The Need for Storytelling in User Experience Design

Sarah Doody
Sarah DoodyUser Experience Designer & Storyteller
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
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
Part II:
      Why we need storytelling




Sarah Doody | The Need For Storytelling in User Experience Design
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
Perspective


                                                PRODUCT /
                                                 DESIGN




                              TECH
                                                                    MARKETING




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




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

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




Sarah Doody | The Need For Storytelling in User Experience Design
1: Establish



                                                       The
               4. Evolve                             Product        2. Evangelize
                                                      Story




                                                  3. Evaluate


Sarah Doody | The Need For Storytelling in User Experience Design
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
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
Creating an opportunity




                                  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSnIjkcJGIo



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




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


Sarah Doody | The Need For Storytelling in User Experience Design
(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
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
1: Establish



                                                       The
               4. Evolve                             Product        2. Evangelize
                                                      Story




                                                  3. Evaluate


Sarah Doody | The Need For Storytelling in User Experience Design
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
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
1: Establish



                                                       The
               4. Evolve                             Product        2. Evangelize
                                                      Story




                                                  3. Evaluate


Sarah Doody | The Need For Storytelling in User Experience Design
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
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
1: Establish



                                                       The
               4. Evolve                             Product        2. Evangelize
                                                      Story




                                                  3. Evaluate


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

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




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




Sarah Doody | The Need For Storytelling in User Experience Design
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The Need for Storytelling in User Experience Design

  • 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