#7. Using storytelling to research innovative ideas
Until now, I have spoken about storytelling as used in my everyday projects. In particular, the methodologies outlined in my Domestika Course and my upcoming Smashing Workshop help me design everything from apps to landing pages, and even books.
If you have been following my work, you may already know that the outcome of using these methodologies is to create memorable experiences, designed with the user's real needs and goals fully in mind.
However, when I began working with start-up companies I had to adjust my approach because their project goals were different from those I was used to.
For instance, at a fintech startup we focused on the future rather than the present. I found that the usual UX Narrative and UX Dramaturgy methodologies I relied on were not sufficient for making design decisions in projects that wouldn't be launched for another 3-5 years.
A new approach – and new tools
Faced with methodologies that were no longer suitable, I looked into new tools from other fields of design, including Design Fiction and Scenario Planning. I wanted to give these tools a more grounded perspective, however. The fintech projects were not ‘fictional’ or speculative, but had to be trusted by their investors and be built in the secure knowledge that they would be successful in the market of the future.
As such, I created the Future Narrative Framework, whose function I explain in more depth in this article and this talk.
The Future Narrative Framework: this framework uses a set of new tools coming from other fields of design, including Design Fiction and Scenario Planning.
For me, important lessons were that every product needs to stand the test of time and that even very established companies operate in an ever-changing world that constantly needs innovative ideas.
So today, I want to introduce two useful tools I use even before I open my sketch pad – the Research and the Sensemaking Map – that help me explore new ideas and create more authentic, future-focused products.
Research through three lenses
UX research is crucial when starting a new project, and should be conducted regularly to ensure the product remains relevant. Typically, this research focuses on understanding the users: their needs, goals, habits, and interactions with the product. However, a challenge arises when we’re not sure who our future users are, or what their needs will be in five years’ time. When this happens the research is based on assumptions, which can be both unreliable and untrustworthy.
For this reason, my research usually is seen through three lenses, or realities: the people, the technology and the planet. These lenses are interconnected, which is why they appear as though they are inside a funnel.
The research funnel. My research usually is seen through three lenses, or realities: the people, the technology and the planet.
The people are the users, with their specific attributes, needs, goals and habits.
You may already be familiar with empathy maps. These can be used to help designers like me understand our users but also for team collaboration, helping to align everyone with the same understanding.
Empathy map for users.
The technology shapes the users’ behaviour. Just think about how our lives have changed since the introduction of smartphones and apps!
So the next step is to visualise the people – or, the users! – immersed in a new reality of technologies that have specific attributes which govern accessibility (solutions that can be readily used by a wide range of people) and compatibility (solutions that can seamlessly integrate with existing technologies and systems).
The technology lens can be explored using a range of sources. For example, during my time at the fintech startup I would both read and consult sources like TechCrunch and Wired (or the specialised magazine BeInCrypto), as well as interpreting the Gartner Hype Cycle (GHC) graphics. This tool is amazing, and it follows five steps that are intuitive but complex. Some GHC are already available and can be consulted online for free or through payment. However, you can also create your own if needed.
Gartner graphic: hype cycle of Artificial Intelligence, 2022.
Finally, both technologies and people must be seen through a larger reality, the planet. You could ask how products may exist, without an ecosystem to receive and host them.
This aspect of the research has some specific qualities: responsibility (accountability for the consequences of our ideas, promoting fairness and ethical conduct) and sustainability (contributing positively to the long-term well-being of society and the planet). I have used a tool called Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) which is useful for defining sustainability (though this can be tricky with blockchain products!), and the Social Life Cycle Assessment (S-LCA) that assesses the social and socio-economic impacts of a product or service throughout its life cycle.
The phases of the Life Cycle Assessment: this tool is useful to define the sustainability of the product.
Through these analyses we recognise that our ideas exist in a larger context, which means we must incorporate ethical considerations into every question we ask.
Note: As a fintech company, questions around the sustainability of blockchain were many, but based on the Gartner analysis we also noted rising interest in this technology, after NFT-related hype made companies consider how to invest in a more sustainable approach. You can read more about this here.
Making sense of data: the Sensemaking maps
Once you have gathered all the required information, you will need a clear sense of what is important for your project. This is usually the point where I use the Sensemaking map.
The Sensemaking map is based on the storytelling approach of cause and effect. So we create small scenarios, starting with the problem our product is trying to solve. Then, we expand the map to consider the consequences this problem brings to people, technology, and the planet.
In this image, the closest circles all have a direct connection to the problem. Those further out include indirect consequences.
The sensemaking map. The closest circles all have a direct connection to the problem. Those further out include indirect consequences.
When using the Sensemaking Map, we must consider consequences that are both positive and negative. In fact, the ultimate goal of the Sensemaking Map is not only to organise our research, but also to find ‘grey’ areas or opportunities where an innovative idea can make a genuine impact.
These opportunities are design decisions that can be integrated into the product as features, then explored and tested further using the UX Dramaturgy approach.
Better research brings a better narrative
You can see that the above tools will help you analyse and conduct deeper research on some storytelling fundamentals, like the protagonist of your story (the user), the context (the world they live in) and also the different interactions (technologies that influence their behaviour).
Finally, the Sensemaking map will help you filter the data to create a plot based on cause and effect.
Your plot will provide design opportunities that can be reviewed using the UX Dramaturgy approach.
The UX Dramaturgy. As explained in previous articles and in my Domestika Course.
In this way, you can visualise the user's interactions, highlighting pain points and opportunities for improvement. Only then you can decide if this is a feature worth introducing as-is, improving or dismissing.
Please note that the above methodologies can be used to create innovative ideas that shape the future. While I don't believe in the power of prediction, I do trust that designers can use these tools to create a welcoming future home for our ideas.
I think this makes our work more important and powerful!
I hope you enjoyed this brief tour of storytelling-powered research tools and that you find them useful in your design process.
You can read more about the Future Narrative Framework in this article and watch the talk at Smashing Conference in Antwerp, in which I use my experience at the fintech company as an example.
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