Nowadays, we find ourselves overwhelmed by jargon that’s hard to keep up with (what on earth does “Delulu” mean?). As the Millennial that I am, I see no other choice but to rely on the terms I understand and use fluently (low-key flexing, but OK). However, if we look back at how these terms have been integrated into our daily lives, we can see that “experience” has become one of the most embraced and frequently used words—not in the dictionary, but in our professional vocabulary. Since Don Norman coined “user experience” in 1993, many related terms have followed, such as service experience, gaming experience, gastronomic experience, etc.

Seeing how we interact with the current products and brands out there, we’re not getting driven by needs anymore but by experiences. And we’re picky; those experiences must be exceptional. Better yet, they should be so exceptional that we want to repeat, share, or even gift them.

The “Storytelling” Era

Analysing, enjoying and learning from these previously purchased experiences can be quite a challenge. The brands we consume, what they offer and how they offer it can feel kind of the same sometimes, leaving us wondering why we buy our groceries in one supermarket or why certain subscriptions seem more reasonable than others.

This is where narrative or storytelling came into play. This concept was not new to us. We’ve all heard stories about our relatives’ past lives and felt how our minds automatically generated vivid images that helped us to create emotional bonds. At some point, we’ve probably come up with our own stories (yes, Mom, I swear that dog followed me home). We grew up with books, TV shows and movies, from which we continued building emotional bridges, even if the characters were not real. Not long after, brands started telling us stories, too.

The Power of Storytelling

Storytelling is a powerful tool for connecting people and sharing experiences. According to LinkedIn, brands began to use storytelling effectively in 2012. They used this as a vehicle to project their stories to potential new audiences and create meaningful connections. With their mistyped coffee cups and cosy lounges, companies such as Starbucks sold experiences through compelling storytelling.

“Adam arrived early for his client meeting. He stopped by Starbucks and ordered a flat white. A friendly barista smiled, called him by his name and handed him his coffee with “Adarsh” written over it. Adam found a cosy armchair, opened his laptop, and reviewed his presentation while sipping his misspelt coffee.”

Stories like this resonate with us. They let us associate a product or brand with values we relate to or identify with.

Storytelling in Product Design

For product designers, crafting a narrative can be helpful, too. It’s no longer just about focusing on the product-user relationship but about understanding where the user comes from and where they need to go. Narratives help recreate realistic scenarios, filled with specific goals and actors, to better understand users’ needs.

“Anna gets home from the supermarket and puts her grocery bags on the counter. She mentally checks her dinner plan, feeling relieved that she got everything she needed. But later, when she starts cooking, she realizes she’s out of tomato sauce.”

Narratives can help us to make sense of situations. By providing a clear beginning, middle and end to our story, we create a framework that enhances understanding. Once the narrative is solid and consistent, we can naturally introduce our product or service.

“Anna quickly reaches for her phone, opens the Markt24 App and orders two cans of tomato sauce. Soon after, her doorbell rings, and she receives her purchase. Now with everything she needs, she goes back into the kitchen and continues cooking.”

Works like magic

Narrative does not focus on the “how” but instead centres on the user and their context, goals and needs. It can serve as an initial tool to gain the right perspective, even without extensive research data. Stories often sound more consistent and relatable for a typical user compared to more subjective comments, focused on execution and missing the big picture, such as: “Users interact better with the content in the lower-right corner because it’s easier to reach with their thumb.” 

To create a compelling narrative, it’s helpful to imagine that our product or service works like magic. Designing interactions that feel seamless and almost magical is the essence of outstanding design. Research on how to make these magical interactions happen will come afterwards.

Narrative to lead the way

Let’s imagine a team is in a meeting to discuss a new feature; content customization for users. As the session begins, we notice that developers are talking about advanced algorithms, stakeholders are raising privacy concerns and GDPR issues, designers are visualising patterns and components whilst project managers are focused on timelines and efficient workflows.

Typically, the session might start with a predefined user story: “As a user, I would like specific content to be recommended to me.” This is often followed by an exhaustive Acceptance Criteria (been there, done that).  From here,  brainstorming usually kicks off, but it tends to revolve around solution-oriented goals with poor problem analysis. The conversation then tends to shift to feasibility, technical limitations, deadlines and budget constraints. It’s only natural that each participant wants to focus on their specific field and the goals that they need (and can) accomplish.

However, this is where narrative plays a crucial role. Let’s add a story to this ticket:

“Amanda is a single mom with two kids and a part-time job. After a long day, she gets home, feeds the kids, and puts them to bed. She’s tired but wants to watch something to unwind. Browsing through endless options on her streaming service, she gives up and picks something random. She doesn’t finish watching it, she turns off the TV and goes to bed disappointed. Whilst brushing her teeth she wonders whether she needs that subscription or not”

This shifts the conversation. A developer might suggest, “What if we ask users how they’re feeling and recommend content based on their mood?” A stakeholder could add, “Yes! We could let users choose a mood and adjust the interface and recommendations accordingly.”

Suddenly, the room is buzzing with ideas.

Stories like Amanda’s provide perspective and bring unification within the team. Experiences designed around a narrative are far more comprehensible and engaging because they follow the structure of a story. A well-crafted story can help to align values, understand different points of view and create empathy for our main character.

Narrative also helps to fill the gaps of information ( i.e. assumptions) that we don’t yet have or can’t gather immediately. To use narrative correctly, we first need to establish a clear problem, create detailed personas in a realistic scenario, and then identify their expectations.

Whilst narrative isn’t a bulletproof tool for understanding users and how they think, it’s an excellent way to bring a multidisciplinary team together and help them all row in the same direction.  

Sources:

About Face – The essentials of interaction design. Alan Cooper, Rober Reimenn, David Cronin, Christopher Noessel with Jason Csizmadi and Doug LeMoine.

Design is Storytelling – Ellen Lupton