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As interaction designers we do well at facilitating the complex dialogue between people and the interactive products they use. But we often neglect to consider the story that evolves through the interactions people have with the things we make. Designing with a narrative in mind can make a difference between a product that merely functions well and a product that engages the minds, emotions and imaginations of users. Drawing on personal experience, narrative theory and examples ranging from interactive products to film, this presentation is a call to action for designers to equip themselves with a deeper understanding of narrative techniques. We’ll focus on core aspects such as theme, scene-making, and sequencing to illustrate how thinking like a storyteller can make you a better designer. You’ll also learn how this approach can be a powerful basis for holistic design. Link to video: http://www.ixda.org/resources/cindy-chastain-thinking-storyteller
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Thinking Like a Storyteller
Cindy Chastain @cchastain
#ixd10 #story
What’s the deal with ���Storytelling?
revised title:
design thinking!
innovation!
storytelling!
personas
scenarios
storyboards brand stories
product stories
user stories
framework
communication tool
demos
my story
Ahhh..this button, ���will direct a call to the
president of the company. Oh! the call is going
through….If the president of the company gets his call, he will be happy. If he is happy, I
will be noticed. If I am noticed, perhaps I can get a
raise… This device is so good for my life!
self-narratives
how can we, as designers, provide
cues that will deepen that narrative connection?
emotional cognitive
engagement
What can we learn from the discipline of storytelling that will help us design for more meaningful and engaging product experiences?
the ultimate question
slow disclosure
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surprise
Stories engage us because of ���the way they’re designed.
If we, as designers, had a better understanding of how stories are crafted, we would have a better understanding of how to craft deeper kinds of engagement in the interactive products we create.
Act I: Theory the construction and deconstruction of narrative (!)
All stories are, “in their general conception, ���modes of imitation.”
-Aristotle
The Poetics
But what makes them differ…
Objects
Medium
Manner
Two Manners of Storytelling…
dramatic/showing narrative/telling
diegetic mimetic
Plot (events)
Character (agents)
Thought (ideas/theme)
Diction (language)
Song (pattern)
Spectacle (the visual)
Aristotle’s Six Qualitative Elements of Drama
So, how does this relate to interactive products?
the shape of narrative flow
introduction and setting of characters explanation of state of affairs complicating action ensuing events outcome ending
Canonical Story Format
introduction and setting of characters explanation of state of affairs complicating action ensuing events outcome ending
Narrative Flow
understanding narrative craft will help us get there
Act II: Craft Or what we can learn from storytelling about the ���art of narrative flow.
Plot (events)
Character (agents)
Thought (ideas/theme)
Diction (language)
Song (pattern)
Spectacle (the visual)
Aristotle’s Six Qualitative Elements of Drama
Plot (events)
Character (agents)
Thought (ideas/theme
Diction (language)
Song (pattern)
Spectacle (the visual))
Three Primary Elements of Storytelling
first element: plot
To understand a film’s story is to grasp what happens and where, when and why it happens.
communicate potential
express causality
reinforce probability
facilitate completion
four relevant mechanics of dramatic narration
communicate potential
cognitive/emotional
express causality
cognitive
reinforce probability
cognitive/emotional + meaning
facilitate completion
emotional
second element: character
Well designed system-based agents, can contribute to dramatic engagement, elicit empathy, and influence the actions and emotional responses of human agents involved in the same activity.
Act III: Challenge
If we can move away from thinking of products in terms of interfaces and start thinking of them as representations or environments, in which agents perform actions we will get us to a place where we can design more fluid and engaging dialogues/experiences.
understand the craft of
storytelling
design with a narrative in mind
develop narrative craft for design
yes, we can use it
