DESIGNER STORYTELLING Exploring relationships between design and storytelling

Introduction The aspects covered: A framework for story Introduction to the ways that storytelling is related to design Key concepts within them Evidence and examples of each

Introduction Outline of the key points: The ways that storytelling is related to design are diverse and varied Storytelling can play a part in a number of stages of a design process There are no hard and fast rules

A Framework for Story Bruner’s Model Action directed towards a goal Order established between events and states Sensitivity towards what is canonical in human behaviour The revealing of a narrators perspective

Task 10 minutes Talk to the person next to you about your own design projects and try to think of an occasion where you told a story that met Bruner’s criteria (a goal, order of events/states, human user, your own perspective). Think about why you told this story.

A Framework for Story David Philmlee “design is the simple conveyance of a story” Bruner’s Criteria Design Action directed towards a goal Resolution of the Design Brief Order established between events and states Stages of development and/or the design concept in use Sensitivity towards what is canonical in human behaviour A design concept usually has a human user The revealing of a narrators perspective The design concept is a prospective proposition derived from the designer’s perspective of the problem space

Relating Storytelling to Design Written Madsen & Nielsen: The Persona Scenario Persona: Fabricated user, constructed using data from user research Scenario: No mutual definition for what it is, but in no doubt that it is a story

Relating Storytelling to Design Written Madsen & Nielsen: The Persona Scenario “the persona is the protagonist […and that a] problem should be solved and the goal should always be reached”

Relating Storytelling to Design Written Madsen & Nielsen: The Persona Scenario “generate many, new and shared understandings and design ideas”

Relating Storytelling to Design Verbal Peter Lloyd & Bryan Lawson: Design Conversations Research: Analysing recordings of conversations between engineering designers, extrapolating the stories exchanged

Relating Storytelling to Design Verbal Peter Lloyd: Design Conversations “a central mechanism in the development of a common language” e.g. providing identities for particular concepts

Relating Storytelling to Design Verbal Bryan Lawson: Design Conversations “words are selected carefully to evoke and communicate subtleties of design concepts which would take many words and drawings to explain to an outsider”

Relating Storytelling to Design Verbal Craig DeLarge: Presentation Techniques Design Management acting towards the strategic development of an organisation, dealing with change management, dealing with strategy presentation, dealing with team building and dealing with innovation seeking.

Relating Storytelling to Design Verbal Craig DeLarge: Presentation Techniques “Be sure your stories are relevant to the context and situation in which they are used”, to “distinguish yourself as a good storyteller”. “Offer stories, both verbally and non-verbally and in various creative media, to improve consulting relationships”. “Use ‘experiential’ stories as evidence of the ‘intangible’ commodity we trade in - design. Doing so can compellingly demonstrate the results produced by good design”.

Relating Storytelling to Design Visually Embedded Nigel Cross: Sketches and Product The embedded stories in artefacts resulting from the design process have been defined on many planes. Firstly and most obviously, how visualisation is used to tell the story of how a design proposition is constructed and how it works, vitally important to the client and even the end user.

Relating Storytelling to Design Visually Embedded Nigel Cross: Sketches and Product Secondly, the more subtle implications in the design of products.

Task 10 minutes Look at the picture on your table and consider the story that is embedded within it. Different people will have different opinions as the picture will conjure connotations for each individual. On your table you must negotiate with each other to decide on a single story.

Relating Storytelling to Design Visually Explicit Nigel Cross: Designer’s Mediums More specifically, with regard to the visualisation that occurs during a design process, it is important to acknowledge that as well as the more traditional artefacts such as sketches, renderings and models, there has also been a growing frequency of using media presentations including photography, film and animation. This phenomenon has been explicated as a societal shift responsive to a more visually rich world.

Conclusion Revisiting the Main Points The ways that storytelling is related to design are diverse and varied

Conclusion Revisiting the Main Points Storytelling can play a part in a number of stages of a design process

Conclusion Revisiting the Main Points There are no hard and fast rules

Bibliography BRUNER, J. (ed.) 2002. Making Stories: Law, Literature, Life (1st ed.), New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux. CROSS, N. 2006. Designerly Ways of Knowing. London: Springer. DELARGE, C. 2004. Storytelling as a Critical Success Factor in Design Processes and Outcomes. Design Management Review, 15, 76-81. LAWSON, B. (1994). Design in Mind. Butterworth-Heinemann Ltd: Oxford. LLOYD, P.A. (2000). Storytelling and the Development of Discourse in the Engineering Design Process. Design Studies, 21, p. 357-373.

Bibliography MADSEN, S. & NIELSEN, L. 2010. Exploring Persona-Scenarios - Using Storytelling to Create Design Ideas. International Federation for Information Processing, 316, 57-66. PHILMLEE, D. 2005. Telling Stories: Design as a Business Strategy [Online]. [Accessed 08 February 2012].