1.
The Opportunities of
Narrative:
How Storytelling
Leads to Change
annotated and revised slides
Centre for Social Innovation | New York | 9 December 2013

2.
Let’s start with a supposition...
CULTURE + STORYTELLING
are
connective tissue that binds us together as humans
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3.
and another...
movements + campaigns + projects + social enterprises
need
+ cohesive narrative
+ shared goals
+ common identity
+ networked response
+ local connection / global amplification
+ ethics framework
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4.
With those two suppositions as a basis,
let’s talk about...
Power of Narrative
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Narrative Power

5.
Power of Narrative
Narrative Power
Engagement
Framing
Surface Area | Entry Points Political | Social | Cultural
Design and Innovation
A Seat At the Table
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6.
Power of Narrative
Narrative Power
Setting a Cultural Stage to Cultivate Impact
Humanization of Issues
Shifts in Perception
Calls to Action
(Measurable) Impact
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7.
Power of Narrative
Narrative Power
In a world moving toward big data, creative media and
cultural expression have the power to contextualize
human need and experience and catalyze change.
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8.
Roots of Strategic Narrative Design
Design
CommunityCenteredness
User-Centered Design
Design Thinking
User Experience
Systemic/Systems
Change
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Transmedia
Storytelling
Social Change
Leadership
Local Voice
Humanizing Social
Issues
Interactivity
Social Movements
Activist Media
Social Innovation
Novel solution to a
social problem that is
more effective, efficient,
sustainable, or just than
existing solutions

9.
Transmedia Activism
Framework for strategy to
- Create social impact
- Influence perception
- Build community
through fragmented storytelling by
authors, stakeholders, and
communities who
share assets + create entry points
into issues and solutions
across multiple forms of media
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10.
Why is This Important?
+ How to Tell a Story Together
+ How to Tell a Story of Complexity | Ecosystems
+ How to Tell a Story Based in Reality or Imagination
(but always based on stories of individuals)
+ How to Drive and Assess (qualitative) Impact
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11.
Why is This Important?
Audiences
Communities
Awareness  Engagement  Action  Change
Actionable Stories
Story Universe
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12.
Building Community
Essential Elements
Story
Collaborative Action
Voice
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13.
Building Community
Narrative Design | Choreography
Narrative Design | Symphony
Narrative Design | Team Sport
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14.
Our Work | Case Studies
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15.
Cross-media platforms
Human Rights | Aid + Development
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16.
Single platform
Child homelessness | Undocumented youth | Arts education
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17.
Multiple platforms
Immigration reform | Migrant rights |
Economic development
Inside Comayagua Prison, Honduras
NYTimes Op-Doc: Bodies on the Border
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18.
Toolkits | Training
Transmedia Storytelling and Narrative Design for Program Innovation
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19.
Nonprofit
organizations |
Strategic
Planning
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20.
Forthcoming | Multiple platforms
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21.
Emerging Trends: Projects of Note
Setting a Cultural Stage
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22.
Setting a Cultural Stage: Indie + Nonprofit Interactive Participatory Projects | Social Issue
Dadaab Stories
Hollow
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Sandy Storyline
My Sky is Falling

23.
Setting a Cultural Stage: Indie and Nonprofit Projects | Arts and Culture, Community Vibrancy
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24.
Setting a Cultural Stage: Data Visualization
Out of Sight, Out of Mind
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25.
Setting a Cultural Stage: Interactive Journalism
NYTimes: Snow Fall
Guardian: NSA Files Decoded
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26.
Setting a Cultural Stage: Long Form Interactive Journalism
NYTimes: Invisible Child
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27.
Setting a Cultural Stage: Nonprofit Interactive | Education and Direct Action
MSF: Starved for Attention
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28.
Setting a Cultural Stage: Management Consulting | Social Enterprise
McKinsey & Company: Stories of Social Entrepreneurs
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29.
Sources of Funding
+ Corporate Sponsorship
+ Audience Funding | Crowdsourced Funding
+ Crowdsourced Production
+ Philanthropic Funding
++ Film Philanthropies
++ Foundations Supporting Underlying Issues
++ Impact investment funds
+ Income Revenue models
+ Venture Capital | Private Equity
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30.
Sources of Funding | Educational Materials
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31.
Business Models for Narrative Design
+ For-profit Companies
+ Nonprofit Organizations
+ Storyworlds
+ Campaigns
+ Projects
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32.
Market Opportunities
aka, who isn’t really doing this yet?
+ Corporate Social Responsibility
+ Corporate Commmunity Engagement
+ Advertising + Marketing
+ Management Consulting
+ Small Foundations and NGOs
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33.
Risks and Challenges
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34.
Risks and Challenges
+ Gulf between theory, critique, and
practice
+ Love of the platform and technology |
Techno-determinism
+ “Hijacking” narrative
+ “Savior Traps”
+ “Helicoptering”
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+ Intellectual property concerns
+ Funding and Distribution
+ Impact Measurement

35.
Risks and Challenges: Solving for...
Intentionality
+ Creating rigor around and recognizing
intentionality behind "citizen" media and
“DIY” storytelling
+ Parsing out fine lines between story to
engagement to propaganda
+ Bridging engagement/action gap
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36.
Risks and Challenges: Solving for...
+ Community-centered
participation
“local voice” in direct partnership with platform creators
+ Move
beyond awareness
connecting targeted audiences to commit to a particular
worldview, advocacy agenda, or action, by using local
storytellers
+ Platforms
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that are culturally appropriate

37.
Risks and Challenges: Solving for...
Assessing Your Social Change Model
+ Respect
+ Relevance
+ Resonance
Full model available at http://www.slideshare.net/lksriv/the-3-rs-co
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38.
Risks and Challenges: Solving for...
Regarding Humanity | www.regardinghumanity.org
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39.
Lina Srivastava
http://linasrivastava.com
info@linasrivastava.com
@lksriv
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