1. Engagement, Interaction & Narrative
Design for Transmedia Storytelling
By Peter von Stackelberg
December 2011

2. Transmedia narratives are one or more related stories told across
two or more media.
The Matrix includes feature films,
comic books, video games, and
animated shorts set in the same
“storyworld”.
IDT 599 – Masters Thesis © 2010-2011 Peter von Stackelberg

3. A fundamental question designers of transmedia narratives face is
“How do you tell an effective story across multiple media?”
IDT 599 – Masters Thesis © 2010-2011 Peter von Stackelberg

4. Concept maps show the objects, entities, and concepts that
comprise a transmedia narrative and relationships between them.
IDT 599 – Masters Thesis © 2010-2011 Peter von Stackelberg

5. The design of transmedia narratives can be broken into three sub-
processes – narrative, user engagement, and interaction design.
Transmedia
Narrative Design
User
Narrative Interaction
Engagement
Design Design
Design
IDT 599 – Masters Thesis © 2010-2011 Peter von Stackelberg

6. The transmedia narrative design process occurs at four levels –
transmedia project, storyworld, story, and scene/sequence level.
IDT 599 – Masters Thesis © 2010-2011 Peter von Stackelberg

7. The design tasks at the transmedia project level shape the overall
transmedia narrative project.
Transmedia Project Level Design Tasks
• Initiate transmedia project
• Create transmedia project tagline
• Identify the purpose of the project
• Identify audience demographics
• Develop audience psychographic profile
• Identify content consumer type
• Identify user gratifications
• Identify audience media usage
• Identify user segments
• Identify media/platforms that will be used
• Determine project type
• Determine if the project is intercompositional or intracompositional
IDT 599 – Masters Thesis © 2010-2011 Peter von Stackelberg

8. The storyworld level design tasks shape the “universe” within
which the transmedia narrative(s) play out.
Storyworld Level Design Tasks
Narrative Design Engagement Design Interaction Design
• Create storyworld • Determine desired level of • Develop preliminary wireframes
user engagement
• Develop storyworld tagline • Determine entry points to
• Determine degree of user transmedia narrative project
• Select storyworld genre agency
• Map storyworld level navigation
• Determine if storyworld is • Determine user control of
fictional, non-fictional, or hybrid characters
• Create characters • Determine user role (internal
or external)
• Create significant object(s)
• Apply principles of human
• Create events centered design
• Create settings • Develop “rules of
engagement” synopsis
• Develop storyworld synopsis
• Develop design aesthetic
• Develop style guides
IDT 599 – Masters Thesis © 2010-2011 Peter von Stackelberg

9. The story level design tasks are used to create the individual stories
within the storyworld.
Story Level Design Tasks
Narrative Design Engagement Design Interaction Design
• Develop story concept • Identify media/platforms
• Develop dramatic question • Develop user journey diagram
• Develop controlling idea • Develop preliminary calls-to-
action plan
• Select general story structure
• Compile preliminary assets list
• Select narrative point of view
• Select story mode
(presentational versus
representational)
• Select general plot structure
• Develop sub-stories
• Select story timeframe
• Select characters and roles
• Develop character arcs
• Develop preliminary
storyboards
IDT 599 – Masters Thesis © 2010-2011 Peter von Stackelberg

10. The scene/sequence level design tasks guide the development of
the elements within each story.
Scene/Sequence Level Design Tasks
Narrative Design Engagement Design Interaction Design
• Develop detailed storyboards • Design user participation • Identify media/platforms for
individual sequences/scenes
• Create scene/sequence
• Design information cascades
• Select/create characters
• Develop calls-to-action
• Select/create settings
• Develop cognitive maps
• Select/create significant
object(s) • Design information field
• Determine narrative • Develop detailed asset list
perspective
IDT 599 – Masters Thesis © 2010-2011 Peter von Stackelberg

11. The storyworld consists of existents, events, and settings that exist
at certain points in storyworld time.
IDT 599 – Masters Thesis © 2010-2011 Peter von Stackelberg

12. A story establishes a timeline within storyworld time, with the
story’s “present day” typically occurring when the story starts.
IDT 599 – Masters Thesis © 2010-2011 Peter von Stackelberg

13. A number of existents, events, and settings from the storyworld are
selected for use in the story.
IDT 599 – Masters Thesis © 2010-2011 Peter von Stackelberg

14. A different combination of existents, events, and settings results in
a different story even when the time span of the story is the same.
IDT 599 – Masters Thesis © 2010-2011 Peter von Stackelberg

15. Using a different timeframe for the story provides a different set of
existents, events, and settings to use in a different story.
IDT 599 – Masters Thesis © 2010-2011 Peter von Stackelberg

16. This storyworld structure makes possible the “layering” of stories
and the development of dynamic characters and settings.
IDT 599 – Masters Thesis © 2010-2011 Peter von Stackelberg

17. A variety of story structures like Freytag’s Triangle (with or without
flashbacks) are possible with this storyworld framework.
IDT 599 – Masters Thesis © 2010-2011 Peter von Stackelberg

18. A variety of media can be used for different stories or sub-stories,
creating a transmedia narrative.
IDT 599 – Masters Thesis © 2010-2011 Peter von Stackelberg

19. Different media can be used to provide more detail on different
existents, events, and/or settings.
IDT 599 – Masters Thesis © 2010-2011 Peter von Stackelberg

20. Individual elements of the storyworld can be explored in detail –
“tourist guides” for fictional settings for example.
IDT 599 – Masters Thesis © 2010-2011 Peter von Stackelberg