1. The Convergence of
UX and Storytelling
Prepared for 2014 iMedia Brand Summit
@rickstarbuck
SVP User Experience
Bank of America
@adamkleinberg
CEO/Co-Founder
Traction
Ad Age 2013 Small Agency of the Year
West Region, Silver

2. !
Once upon a time...

9. INSPECTOR
KURT
KRONER
DID.

11. DOT BOOM!

12. DOT BOOM

13. TASTES GREAT.

15. PSYCHOLOGY + TECHNOLOGY
BRAND EXPERIENCE

16. PSYCHOLOGY + TECHNOLOGY
BRAND EXPERIENCE

17. WHY
STORYTELLING +
UX?

18. DIGITAL
EMPOWERMENT +
!
ECONOMIC
SUPER-PRESSURE

19. ROI
DIGITAL
EMPOWERMENT +
!
ECONOMIC
SUPER-PRESSURE

20. WILL CLICK
FOR CHEESE.

21. YOUR BRAND
is a COMMODITY.

22. PERSONAS
USE CASES
SITE MAPS
WIREFRAMES

23. emotion?

24. Perception
Persuasion
Motivation
Desire

25. 50% OF WHAT WE SHOULD BE
DOING FOR BRANDS IS NOT
PREDICTABLY QUANITFIABLE.
Scott Bedbury, former CMO of Nike and Starbucks
“
“

26. BRING VALUE OR DIE.

27. UX, GOING UP.
!
ADVERTISING,
GOING DOWN.

29. RATIONAL

30. RATIONAL EMOTIONAL

31. HUMANS
RESPOND TO
STORIES.
“Good stories make a concept visual, tangible and personal”
—Susan Weinschenk

32. NEW EXPECTATIONS.

33. NEW TOOLS.

34. NEW BROWSERS.

35. NOT AN IDIOT.

36. BRAND
ENGAGEMENT.

37. INVISIBLE
ISN’T
ENOUGH.

38. BUILT FOR ___?

39. WHERE
have companies
steered the UX ship?

41. Pinterest copycat.

42. Pinterest copycat.
Social shopping.

43. Pinterest copycat.
Social shopping.
Vacuums?

44. Pinterest copycat.
Social shopping.
Vacuums?
Hey girlfriend!

45. Pinterest copycat.
Social shopping.
Hey girlfriend!
Vacuums?
Apps?

46. Pinterest copycat.
Social shopping.
Hey girlfriend!
Vacuums?
Apps?
Random questions?

47. Pinterest copycat.
Social shopping.
Hey girlfriend!
Vacuums?
Apps?
Random questions?
FEATURE VOMIT

49. TELLING STORIES
THROUGH UX

50. STORYTELLING
TO ENGAGE

57. STORYTELLING
PLATFORMS

60. FA K E

61. FA K E

62. 39

63. 39

64. STORYTELLING
TO CONVERT

66. 69%

69. UX>
The Art of Storytelling
TRACTION

70. UX>
The Art of Storytelling
TRACTION

71. WHAT YOU KNOW YOU DON’T KNOW.
(KDKs)
WHAT YOU DON’T
KNOW YOU DON’T KNOW.
(DKDKs)

72. THE STATUS QUO.
The Situation Today
Describe the status quo as it is today. What are some challenges you face? Are there things you know you don’t know (KDKs)? Things you don’t know you don’t know (DKDKs) that
research could help bring to light? What are opportunities you could take advantage of? Places where you’re falling short or stages of your customer’s journey you are not
addressing as well as you should? Are there places where you are talking at them that could be improved by making THEM the hero of the story?

73. WHO IS THE HERO
YOU’RE TALKING TO?

74. WHO ARE YOU TALKING TO?
Get to Know Your Customer
The sketches below represent an average customer. We’ve decorated him to put together a picture of who a customer might really be—in this case, Adam. On the next page, you’ll
create a picture of your customer. Get beyond demographics and really see her as a person, living inside their own “story” (a.k.a. their life).
CREATIVE DIRECTOR GLASSES
FRESHLY SHAVED BALD HEAD
FIGHTING WITH 10-YR OLD OVER IPAD
READY FOR FOOTBALL!
FIGHTING WITH 8-YR OLD OVER LAPTOP
CREEPER
HER KATIE PERRY ON MY IPAD

75. YOUR TURN.

76. WHAT DOES
SHE VALUE?

77. WHAT DO THEY VALUE?
Currencies You Can Offer
Think about the picture you’ve drawn of your customer. What are the things they value? What problems do they face? What motivates them? Understanding that allows you to
identify “currencies” that can deliver that value. Is there a cause they might want to help? Do the want status or perks? How could their lives be easier or more fun?
Internal External
Collective Individual
Moral
!
Need to do
good
Social
!
Need for
recognition
Economic
!
Need for
material success
Tribal
!
Need for
community
Pleasure
!
Need for
enjoyment

78. STORYTELLING ARCHETYPES

79. STORYTELLING ARCHETYPES
‣Overcoming the Monster - Defeating the pain point

80. STORYTELLING ARCHETYPES
‣Overcoming the Monster - Defeating the pain point
‣Rags to Riches - Help the downtrodden achieve success

81. STORYTELLING ARCHETYPES
‣Overcoming the Monster - Defeating the pain point
‣Rags to Riches - Help the downtrodden achieve success
‣The Quest - The hero overcomes numerous odds

82. STORYTELLING ARCHETYPES
‣Overcoming the Monster - Defeating the pain point
‣Rags to Riches - Help the downtrodden achieve success
‣The Quest - The hero overcomes numerous odds
‣Voyage and Return - Thrust your hero in an atypical situation

83. STORYTELLING ARCHETYPES
‣Overcoming the Monster - Defeating the pain point
‣Rags to Riches - Help the downtrodden achieve success
‣The Quest - The hero overcomes numerous odds
‣Voyage and Return - Thrust your hero in an atypical situation
‣Comedy - Introduce confusion that you help resolve

84. STORYTELLING ARCHETYPES
‣Overcoming the Monster - Defeating the pain point
‣Rags to Riches - Help the downtrodden achieve success
‣The Quest - The hero overcomes numerous odds
‣Voyage and Return - Thrust your hero in an atypical situation
‣Comedy - Introduce confusion that you help resolve
‣Tragedy - Illustrate the consequences of human fealty

85. STORYTELLING ARCHETYPES
‣Overcoming the Monster - Defeating the pain point
‣Rags to Riches - Help the downtrodden achieve success
‣The Quest - The hero overcomes numerous odds
‣Voyage and Return - Thrust your hero in an atypical situation
‣Comedy - Introduce confusion that you help resolve
‣Tragedy - Illustrate the consequences of human fealty
‣Rebirth - Point out that there has to be a better way

86. PIE IN THE SKY.
What If You Could Solve Anything?
Great strategy connects the dots between what you do and why you do it. Brainstorm and come up with some ideas that allows you to deliver on the currencies your customer
values, and helps you solve a challenge you identified with the status quo. Remember, people respond to stories!
A
customers
that
.
A
customers
that
.
A
customers
that
.
A
customers
that
.
A
customers
that
.
responsive app thingy inspires creative in
by allowing them to design a color palette for the walls of their home

87. SKETCH IT.
What If You Could Do Anything?
Draw a rough sketch of what the experience might look like. Keep it simple and don’t worry about details—we’re designing a framework for an experience, not the end result. Just
come up with a high level view like we’ve done in the example below. We’ve provided a bunch of pages for you to sketch on so don’t worry about messing up or getting it “right.”
COLOR
PALETTE
APP THINGY!
PRESS A COLOR
TO ADD TO PALETTE
SWIPE to SEE
OTHER COLORS
FB TW PI SHARE YOUR “STORY” BUTTONS!
SWIPE

88. YOUR TURN.
FOR ENGAGEMENT?
!
AS A PLATFORM?
!
TO DRIVE CONVERSION?

89. YOUR TURN.
FOR ENGAGEMENT?
!
AS A PLATFORM?
!
TO DRIVE CONVERSION?
‣Overcoming the Monster

90. YOUR TURN.
FOR ENGAGEMENT?
!
AS A PLATFORM?
!
TO DRIVE CONVERSION?
‣Overcoming the Monster
‣Rags to Riches

91. YOUR TURN.
FOR ENGAGEMENT?
!
AS A PLATFORM?
!
TO DRIVE CONVERSION?
‣Overcoming the Monster
‣Rags to Riches
‣The Quest

92. YOUR TURN.
FOR ENGAGEMENT?
!
AS A PLATFORM?
!
TO DRIVE CONVERSION?
‣Overcoming the Monster
‣Rags to Riches
‣The Quest
‣Voyage and Return

93. YOUR TURN.
FOR ENGAGEMENT?
!
AS A PLATFORM?
!
TO DRIVE CONVERSION?
‣Overcoming the Monster
‣Rags to Riches
‣The Quest
‣Voyage and Return
‣Comedy

94. YOUR TURN.
FOR ENGAGEMENT?
!
AS A PLATFORM?
!
TO DRIVE CONVERSION?
‣Overcoming the Monster
‣Rags to Riches
‣The Quest
‣Voyage and Return
‣Comedy
‣Tragedy

95. YOUR TURN.
FOR ENGAGEMENT?
!
AS A PLATFORM?
!
TO DRIVE CONVERSION?
‣Overcoming the Monster
‣Rags to Riches
‣The Quest
‣Voyage and Return
‣Comedy
‣Tragedy
‣Rebirth

96. ... and we lived
happily every after.
Rick Starbuck
Bank of America
rick.starbuck@bankofamerica.com
twitter.com/rickstarbuck
Adam Kleinberg
Traction
adam@tractionco.com
twitter.com/adamkleinberg