This document discusses how storytelling can be used to create emotionally engaging user experiences (UX). It argues that stories are more memorable than facts and help form bonds with audiences. The document outlines some elements of stories, such as plot, characters, language, and visuals, and notes that UX elements like visual design, text, and interactions may not be as coordinated. It suggests using themes found through user research to guide UX design in the same way themes guide story design. Applying themes to UX can produce pleasure, meaning, and emotion for users. Fundamental principles of storytelling like relevance, structure, authenticity, and simplicity also apply to creating engaging UX.

1. Exploring Storytelling
for Emotionally Engaging UX
Mudit Singhal
Storycentre
mudit.singhal@storycentre.in

2. Stories…
…are 22 times more
memorable than plain facts
Jennifer Aaker
Social Psychologist, Professor of Marketing
Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business

3. Stories…
…capture attention

4. Stories…
…help form a bond with the
audience

5. Stories…
…move people
to action

6. Stories…
…create experiences

7. Aristotle’s 6 Elements of Drama
Plot (Events)
Character (Agent)
Thought (Ideas/Theme)
Diction (Language)
Song (Pattern)
Spectacle (Visual)

8. The Strategic Core…

9. Elements of Stories are co-ordinated…
image/cinematography
Film
actors
locations/sets
music/sound
editing
coordinated in service of story
lighting
words/lines

10. Elements of UX may not be co-ordinated
visual design
copy/text
information/content
navigation
layout/content presentation
processes
animations
creative
marketing
business
information
architecture/
interaction
design
error messages
outside resource
music/sound
help
engineering
product VP’s
assistant
interactions/system response
Website/Mobile App

11. Gasp!
I am the beast that is part
website, part software, part
product, part service, part
interactive multimedia
experience. What will you do
with me?
user
technology product
Uncoordinated experiences are like…

12. “As experiences now span multiple
media, channels & formats, we need to
look to narrative, interaction, emotional
elements to sustain transitions across
channels and formats.”
Joe Lamantia
Director User Experience, Product Management, Strategy - PayPal,

13. Storytelling and UX
With Storytelling, a diverse team creating a
website or application can collectively link
together the tangible elements
and create a meaningful
experience that is more than just bits and
bytes.

14. So where does one start?
What is it about?

15. “The more beautifully you shape your work
around one clear idea, the more meanings
audiences will discover in your film as they
take your idea and follow its implication into
every aspect of their lives.”
- Robert McKee, Creative Writing Instructor, Author of
screenwriting book ‘Story’

16. Story: What is it about?
Two imprisoned men bond over a number of
years, finding solace and eventual redemption
through acts of common decency.

17. Story: What is it about?
Three groomsmen who lose their about-to-be-
wed buddy during their drunken misadventures,
must retrace their steps in order to find him.

18. UX: What is it about?
What do you want the user to do eventually?
What is in it for the user?
Where does this fits into user’s life?
How does it work?

19. Flickr: What is it about?
Story Premise: A playful, fun to use site helps people to easily manage
their vast store of digital photos and share them with one another.
Theme: Define yourself with photos

20. Google: What is it about?
Story Premise: A simple, intuitive place to look for answers/solutions to any
questions/problems in the world
Theme: Search made simple

21. What is the UX about…
• A THEME
• That encapsulates the value and focus of the
experience to be delivered
• A STRATEGY for product/service/system
design, with a clear set of goals for everyone

22. tangible
intangible
emotion
meaning
pleasure
characters
setting
scenes
visual
design
content
pages
flows
images
The theme becomes the foundation for…

23. Pleasure,
Meaning,
Emotion

24. Story Themes Experience Themes
Found through insight into raw material
of story planning
Found through insight into raw material
of design planning: business goals and
requirements, content analysis, user
research
Decided upon by the vision and passions
of single author
Decided upon by a team of stakeholders
Reflects author’s view of the world Reflects users needs and desires
Applied to overall design of story
elements
Applied to overall design of product
Manifest in concept, conflict, character,
setting, scene, sub-plots, story structure,
climax
Manifest in product concept, strategy,
content choices, layout, interactions,
visual design
Produces pleasure in unity, emotion,
meaning
Produces pleasure in unity, emotion,
meaning
Induces a longer-lasting effect on the
audience
Induces a longer-lasting effect on the
user

25. Fundamentals: In Storytelling & UX
• Relevance: If it’s not relevant to their lives, they have no reason to stick
around.
• Structure: Stories have a beginning, middle, and end. In UX, this could
mean an introduction, an explainer video, and a call to action.
• Backed by reason: What do you want your audience to take away? Is it a
worthwhile message?
• Simple: Less is more. Cut unnecessary extras. No matter how good a
sentence, picture, or page may be, if it doesn’t add value to the overall
message, you must be willing to remove it.
• Authentic: Is your story true to you? If you’re putting up a facade, or
creating something that doesn’t resonate with yourself or your brand,
your users will be able to tell.

26. Some interesting examples
• http://www.bagigia.com/
• http://www.bringyourchallenges.com/
• http://everylastdrop.co.uk/
• http://www.inception-explained.com/
• https://www.uxpin.com/studio/blog/simplifyi
ng-ux-design-through-storytelling/
• https://www.coverfox.com/tvc/

27. The End is The Beginning

28. THANK
YOU!!!
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