What's the best way to plan and execute your design project using storytelling frameworks?

When I plan and execute my design project using storytelling frameworks, I start by understanding my audience and clearly defining the problem I want to solve. This is followed by weaving a captivating narrative, focusing on elements like character development, conflict, and resolution. I make sure to highlight the benefits, anticipate objections, and demonstrate successful outcomes. Tagging along the process, what I feel extremely essential is to constantly improve my designs, ensuring it aligns with the narrative, and confidently present my project while adhering to the structure of my story.

Storytelling frameworks like the Hero's Journey can be pivotal in executing design projects. Take Airbnb, for example. In its early days, users (heroes) faced challenges in finding affordable and unique places to stay. Airbnb's design solution became the 'call to action.' The platform guided users through a series of steps (tests and allies), leading them to their ideal stay (inmost cave). Users' satisfactory experiences and the unique sense of belonging (reward) they achieved made them evangelists. This transformation in their travel journey was the elixir. By integrating a user-centric narrative into their design process, Airbnb solved a problem and transformed the travel experience.

I actually find this hero's journey quite narrow, and very limiting for my design process. The hero journey I follow uses the following as prompts to answer. Each step surfaces specific things about your client's "hero" (ie. customer): 1. A character (who is the persona?) 2. With a problem (what are they struggling to do?) 3. Meets a guide (what role do you play in their story?) 4. Who gives them a plan (how will you help them defeat their "villain" / their problem?) 5. And calls them to action (what should the hero do now? what will motivate them?) 6. That results in success (what does winning look and feel like for the hero?) 7. Or failure (what's the cost of the hero failing to you, and to them?)

Breaking a design down into simple sentences is a remarkably effective way to show yourself how you might be overcomplicating things. In a world of ego and jargon, it's very easy to lose yourself in the embellishments, and forget about what you're *actually* trying to do.

Everyone loves a good story! It is perhaps the oldest ways through history of engaging people of diverse backgrounds and mindsets . Either through a song ,dance poetry or prose narration , observing , identifying the problem through the eyes of empathy is one of the most effective ways of helping the users understanding the what when where and how of design.change at first in which ever manner is always painful, but for effective design interventions, helping the users understand "what and how " to " this is how and why " helps in the mindset shift.

Designing through a narrative is so important in what we do as people who are creating experiences and worlds. To have your story come alive in varying scales throughout the design process is something really magical, and essential. It begins when we lay everything out and are taking our viewer along the journey that’s been living in our mind (and on a computer screen). We spend hours/days designing a chair that fits in perfectly with the world we’re creating. Tailoring everything to the experience - even down to the exact stitching detail. Storytelling allows us to make up a new world within the one we already exist in. Paying attention to these details allows the experience you’re creating to really come alive and have its own breath.