1. The Need for Storytelling in
User Experience Design
Sarah Doody
User Experience Designer + Storyteller
www.sarahdoody.com
August 24, 2011
@sarahdoody #storytellingUX
sarah@sarahdoody.com
Sarah Doody | The Need For Storytelling in User Experience Design 1

2. Outline
Introduction
Why we need storytelling
The product story
Establish
Evangelize
Execute
Evolve
Conclusion & QA
Sarah Doody | The Need For Storytelling in User Experience Design

3. Part II:
Why we need storytelling
Sarah Doody | The Need For Storytelling in User Experience Design

4. Background
I’m a user experience designer.
And a product strategist.
( but I realized that I’m a storyteller first)
Sarah Doody | The Need For Storytelling in User Experience Design

5. Perspective
PRODUCT /
DESIGN
TECH
MARKETING
Sarah Doody | The Need For Storytelling in User Experience Design

6. Telephone Game
Sarah Doody | The Need For Storytelling in User Experience Design

7. Observation
Far too often teams
focus on execution
before defining a
product opportunity or
value proposition.
Sarah Doody | The Need For Storytelling in User Experience Design

8. Symptoms & Effects
Product Team Users
• Scope creep • Chasing tasks • Confusing ux
• Extended timeline • Burn out • Slow adoption
• Over budget • No passion • No adoption
• Scope reduction • Frustration • No word of mouth
Sarah Doody | The Need For Storytelling in User Experience Design

9. “It doesn’t matter how good
your (engineering) team is if
they are not given something
worthwhile to build.”
Marty Cagan
Inspired: How To Create Products Customers Love
Sarah Doody | The Need For Storytelling in User Experience Design

10. Root Problem
Too many teams focus
on the how and what
of a product, letting
why get left behind.
Sarah Doody | The Need For Storytelling in User Experience Design

11. A product is more than
a website, transaction,
or feature list ...
Sarah Doody | The Need For Storytelling in User Experience Design

12. A great product should
solve a problem or create
opportunity that adds
value to someone’s life.
Sarah Doody | The Need For Storytelling in User Experience Design

13. Goal of the product story
why how what
Ensure your product is rooted in
solutions or opportunities.
Sarah Doody | The Need For Storytelling in User Experience Design

14. Part II:
Developing a product story
Sarah Doody | The Need For Storytelling in User Experience Design

15. 1: Establish
The
4. Evolve Product 2. Evangelize
Story
3. Evaluate
Sarah Doody | The Need For Storytelling in User Experience Design

16. There are two possible
why’s for your product:
Solve a problem
or
Create an opportunity
Sarah Doody | The Need For Storytelling in User Experience Design

17. TripIt: Solving a problem
Why?
Simplify the Internet travel experience.
How?
Organize your travel.
What?
Create master itineraries, plan trips, share,
discovery, logistics, mobile apps
Sarah Doody | The Need For Storytelling in User Experience Design

18. Creating an opportunity
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSnIjkcJGIo
Sarah Doody | The Need For Storytelling in User Experience Design

19. Creating an opportunity
Why?
Reinvent the running experience.
How?
Online platform and branded world that
integrated physical, virtual, and social.
What?
Track your runs, power songs, competitions,
goals, progress history, friends
Sarah Doody | The Need For Storytelling in User Experience Design

20. Creating an opportunity
Why?
Make your financial life easier.
How?
Putting your financial information in one place.
What?
Budgets, alerts, investment tracking,
categorization.
Sarah Doody | The Need For Storytelling in User Experience Design

21. Example: Lack of story
“A real time
communication
platform”
(this is ‘what’
and not ‘why’)
Sarah Doody | The Need For Storytelling in User Experience Design

22. Example: Lack of story
Sarah Doody | The Need For Storytelling in User Experience Design

23. The “how should I use Evernote” project ...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Kcp9iKqOUg
Sarah Doody | The Need For Storytelling in User Experience Design

24. (Letting users tell the story)
Why?
Remember everything.
How?
Capture any moment, idea, inspiration, or experience on
any device.
What?
Make the information accessible everywhere, searchable,
sharable, etc.
Sarah Doody | The Need For Storytelling in User Experience Design

25. Establishing your product story
• Be observant and curious
• Question why things are the way they are
• Be your customer
• Use real life experiences
• Write the press release you want after you launch
Sarah Doody | The Need For Storytelling in User Experience Design

26. 1: Establish
The
4. Evolve Product 2. Evangelize
Story
3. Evaluate
Sarah Doody | The Need For Storytelling in User Experience Design

27. Spread the story
PRODUCT /
DESIGN
Do whatever it
takes to make
the story spread
WHY
and stick
TECH MARKETING
Sarah Doody | The Need For Storytelling in User Experience Design

28. Tactical examples
• Embrace a culture of storytelling
• Always map back to “why”
• Contextualize facts and derive meaning
• Develop personas
• Identify ambassadors
Sarah Doody | The Need For Storytelling in User Experience Design

29. 1: Establish
The
4. Evolve Product 2. Evangelize
Story
3. Evaluate
Sarah Doody | The Need For Storytelling in User Experience Design

30. And then you launch ...
After you built it, did they
come?
Did they understand your
story?
Sarah Doody | The Need For Storytelling in User Experience Design

31. Evaluating response
• Are you getting users
• What are the users saying
• What is the press saying
• Fall in love with the story of data
Sarah Doody | The Need For Storytelling in User Experience Design

32. 1: Establish
The
4. Evolve Product 2. Evangelize
Story
3. Evaluate
Sarah Doody | The Need For Storytelling in User Experience Design

33. Don’t be afraid to
change your story,
many times.
Sarah Doody | The Need For Storytelling in User Experience Design

34. Part III:
Learnings & Resources
Sarah Doody | The Need For Storytelling in User Experience Design

35. Conclusions
Why we need storytelling
1. Cohesive and value based product
2. Dedicated team / maximum impact
3. Engaged users who will spread your story
Storytelling in the UX process
1. Establish your story
2. Evangelize with your team and users
3. Evaluate a minimum desirable product
4. Evolve and evaluate the story as users shape it
Sarah Doody | The Need For Storytelling in User Experience Design

36. Resources
Sarah Doody | The Need For Storytelling in User Experience Design