Storytellingfor User ExperienceA half-day workshop
Whitney QuesenberyWQusability@whitneyq
Hi! User researcher Theatre designer Storytelling as a way to understand user,
culture, and context in UX design
Researcher in new UI technologies Performance storyteller Storytelling as a pivotal part of the creation,
performance, and design process.
How about you?
Stories connect us
Stories make UX personal. They remind us that everything we make is made for a real person.
@ianeverdell
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We all tell stories
You already know what a story is…
...but you may not know how to use stories effectively in your work.
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Claude Shannon was wrong*
Stories are not a broadcast transmission. **
* At least about stories.
** Both of these pictures are wrong
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Stories create relationships
FIGURE 2-2
Storyteller Audience
Story
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A story is shared by everyone who hears it
First the storyteller shapes the story
As they listen, the audience members form an image of the story in their own minds.
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The audience is part of the storyThe storyteller and the audience affect each other and shape the story they create.
The most important relationship is between the audience and the story.
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Stories close a gap
FIGURE 4-1
UX person
Our colleagues(audience)
User
Story as collected
Story as re-told
When you retell a story, you make a connection between your colleagues and the person you heard the story from.
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Stories communicate efficiently
What can we learn about Tanner from this short story?
Tanner was deep into a Skatepunkz game—all the way up to level 12—when he got a buddy message from his friend, Steve, with a question about his homework.
He looked up with a start. Almost bedtime and his homework was still not done. Mom or Dad would be in any minute.
Storytelling in UX
A good story will evoke emo>on. We humans remember emo>ons best.
@mike_me_up
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Success?
Storytelling is already part of UX
Specify
Understand
Design
Evaluate
Finding themes and patterns is the first step in identifying requirements
Design tells a new story that changes something about the world
Usability evaluation is a way of trying the story out to see if it works for other people, too.
Collecting stories helps us understand people and goals, context....
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Storytelling is already part of UX…
We just don’t call them stories
Specify
Understand
Design
Evaluate
User researchEthnographyContextual inquirySite visits
PersonasAffinity analysis
Card sorting
ScenariosStoryboardsWireframesPrototypes
Usability TestingWalk-throughsAnalytics
Stories we share through the user experience
Stories have many purposes in UX
Meeting the users
Illustrating user needs
Points of pain
Brainstorming
Success stories
Design exploration
Evaluation task
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Stories start with listening
Storytelling is a two-‐way mirror. You see yourself reflected in the experience of others.
@nathangibbs
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Each person hears a story in their own way
…After the show, Jane couldn’t decide
whether to take a taxi or a bus across town…She really
didn’t want to miss the 10:45pm train…
I bet she doesn’t want to miss it. On my line, there’s only one train after 9pm.
Miss that, and you’re sleeping in the station.
What’s her rush? London trains run well
into the evening, even if there are only 2 an hour
If it was easy to get info about the next bus, she would not
have to worry.
FIGURE 2-6
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Listening Exercise
Two roles: listener and speakerDecide who will go first.
Speaker’s job - tell the other person about something (we’ll tell you what)
Listener’s job - just listen. Don’t have to talk, interrupt or fill silences
Tell the other person about a time when everything seemed to go right... or wrong.
Be an active listener Show that you are aware of the other person
Be quiet. Give the person time to think as well as to talk.
Use verbal and non-verbal gestures to “take your turn” in the conversation without redirecting it.
Show warmth and caring about what you are hearing.
Reflect back what you hear, when appropriate, by responding to what you heard or restating
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Ask the questions that encourage stories
“When was the last time you [did that thing]?”
“Have you ever [done something]?” “How often do you [do that thing]?”“What makes you decide to [do that thing]?”“Where do you [do that thing]?”
+“Tell me about that.”
(and really listen)
+
FIGURE 4-1
UX person
Our colleagues(audience)
User
Story as collected
Story as re-told
FIGURE 5-2
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Listen for juicy fragments
Any time you listen to someone you can collect storiesLook for stories that….
You hear from more than one source. Have a lot of action detail. Have details that illuminate user data Surprise or contradict common beliefs
And are clear, simple, and compelling.
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Unexpected stories... Use data to set
up the storyMerge demographicand other statisticswith a humansituation
We were ready to be disappointed. Nurses were more interested in people than technology.
They used the Web, of course, but didn’t see social media as work. Only a few of them had phones that did more than make phone calls. Some didn’t even have Web access except at home.
So we were taken by surprise when one nurse after another got enthusiastic about some concept sketches for mobile health sites.
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Unexpected stories Character
The persona creates the perspective andrelationship
Imagery Suggests theemotionalconnections
Context Set up the problem
Gina gave us the first tidbit. She was a nurse manager for the county health system. “I’m on the move all day and I have a huge case load. Patients are always throwing new questions at me. Yesterday, I really struggled to sort out a problem one patient was having with side effects. I speak a little Spanish, but just couldn’t remember the correct medical term to explain a new adjuvant the doctor wanted to try. It was so frustrating.”
She pointed at the sketch. “I don’t have a phone that will do all that - yet, but if it’s really that simple…”
Stories introduce us to people
Storytelling is how we make sense of the world: re-‐imagining our everyday lives as an experience to be shared with others.
@otrops
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Stories turn a profile into a persona
Elizabeth, 32 years old
Married to Joe, has a 5-year old son, Justin
Attended State College, and manages her class alumni site
Uses Google as her home page, and reads CNN online
Used the web to find the name of a local official
Aged 30-4545% married with children65% college educatedUse the web 3-5 times a week
Create a story that introduces a user or explains a user need
Start from an experience in your work. Think about a specific person or event.
Maybe it changed your own thinking
Maybe a story about ... How someone used your product A need they didn’t even know they had A delightful experience A painful experience
Use the Story Basics cards to gather your ideas about the story
Craft story you can tell in ~ 2 minutes that introduces that person
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Sharing your story
Share your story with someone else Find a partner.
Each of you will tell your story to the other personAnd respond with an appreciation
I’ll call ‘time’ If you finish before the timer, just wait.
If you don’t get done in time, wrap up as quickly as you can.
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First story feedback
How did that go Story tellers:
Were you able to tell the story you wanted to tell?
Story listeners:What did you learn from the story?Did the story you heard suggest another story?
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Can you retell the story you heard? Is it easier to remember a complex situation when it’s part of a story?
What makes a good story?
Stories have Time and place Characters Events
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But they also have Emotions Imagery Interaction
Add context and imagery
Find a new partner
Pick 2-3 cards from these groups to see what ideas they spark for ways to add them to your story.
Share your stories (just like last time)
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Feedback
How did that go? How does it feel to have a UX story include imagery and emotion?
How do you include points of emotional connection when you tell a story in a business setting?
What do you remember most from the stories you heard?
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Stories can be told many ways
Storytelling is a two-‐way mirror. You see yourself reflected in the experience of others.
@nathangibbs
Story structures and perspectives
Some stories are a simple narrative Prescriptive structure
Framing structures create contrast Me - Them - Me Here - There - Here Now - Then - Now
Stories can explain a situation or set a context Layered Contextual interlude
Journeys show obstacles overcome A hero’s journey
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The hero’s journey
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Change perspective or structure
Use the Story Structure cards
Which structure matches the story best?
With a partner, try telling the same story twice, from two different perspectives.
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Feedback
How does the story change when the perspective changes?
Does it have a different meaning? Did you want to tell it in a new way? Who is the hero of the story?
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From stories to innova>on
Stories help us empathize and experience another person’s condi>on. Stories appeal to our emo>ons and drive us to ac>on.
@balchenn
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Stories can spark innovationThey can start from...
Stories you hear during from (or about) users
Explore new perspectives on a problem or goal
Personas Show their behavior in new
situations
Data Explore the story behind the data
Juicy fragments Explain the unexpected
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FIGURE 5-2
Juicy fragments can grow into a story
“When I’m waiting for a bus, I wish I had a way to know when it will arrive.”
“If I’m running late, I can drive
if I’m going to miss the train.”
“I love seeing lots of people
on the metro platform. It
usually means a train will
arrive soon.”
“When the bus stop isn’t well marked, I always worry whether I’m in the right place.”
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Stories explore situations and context Context
Set up the problem
Character The persona creates the perspective andrelationship
Imagery Suggests theemotionalconnections
There is nothing more frustrating than waiting for the bus. On a suburban road. In the snow.
Sandra didn’t like snow much anyway, but she liked standing at her bus stop even less, with snow oozing into her boots and cars splashing ice at her.
Had she missed it? Was it right around the corner? Was it even running with all this snow?
Was anything going to get her to work on time today?
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Stories explore situations and context (2) Context
Different setting
Character Different person and situation
Same basic problem
Much as Ian loved staying out with his friends until the pubs closed, he hated getting back home late at night.
Was the train still running, or did he have to trudge over to the stop for the night bus -- 5 blocks that seemed much longer after a few beers.
And there was the tedium of watching the bus wind through the streets.
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Stories start brainstorming
Signs on the platform with when the train will arrive.
App that taps into transit information for bus or train locations.
Text message with the time the next bus will arrive.
Bus checks off its arrival on the schedule.
Website with information
A new ending to Sandra’s storyAfter she’d waited for a few minutes, Sandra brushed enough snow off the sign to be able to read the stop number.
She had the RideFind number in her phone’s contact list, so all she had to do was enter the number of the bus stop into a text message.
A couple of seconds later, the reply came back. The bus was 10 minutes away, running late. She’d get to work this morning.
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Sets up a possible solution
Sign for a service in
Washington DC
Craft stories for brainstorming
Start from a juicy fragment, analysis data, or a usability problem
Construct a story that sets up the context...
but does not provide a solution.
Be sure you ground the story with a character (or persona), a context (place, time, situation), a motivation, and a problem.
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Feedback What happens if you write the story for a different persona?
Or change a starting assumption technology enablers rules or other constraints
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Incorpora>ng stories into UX deliverables
Every interac>on is a story, with the user as the "star." This appeals to our human need to be at the center of every experience.
@dgelman
There are many ways to tell a story
Elevator stories Stories you tell around a table Written stories Presenting a report Comic or storyboard Visual collage In a formal presentation
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Illustrate problems as a story
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Show the interaction as a storyboard or comic
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Weave stories into your reports
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Stories as usability test tasks
Stories make things meaningful, moving and memorable.
@iaexperience
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Stories can be test scenarios
Test scenarios let the participant “finish the story”
They create a realistic context because they are based on real stories.
They give you a range of stories and perspectives to draw on.
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Stories for evaluation create a starting point You can create a story that provides the motivation, but
allows variation in how the scenario is completed
Another person just got promoted ahead of you. You know you are good at your job but notice that everyone else has a degree in business. You are thinking about whether this is a good option for you.
What questions do you need to answer first?
(OK). Let’s see if the local college has a program that will work for you.
MotivationCreate a story for motivation, or build one based on what you know about them
GoalsLet them identify their goals in this scenario
And then, get them started in meeting their goals
Create a usability test scenario
Start from one of your stories, and turn it into a test scenario
What is the basic scenario you want the participant to complete?
How much can the scenario vary based on their specific interests? Are there different motivations or starting
points? Are there many things they can find, use or
buy that they can choose from? How much variation is there in how the
scenario can be completed?
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Stories can make your UX work richer and more persuasive
Stories take our audience on a journey and enable leaps of faith.
@MarkErhardt
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Stories use pull, not push, to persuadeThey let your audience think about something (new)…
In a realistic situation
With a compelling character and perspective
And imagine how it will solve a problem
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A story is successful when it gets repeated
Look for stories that are
Based on real data The stories you want told Generate insights and empathy
Think carefully about what stories you want retold.
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Stories add depth to UX work
If you craft and use stories in a conscious way, you will
Add a richer understanding of users to your design process
Find new design ideas more easily
Be more persuasive about innovative ideas
Enhance the usability work you are already doing
Bring people into the center of the process
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Thank you
Storytelling for User Experience:Crafting stories for better design
Whitney Quesenbery & Kevin [email protected]@media.mit.edu
Blog and book sitewww.rosenfeldmedia.com/books/storytelling/
Illustrations by Calvin C. Chan available at www.flickr.com/photos/rosenfeldmedia/