“Let me tell you a story….” – Storytelling, one of the most powerful ways to convey messages and a basic human need. The workshop explores the role of storytelling in digital service design. With the constant rise of new emerging technologies, new challenges arise impacting various areas of design. Allowing for non-linear and more continuous experiences, the user is empowered to alter the course of the narrative and the way content is experienced and explored. The static world of websites and apps is challenged by new technologies such as Google Cardboard, Oculus Rift, and connected devices, all of which require the creation of continuous, multi-routed storylines that Occulusinteraction Design is crafting and orchestrating, as interaction allows the user to be more deeply involved with the content the story thereof. Instead of presenting a linear feature, the user can follow various characters and affect the outcome of the story. This results in more dynamic stories and outcomes, captivating the user and enhancing the user experience. A co-creation with Maria Lumiaho and Suvi Numminen, at Futurice.

1. STORYTELLING
IN DIGITAL
SERVICE DESIGN
Interaction 16
Workshop 1.3.2016

2. LEANSERVICECREATION
Agenda
• 2.00 – 2.20 INTRO
• 2.20 – INSPIRATION / GROUP WORK
• Part 1 – Service Concept & Controlling Idea
• Part 2 – Hero
• 3.30 Break
• 3.40 – INSPIRATION / GROUP WORK
• Part 3 – Narrative
• Part 4 – Design Elements
• Part 5 – Group Presentation Prep
• 4.50 Break
• 5 – 6 PRESENTATIONS & WRAP UP

3. LEANSERVICECREATION
We are Futurice
A veeeeery short introduction

5. We create
digital services
for people to love
Creating a culture
that makes
innovation happen
Discovering and
designing new
digital services
Developing, scaling
and operating
digital services

6. Way of working
LEAN SERVICE CREATION

7. LSC is a multi-disciplinary way of working that
maximizes the probability of creating
successful digital services
Lean
Service
Creation

8. LSC$SLIDE$HERE
SERVICE VISION SPRINT
TEAM :
Business / Technology
Design / End-Users
BUSINESS
NEED
Improve
Improve
Improve
LEAN SERVICE CREATION PROCESS
FIND A PROBLEM WORTH SOLVING FINDING PRODUCT MARKET FIT GROWTH HACKING
Days to Weeks Weeks to Months Months to Years
NEW IDEAS
SERVICE
VISION
MVP
TO
LAUNCH

11. Design at futurice
TEAM / US

12. Design team
Complex problems require broad thinkers and doers.
45 multi-disciplinary designers (business design, service design, concept
design, brand design, UX/UI design, visual design, sound design.
SERVICE DESIGN LEAD
Maria Lumiaho
maria.lumiaho@futurice.com
@marialumiaho
SENIOR SERVICE DESIGNER
Jane Vita
SENIOR SERVICE DESIGNER
Suvi Numminen
suvi.numminen@futurice.com jane.vita@futurice.com
@janevita

13. THINK ABOUT THE
SERVICES &
PRODUCTS YOU USE
Are there any that you …
Are happy to pay a premium for even
though another product would do the
same job just fine?
Go on and on about to your friends and
don’t understand why they don’t want
to use it, too?
Are happy to use even if it doesn’t
always work perfectly?

14. LEANSERVICECREATION
There’s more to life than seeking solutions to
problems

15. LEANSERVICECREATION
We look for answers to big questions & seek
meaningful experiences

16. LEANSERVICECREATION
STORIES ARE A WAY OF TRYING TO UNDERSTAND
THE WORLD AND WHAT IT MEANS TO BE HUMAN

17. LEANSERVICECREATION
Can the experience of using a service be
meaningful in the same way a story can?

18. YES!
(IF IT’S DESIGNED TO DO SO)

19. LEANSERVICECREATION
There are similarities between designing
an experience and writing a story

20. LEANSERVICECREATION
But also differences:
The story a service creates is not linear
and doesn’t deal with conflict the same
way

21. LEANSERVICECREATION
ALSO A DISCLAIMER
Does not replace other service design
methods, but useful as an additional lens
Requires seamless collaboration between
branding, service design & UX/UI design

22. Why we care about
storytelling
in digital Service Design?
Storytelling
is all about
experiences
Storytelling about &
inside the services
we create
Who doesn’t
like a good
story?

23. LET’S GET STARTED!

24. LEANSERVICECREATION
5 Groups

25. LEANSERVICECREATION
Pick a service to
work on
• Retail
• Fast food chain
• Travel / hospitality
• Going to / watching movies
• Banking
• …

26. 1) WHAT IS THE STORY
ABOUT?

27. A GOOD STORY
Has a clear reason to exist
Makes a statement about the
world
Resonates with people who
share those beliefs
From
“Story” by Robert McKee &
“Start With Why” by Simon Sinek

28. LEANSERVICECREATION
A good story can be distilled into a
CONTROLLING IDEA
From “Story” by Robert McKee

29. Example:
The Lion King
+
Evil is defeated
when you come to terms with
your past and take responsibility

30. Example:
The Lion King
VALUE
+
Evil is defeated
when you come to terms with
your past and take responsibility
CHANGE IN VALUE
CAUSE
Structure of a controlling idea from “Story” by Robert McKee

31. +
Example:
The Lord of the Rings
VALUE
Peace is restored
when ordinary people have
courage
CHANGE IN VALUE
CAUSE
Structure of a controlling idea from “Story” by Robert McKee

32. Example:
Coca-Cola
VALUE
Happiness ensues
when you have special,
refreshing moments
CHANGE IN VALUE
CAUSE
Structure of a controlling idea from “Story” by Robert McKee

33. Example:
Apple
VALUE
Life is more enjoyable
when you do things
differently
CHANGE IN VALUE
CAUSE
Structure of a controlling idea from “Story” by Robert McKee

34. LEANSERVICECREATION
Controlling ideas drive action and drive you
to make decisions!
“It’s about peace” is a theme, not a
controlling idea
From “Story” by Robert McKee

35. Should be based on customer
insight & brand design
Should be universal enough to
be understood by most
people
Flexible enough to turn into a
service, movie, game,
whatever!
Should be able to start a good
conversation over beer
Qualities of
good controlling
ideas

36. // CONFLICT DRIVES ACTION

37. LEANSERVICECREATION
Story is not interesting without conflict
Different levels of antagonistic forces try to
win over the positive value
From “Story” by Robert McKee

38. For example:
Wisdom as the core value
Positive value
Wisdom
Lack of positive value
Stupidity disguised
as wisdom
Negative value Worst of the worst
Ignorance Stupidity
From “Story” by Robert McKee

39. For example:
Love as the core value
Positive value
Love
Lack of positive value
Self-loathing
Negative value Worst of the worst
Indifference Hate
From “Story” by Robert McKee

40. Positive value
Justice
Lack of positive value
Injustice
disguised as
justice
Negative value Worst of the worst
Unfairness Injustice
For example:
Justice as the core value
From “Story” by Robert McKee

41. // WHAT’S THE POINT?

42. LEANSERVICECREATION
The controlling idea & changes in value act
as the core of the service
When designing any aspect, ask
“does this support the controlling idea?”

43. LEANSERVICECREATION
If the controlling idea is expressed clearly
enough, it will resonate very strongly with users
à users loving the service
(even if they can’t tell why)

44. LEANSERVICECREATION
Group Work

45. 2) THE HERO

46. // SOME BASIC RULES TO KEEP IN MIND

47. LEANSERVICECREATION
YOUR SERVICE IS NOT THE MAIN CHARACTER

48. LEANSERVICECREATION
-Chinese Proverb
Tell me and I'll forget.
Show me and I may remember.
Involve me, and I'll understand.

49. LEANSERVICECREATION
THE USER IS THE HERO
From “Every Guest Is a Hero” by Adam M. Berger

50. LEANSERVICECREATION
‘USERS’ DON’T HAVE ADVENTURES
Rebels, philosophers, guests, tricksters, hosts, antiheros and friends, dreamers do…

51. Crucial to know your users
when defining the hero
User’s role should be
communicated clearly to
them (marketing, landing
pages, onboarding)
The user must identify with
the adventure the service is
presenting
‘Who am I?’

52. Customers in Disneyland
are called ‘guests’
The personnel is the ‘cast’
who work ‘onstage’
What you call your
customers can make a
subtle difference
Example:
Disneyland
From “Be Our Guest” by Theodore B. Kinni“

53. Who is the user when
using this service?
“Who am I?”

56. LEANSERVICECREATION
Group Work

57. LEANSERVICECREATION
Agenda
• 2.00 – 2.20 INTRO
• 2.20 – INSPIRATION / GROUP WORK
• Part 1 – Service Concept & Controlling Idea
• Part 2 – Hero
• 3.30 Break
• 3.40 – INSPIRATION / GROUP WORK
• Part 3 – Narrative
• Part 4 – Design Elements
• Part 5 – Group Presentation Prep
• 4.50 Break
• 5 – 6 PRESENTATIONS & WRAP UP

58. LEANSERVICECREATION
BREAK TIME!

59. 3) NARRATIVE

60. LEANSERVICECREATION
What kind of experiences and functionality
does the controlling idea suggest?

61. EXAMPLE CONTROLLING IDEA FOR A RECIPE SERVICE:
“Life’s more fun when you can improvise and let go of fear of failing”
WHAT IS ENCOURAGED?
Experimentation
Replacing ingredients (suggestions
on/off)
Sudden changes while cooking
Stumbling upon new recipes
Sharing the experience, giving new
ideas to others
Sharing and celebrating failures, too
(hall of fame of bad/failed recipes)
Fixing bad recipes, submitting your
own version
Seeking ideas from others (“what
would you do with this?)
WHAT IS DISCOURAGED /
NOT ALLOWED
MORE POSSIBILITIES
Following recipes strictly
Rating a recipe as good or bad
(or stars etc.)
Specific measurements in recipes
Live-streaming while cooking: taking
suggestions on the go from the
crowd
Recipes branching out with different
variations
Weekly challenges with mystery
ingredients or theme
Rating recipes based on how many
new ideas you got
Recipe rating based on how many
new ideas you get from it
Become a master of an ingredient
(master of potato etc.)
Different levels of recipes based on
how vague vs. specific they are

62. LEANSERVICECREATION
Functionality that isn’t aligned with the
controlling idea will dilute it

63. // STRUCTURING THE STORY

64. LEANSERVICECREATION
DESIGN FOR CLEAR BEGINNINGS, MIDDLES AND ENDINGS

65. LEANSERVICECREATION
HAVING A CLEAR STRUCTURE
FEELS GOOD
MIDDLE
ENDBEGINNING
From “Poetics” by Aristotle and many more…

66. LEANSERVICECREATION
WORKS BOTH ON THE ENTIRE SERVICE AND SINGLE TASKS
SESSIONS
ENTIRE LIFECYCLE OF
USE
SINGLE TASKS

67. LEANSERVICECREATION
NOT ACTUALLY AND ARC, THOUGH, BUT MORE LIKE THIS
From “The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses” by Jesse Schell

68. EXPOSITION
EXPOSITION
Introducing the protagonist, the world
& status quo of the controlling idea
Combining elements from “Story” by Robert McKee, Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey and Gustav Freytag’s Freytag's Pyramid

69. EXPOSITION
INCITING INCIDENT
INCITING
INCIDENT
Accepting a call to adventure à
suddenly everything changes
Entering a different world
There’s no way back to the old
Combining elements from “Story” by Robert McKee, Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey and Gustav Freytag’s Freytag's Pyramid

70. Setting & inciting
incident
Landing page &
onboarding

71. EXPOSITION
RISING ACTION
INCITING
INCIDENT
Battle over the winning value gets more intense
Being constantly surprised & feeding curiosity
Showing affordances and foreshadowing
RISING ACTION
Battle over the winning value gets more intense
Being constantly surprised & feeding curiosity
Showing affordances and foreshadowing
Providing breaks, too
Combining elements from “Story” by Robert McKee, Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey and Gustav Freytag’s Freytag's Pyramid

72. LEANSERVICECREATION
Surprises create emotional stamps that make up
most of the memory of the experience
From “The Service Startup” by Tenny Pinheiro

73. LEANSERVICECREATION
Give people what they want but not the way
they expect it
From “Story” by Robert McKee

74. Creating delightful
surprises during the
journey

75. LEANSERVICECREATION
Turn errors and inconveniences into
opportunities to enforce the story

76. ‘Secret’ game in
Chrome browser

77. Queuing areas in
theme parks are
designed to
deepen the story
They can also
help to build
excitement for
the ride

78. EXPOSITION
CLIMAX
INCITING
INCIDENT
RISING ACTION
The most dramatic moment, biggest conflict
It all leads to this
Inevitable, but must also be a choice
Can’t go back
CLIMAX
Combining elements from “Story” by Robert McKee, Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey and Gustav Freytag’s Freytag's Pyramid

79. EXPOSITION
RESOLUTION
INCITING
INCIDENT
RISING ACTION
Everything is different
Showing how the
world has changed
Wrapping things up,
removing confusion
CLIMAX
RESOLUTION
Combining elements from “Story” by Robert McKee, Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey and Gustav Freytag’s Freytag's Pyramid

80. LEANSERVICECREATION
Introducing the protagonist, the world
& status quo of the controlling idea
Accepting a call to adventure à
suddenly everything changes
Entering a different world
There’s no way back to the old
Battle over the winning value gets more intense
Being constantly surprised & feeding curiosity
Showing affordances and foreshadowing
Providing breaks, too
The most dramatic moment, biggest conflict
It all leads to this
Inevitable, but must also be a choice
Can’t go back
Everything is different
Showing how the
world has changed
Wrapping things up,
removing confusion
INCITING
INCIDENT
CLIMAX
EXPOSITION
STRUCTURE OF THE STORY
RISING ACTION
RESOLUTION
Combining elements from “Story” by Robert McKee, Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey and Gustav Freytag’s Freytag's Pyramid

81. LEANSERVICECREATION
Group Work

82. 4) DESIGN ELEMENTS

83. BUILDING BLOCKS OF IMMERSIVE WORLDS
THEMES &
CONCEPT
ASSOCIATIONS
COLOR
CONTRAST &
VALUE
SHAPE,
COMPOSITION,
FOCUS
MOTION JUICINESS
All aligned with the controlling idea

84. // THEME EXPLORATION

85. EXPLORING THEMES
& CONCEPT
ASSOCIATIONS
1) What concepts, ideas &
themes help make the
controlling idea more
concrete?
2) What design motifs and
symbols represent the theme
& associations?
From “The Immersive World Handbook” by Scott Lukas

86. Example for the recipe service with the controlling idea of
“LIFE’S MORE FUN WHEN YOU CAN IMPROVISE AND LET GO OF FEAR OF FAILING”
CONCEPT
IDEAS
MOTIF
IDEAS
Experimentation
Laboratory (but
not clinical)Explosions
Smoke, burning
Sprinkles
(exploding)
Excitement
Joy
Surprises
Mystery
present
Mystery
Thinking on
your feet
Living in the
moment
Laughing at
yourself
Ingredients
Weird toolsPrototypes
Nothing is ever
final/done
Bad ideas
Celebration
A world of
possibilities
Makeshift
workspace
Unconventional
materials, texture
Piles, mess
Branching out,
branches
Stirring, whisks
Veggies etc. that
are not perfect

87. // COLOR & MOOD

88. LEANSERVICECREATION
Passion
Danger
Optimism
Joy
Caution
Life
Growth
Calmness
Trustworthiness
Cold
MysteriousEnergy
Vitality
COLOR & MOOD
Not that simple,
though…

89. Context matters…

90. // CONTRAST & VALUE

91. Color values affect
the mood
High key – happy
Low key – threatening
Contrast – dramatic
etc.

93. // SHAPE, COMPOSITION, FOCUS

94. Building a mood
visually
(composition, fonts,
etc.)
http://www.zevendesign.com/
mood-lines-giving-designs-
attitude/
Originally from “Landscape
Architecture” by John Ormsbee
Simonds

95. Using scale & mass to
create sense of awe
and attract you
towards something
Scale, composition, focal points
From “The Immersive World Handbook” by Scott Lukas

96. // MOTION

97. LEANSERVICECREATION
MEANING OF MOTION
Examples
From “Landscape Architecture” by John Ormsbee Simonds
HORIZONTAL MOTION
Easy
Free
Visually interesting
Easy to control
Effortless movement
DOWNWARD MOTION
Hiding, digging in
Confinement
Protection
Privacy
Minimal effort
UPWARD MOTION
Exhilarating
Sense of accomplishment
Going up in life
Detachment from earthly things
Command, higher ground

98. // ’JUICINESS’

99. LEANSERVICECREATION
ENGAGE AS MANY SENSES AS POSSIBLE WITH SOUND,
TEXTURE, SMELL, TASTE, TEMPERATURE, BALANCE, ETC.
REMEMBER THAT DIGITAL SERVICES HAVE A ‘FEEL’ TO
USING THEM, TOO

100. Some things feel
good to use and
fiddle with.
Different types of
feedback make
them feel ‘juicy’ to
use.

101. Juiciness in action:
‘Game Feel - Why
your death
animation sucks’
https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=pmSAG51BybY
More in “Game Feel: A Game
Designer's Guide to Virtual
Sensation” by Steve Swink

102. LEANSERVICECREATION
Group Work

103. 5) PRESENTING YOUR
STORY

104. LEANSERVICECREATION
Different options for presenting the story:
storyboards, customer journey, role playing
etc.
Pick one that suits your story

105. LEANSERVICECREATION
Agenda
• 2.00 – 2.20 INTRO
• 2.20 – INSPIRATION / GROUP WORK
• Part 1 – Service Concept & Controlling Idea
• Part 2 – Hero
• 3.30 Break
• 3.40 – INSPIRATION / GROUP WORK
• Part 3 – Narrative
• Part 4 – Design Elements
• Part 5 – Group Presentation Prep
• 4.50 Break
• 5 – 6 PRESENTATIONS & WRAP UP

106. LEANSERVICECREATION
BREAK TIME!

107. PRESENTATIONS

108. WRAP-UP

109. THE END