Storytelling has been trending all the way when we talk about marketing, advertisement, and promotion. You might have drawn to a video that starts with a great story, enough to keep you engaged, excited and active.
Either visual or textual, storytelling is not a new concept, yet it has been the part since the birth of a human. Take an example of hieroglyphics from Egyptian civilization, engraved on pyramids of Egypt.
Presently, the concept has taken a 360-degree turn. Instead of using walls to tell a story, mobile devices, tablets, and laptops are being used. You might have come across some of the apps and websites with stunning graphics and user interface.
User Experience is equally important when designing a new product and one of the most important skills a UX designer must have. If you are working on your own project or offering UX design solutions, adding a story will do miracles. Here are some of the ways you can add a story to your UX design and attract visitors to explore more.
Use Logic that Drives the Purpose
Storytelling does not mean that you have to be a novel or fiction writer just like Shakespeare or Charles Dicken. Think of it how every day passes like a story and you are part of it. From helping the blind to cross the road to giving the money to a homeless person sitting by the roadside, there is a sequence and you are part of it.
Now imagine it if you are enticing the users with such stories in a glimpse. People can’t wait long to come up with a conclusion. They will either reject it or accept it by exploring and scrolling it. It depends on how effectively you engage, entice and create the urge in clients or viewers.
The theme of Your Story
The purpose of storytelling is not only to fill the white spaces on your website or app. The purpose of your story should be clear. Why it is important, what is the concept, who is being targeted and how it will attract clients.
As a designer, you have to think about how you can entice the users and convince them of taking particular actions. Just like a movie, that grips you from the very beginning and you can’t even blink your eyes.
Personas or User Characters
The best way to convert your potential customer is by creating a persona that centers on their pain point and addresses a simple solution. It will help users to skim the purpose of your offerings and telling something that directly relates to their problem. Try to mold the users or customers in the story through a gimmicked character that represent them. Personas are now being incorporated by many brands to give users targeted information in limited time.
Offering Rewards through Game
You can offer rewards to the visitors by gamifying your website. For example, you can offer big discounts to the visitors who can memorize the two exact boxes with similar objects. Those who are successful can be rewarded with discounts or some giveaway.
Though gamification is not the direct way of telling the story, but it will help you keep your visitors engaged and influence their experience. Offering rewards for taking actions will simply add flair to the UX design.
Surprise them on the Go
Design strategy must be filled with surprises and suspense. For instance, if your target audience is the group of teens, they might be curious to know about hidden or surprising facts. However, you must be very careful that not all the audience have the same needs or will be enticed by your trick.
The purpose of adding a story to your UX design is to attract and keep your users engaged. Make sure that you are not adding a story to the design just to meet the formality, but rather to increase the value and enhance the design.