Storytelling for Designers came in 2nd place in the recent topics vote, and here it is.
This started as an essay but it’s better to show than tell, especially for a topic like storytelling. Is this really the best advice ever? Probably not, but it’s the best advice I know of and I’ve been teaching storytelling for a long time.
The three main lessons are:
Study the audience for your story first (The Who)
Establish clear and concise stakes (What happens if they ignore your ideas?)
Be curious about how salespeople and advertisers do #1 and #2
What did I miss? Where do you want to improve? Ask and I will try to help you.
References:
As an example, here is my 60 second pitch for the book Why Design Is Hard. How did I do?
Shamwow and Slapchop - two classic infomercials. Pay attention to how they establish the audience and stakes very quickly, and how much is shown rather than told. Infomercials are a great way to study concise, persuasive (and not so persuasive) storytelling.
How to pitch ideas - my essay and workshop on pitching ideas.
Confessions of a Public Speaker - my bestselling book on the craft of public speaking and storytelling.
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