During this lecture, we discussed a complex subject, but a very important one in the UX design industry. Are Ux designers problem solvers? Or are UX designers storytellers? These statements made me a bit confused cause we are both, but also not. Storytelling allows designers to simplify the message and problem-solving

Storytelling

https://www.looppanel.com/blog/ux-storytelling#:~:text=Storytelling in UX design transforms,smoothly while building emotional connections.

I thought that this lecture was hard to understand how it linked to Ux design, but after further research into storytelling, I can see how this can be used to help user experiences. Step-by-step telling is the process of incorporating narratives into the design process to make products more engaging and add empathy to products, therefore building trust

4 pillars of storytelling

• Authenticity - authentic stories aligned with your brand values create more of a genuine connection
• Empathy - a good story focuses on understanding the user, looking at their challenges, aspirations, and emotions. This gives the story a personal feel, making the users feel understood.
• Consistency - touchpoints should all remain consistent, which will build trust and help to keep your brand identity. Different narratives can confuse users and impact the message
• Impact- stories should inspire action from the users, such as making a purchase or exploring a feature. Impactful storytelling will leave a lasting impression on the user and will connect on an emotional level, meaning the user will come back for more.

3-Act Structure

Act I

• Introduces character and world
• The protagonists’ goal and current status
• the incident

Act II

• challenges
• stakes are high

Act III

• central conflict and face the climax

Freytag’s pyramid

• exposition
• rising action
• climax
• falling action
• conclusion

How to link this to UX design

It is how designers break information into a way that it is interesting and break down the content design to a narrative arc. We can look a the the layout of the website and apps and break them down into acts. Onboarding is act one and act two if finding the need and act 3 is the conclusion on what the app will do. In UX the hero of the story is the user, they are not familiar with the design and they will face challenges but will be rewarded.

What is narrative design and how it is important?

https://johnnemann.medium.com/narrative-design-101-what-is-narrative-design-d14c0ecc391f

Narrative design is seeing how a story is experienced in a game. Narrative design focuses on the interaction between game play and the story elements which is vital as it will help to emotionally engage with the player and create more meaningful experiences. narrative design requires a level of design thinking as it is not just about creating a story it is about making systems that show the story within the gameplay. As UX designers we use layout and interactions forma. user to an interface these both reply on understanding the behaviours and emotional impact to keep the user engaged and connected, which is vital in UX as we aim to make a seamless experience.

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I found this class challenging to grasp at first, as the concept of integrating storytelling into UX design felt complex. However, after further research, I realised how powerful narrative structures can be in making designs more engaging and empathetic.

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