It’s a Story–Rich World:Storytelling for UX

Whitney Quesenbery

UPA NYC14 September

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.

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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.

Storytelling in UX

Stories make UX personal. They remind us that everything we make is made for a real person.

@ianeverdell

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Storytelling is already part of UX

Specify

Understand

Design

EvaluateSuccess

?

If you look at a generic design process…

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Success?

Stories are embedded in the UX cycle

Specify

Understand

Design

Evaluate

Collecting stories: hearing what other people have to say

Analysis: finding patterns in shared stories

Design: creating ideas that embody key stories

Evaluation:testing designs to see if they tell the story well

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Storytelling is already part of UX…We just don’t call them stories

User researchField studies

Site visits Card sortingAnalysis

Cluster sortingContent analysis

DesignScenarios

WireframesPrototype walk-

through

Usability Testing

Evaluation

Log Analysis

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Stories add depth to UX work

If you craft and use stories in a conscious way

You’ll add a richer understanding of users as an input to your design process

You’ll find new design ideas more easily You can be more persuasive in communicating those new,

innovative, usable designs You can use stories to enhance the usability work you are

already doing. You can use stories to bring people into the center of the

process.

We all tell stories

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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Listening Exercise Work in pairs - with someone you don’t know

1 minutes to speak - then switch

Speaker’s job - speak about something relatively comfortable

Listener’s job - just listen. Don’t have to talk, interrupt or fill silences.

Talk about something you made that you are proud of.

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Standard “biz talk” doesn’t work

Method Effectiveness

Charts and diagrams Limited

Rational argument Limited

Dialog Impractical

Most of the time we try to construct a logical argument, as though just putting the facts in front of someone is the way to convince them.

From Stephen Denning’s work on storytelling and leadership: www.stevedenning.com

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Claude Shannon was wrong*

Stories do not work like a broadcast transmission.

Stories are created by everyone who hears them.

* At least about stories.

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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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A story is shared by everyone who hears it

The storyteller and the audience each affects the other and shapes the story they create.

The most important relationship is between the audience and the story.

The audience is a part of the story each time it is told.

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A story is shared by everyone who hears it…but heard by each person in their own way

The storyteller and the audience all shape the story

In the end, each person in the audience ‘owns’ the story, too.

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Stories use pull, not push, to persuade

They 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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The relationships around a story are called the Story Triangle

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Stories close a gap

When you retell a story, you make a connection between your colleagues and the person you heard the story from.

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Any time you are listening,turn on your juicy story filter

You are looking 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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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)

+

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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.”

Crafting (and using) stories

Stories help us empathize and experience another person’s condition. Stories appeal to our emotions and drive us to action.

@balchenn

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Stories let build empathy for personas

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 30-45Well educated45% married with children50% use the web 3-5 times a week65% use search engines

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Stories explain unexpected user data Use data to set

up the storyMerge demographicand other statisticswith a humansitutation

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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Stories explore situations and ideas Character

The persona creates the perspective andrelationship

Imagery Suggests theemotionalconnections

Context Set up the problem

Gina gave us the first clue. 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…”

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Use stories to trigger brainstorming

Drug dictionary formatted for a small screen.

Multi-lingual dictionary of medical terms

Checklists of questions patients should ask their doctor.

Chat with a specialist

Stories give us a new perspective

Every interaction is a story, with the user as the "star." This appeals to our human need to be at the center of every experience.

@dgelman

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Stories can be test scenarios

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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Transforming a story to a test task Use stories to decide on tasks that

let the participant “finish the story”

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. Maybe it’s time to go back to school.

Does the local college have a program you can manage with your work schedule?

MotivationEnough of a story to provide motivation

Goal The task can be veryprecise, or allow the participant more freedom

Stories can make your usability work more effective

Storytelling is a two-way mirror. You see yourself reflected in the experience of others.

@nathangibbs

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Stories can spark innovation

Start with…

Stories you hear during customer conversations 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

What’s the story outside the box

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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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Thank you

Storytelling for User Experience:Crafting stories for better design

Whitney Quesenbery & Kevin Brookswhitneyq@wqusability.combrooks@media.mit.edu

Blog and book sitewww.rosenfeldmedia.com/books/storytelling/

Ilustrations by Calvin C. Chan available at www.flickr.com/photos/rosenfeldmedia/