative. This can be, e.g., an elite hit squad. 

Compared to other Nerf lines – such as the collaborations with Minecraft or Fortnite – children have more creative freedom to set the narrative as in those settings they are likely to set their play in contexts of the worlds which inspired the merchandise. The Elite 2.0 line does not have such connotations as it is not based on an intellectual property (IP) outside of the Nerf world.  

In that case, the flashy colours and stylisation of the toy can serve as a way to keep children excited about the toy gun and stimulate them to create their own narrative from the markers of the toy – the colour and the text elements.