Overview

This week we had a guest lecture from Big Motive. They delivered a lecture on the importance of storytelling in the realm of design. Big Motive placed significant emphasis on storytelling as a dynamic and powerful tool in the design process.

They explained how the strategic use of storytelling can significantly enhance the effectiveness of projects by providing a compelling means of communication with the audience. This, in turn, can facilitate gaining valuable insights and fostering a sense of empathy.

What is Storytelling? — updated 2024

I found this article by the interaction design foundation which echoed a lot of the points raised by Big Motive in todays lecture. It is clear that this is a widely accepted and used design thinking methodology to develop outcomes and strengthen them. They also outlined things to consider in the article when applying story telling in design:

Always Consider

• The What: The user problem/s you define—E.g., They work too much overtime because of…? Budgeting problems at home?
• The Who: The users themselves, envisioned through personas. This includes influential people in the main user’s/persona’s story. You can identify them using customer journey maps.
• The How: Your story arc, with a beginning, middle and end. From introducing the player/s at the beginning, you build towards their biggest problems (which many factors can affect) and finish with the happy ending your design delivers.

Aristotles 7 Elements of Story Telling

Aristotles 7 Elements of Story Telling

They introduced Aristotle's 7 elements of storytelling as a foundational underpinning of the design process. One of these elements is the 'character' or the 'persona'. This is so important to the storytelling process as it provides a human-centered approach to design. Big Motive stressed the use of personas, mindsets, and empathy maps as effective tools to frame the user's perspective, thus making the design process more empathetic and user-centered.

Another key element of storytelling in design is the 'plot'. The plot in design is typically navigated through the use of storyboarding and user journeys. These are crucial aspects of the design process that provide a clear pathway for the evolution of the design. However, these are sometimes overlooked or neglected in product design, thereby impacting the effectiveness of the final product.

The use of language and tone of voice was also highlighted as a critical aspect of design storytelling. Big Motive advocated for the use of accessible and inclusive language that resonates with a broad audience.

The 'decor', another element from Aristotle's storytelling framework, is reflected in the visual identity of the design. This underscores the need for the design’s appearance to be just as important as its functionality, thereby creating a balance between aesthetics and utility.