A brief intro to storytelling and the importance of stories
Storytelling is the interactive art of using words and actions to reveal the elements and images of a story while encouraging the listener’s imagination.
We use stories to spark emotion, make sense of things, and learn.
Without history, without chronicled stories, mankind would never learn from his mistakes, would never dream to emulate past heroes, would never see anything but the now. We would be clueless to the past, and therefore helpless for the future.
In 1940, a group of French children discovered a series of cave paintings in the Pyrenees Mountains in southern France. The paintings depict a variety of animals and one image of a human being – telling a story of rituals performed and hunting practices.
The Old Testament is the first part of Christian Bibles based primarily upon the Hebrew Bible, a collection of ancient religious writings by the Israelites. It’s believed by many Christians and religious Jews to be the sacred Word of God.
The epic of Gilgamesh – a poem about mankind’s eternal struggle with the fear of death – was carved on stone pillars for all to see. The story spread very quickly from Mesopotamia to other parts of Europe and Asia.
Aesop’s fables were written down in the 200s B.C., but Aesop lived in the 500s B.C. Oral storytelling was so powerful that his lessons were remembered for hundreds of years before being printed.
Widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world’s pre-eminent dramatist, Shakespeare wrote hundreds of stories. His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more than any other playwright’s.
Famous for his keynotes, Steve Jobs agonized over the details of his presentations introducing new products or making announcements. He crafted narratives to create and maintain suspense and deliver a powerful message.
As wars were fought and valiant deeds were done, people needed some way to remember them
Stories emerged as a way to preserve the raw emotions and sequence of events
Storytellers became valuable, important figures in the community
Stories open our hearts to a new place, which opens our minds, which often leads to action.
In a study conducted by Carnegie Mellon, researchers sent two versions of a letter asking for donations for a third world country.
Shared astounding statistics on the dismal living conditions, the numbers without fresh water, without food, etc.
Told a heart wrenching story about a girl who lives in the third world country.
The story-based letter, version two, resulted in 118 percent more dollars donated.
Your job as a digital storyteller is to be a co-author, crafting the graphic part of the narrative that intertwines with the verbal part of the story. By following similar steps to that of a traditional writer, you’ll be able to design content that makes a lasting impact on your audience.
Traditional web design often happens in a silo. Many designs are done before there’s any content—and as such, don’t tie closely to the words on the page. Start with a story (literally – i.e. a storyboard) and develop visuals and words hand in hand.
In the rising tension phase of the story, for example, use more dramatic, impactful imagery. During the conclusion, choose visuals that resolve tension and wrap up loose ends.
Stories capture our hearts and attention by slowly and carefully unfolding details. To set a similar pace, use unique animations to build anticipation rather than revealing everything at once.
Stories often involve characters that provide a thread through the entire narrative. Your visual stories should use recurring design elements that weave in and out of the overall design to ground the reader in the story the same way a character’s perspective does.
