This document presents a hypothesis that written text can imply a "design system" comprising visual elements that substantiate the internal thought processes that occur during reading. This is contrasted with other forms of story visualization like movies and comics which are character-centric rather than focused on designed background elements ("touchpoints"). The hypothesis is that applying this "design-system" of textual cues allows the text to be experienced in a more sensory, direct manner. The document outlines an experiment where participants found a text incorporating descriptive touchpoints more enjoyable to read than a simplified version. It proposes potential projects to further explore expressing design elements within written stories.

1. THE TEXTUAL IMAGE
KACIE RODRIGUEZ

2. THE TEXTUAL IMAGE
KACIE RODRIGUEZ
This thesis presents the hypothesis that written
text (i.e., stories) can imply a “design system”
comprised of forms, colors, and interactions
which meet an unexpressed need to
substantiate the internal thought processes
that normally occurs during the act of reading.
HYPOTHESIS

3. THE TEXTUAL IMAGE
KACIE RODRIGUEZ
This in contrast to other visualized forms
derived from written stories such as movies,
comic books and gothic novels, which are
character centric rather than “touchpoint”
centric (designed elements that are usually
associated with a background or setting which
taken together make a complete container for
potential experience).
HYPOTHESIS

4. THE TEXTUAL IMAGE
KACIE RODRIGUEZ
Such a hypothesis will allow text to be
experienced as design in a more sensory and
direct manner, when the “design-system” of
writing is applied.
HYPOTHESIS

5. THE TEXTUAL IMAGE
KACIE RODRIGUEZ
INTRODUCTION
Hypothesis – “The Textual Image”
I. APPLYING DESIGN ELEMENTS WITHIN TEXT
A) Form (Interpreted via text)
B) Color (“ ”)
C) Interactions & relationships between elements
PAPER OUTLINE

6. THE TEXTUAL IMAGE
KACIE RODRIGUEZ
II. TOUCHPOINTS
A) Used in Branding
Brand Touchpoint Matrix by Jonas Persson
B) Used in writing to create the environment
III. Storytelling and the Sciences of Mind
IV. Experiments
A) Which text is more enjoyable? (responses, etc.)
V. Conclusion
PAPER OUTLINE

7. THE TEXTUAL IMAGE
KACIE RODRIGUEZ
TOUCHPOINTS...
Service Evidence (Tangibles)
The physical elements of a service
Service Encounter
The human interactions
Servicescape
The environmental aspects
Jeff Howard. On the Origin of Touchpoints, Nov. 2007
RESEARCH

8. THE TEXTUAL IMAGE
KACIE RODRIGUEZ
“
Sets of textual cues are construed as
narrative designs, that is, discourse patterns
meant to trigger narrative experiences.”
David Herman. Storytelling and the Sciences of Mind
RESEARCH

9. THE TEXTUAL IMAGE
KACIE RODRIGUEZ
“
Writing will create forgetfulness in the learners’ souls, because they will
not use their memories; they will trust to the external written characters
and not remember of themselves. The specific which you have
discovered is an aid not to memory, but to reminiscence, and you give
your disciples not truth, but only the semblance of truth; they will be
hearers of many things and will have learned nothing; they will appear to
be omniscient and will generally know nothing; they will be tiresome
company, having the show of wisdom without the reality.”
Socrates. 895 AD
RESEARCH

10. THE TEXTUAL IMAGE
KACIE RODRIGUEZ
EXPERIMENT
27 relatives were sent an email containing 2 small texts.
They were asked to read each and state which was more enjoyable to read & why.
One of the texts was written including design elements & touchpoints, and the other
was the same subject reduced to its simplest form.
EXPERIMENT

11. THE TEXTUAL IMAGE
KACIE RODRIGUEZ
OUTCOME
I could picture the
scene while I was
reading. It was as if I
was there.
Short and to the point.
My kind of reading.
18 PEOPLE CHOSE THE DESIGNED TEXT :
He sat alone on the maple stained wood bench. The
steam rose from his coffee and transparently
masked his face. His arms were parallel to each
other as he sat in silence facing the fog filled
mountains. A plaid blanket was loosely wrapped
around him. The sun was starting to peer over the
tops of the mountains as the light gently lit his face.
4 PEOPLE CHOSE THE SIMPLIFIED VERSION:
The guy sat outside drinking coffee, waiting for the
sun to rise.
EXPERIMENT

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KACIE RODRIGUEZ
PROJECT IDEA #1
Taking a page of Twitter statuses, and read them in a way to create
touchpoints.
Using this character, environment and experiences derived from these
touchpoints to develop a screenplay.
Outputting the design elements within the text.
Deliverables: Screenplay, movie trailer, movie posters, character books, etc.
PROJECTS

13. THE TEXTUAL IMAGE
KACIE RODRIGUEZ
PROJECT IDEA #1
PROJECTS

14. THE TEXTUAL IMAGE
KACIE RODRIGUEZ