The document discusses using storytelling to craft engaging experiences. It provides examples of how stories influence our beliefs and behaviors more than facts or arguments. The presentation outlines principles of storytelling like plot, characters, and setting to understand problems, deliver solutions, and present outputs. It emphasizes applying dramaturgy to visualize experiences and map customer journeys through different stages with touchpoints.

1. @annadahlstromwww.flickr.com/photos/expressmonorail/2851793049/
Using storytelling to
craft experiences that engage
Anna Dahlström | @annadahlstrom @uxfika
IIeX, Amsterdam, February 20 2018

2. “ We are as a species addicted to stories. ”
- The Storytelling Animal by Jonathan Gottschall
www.flickr.com/photos/namkeng/3209117837 @annadahlstrom

3. www.flickr.com/photos/g-ratphotos/3404474275
“ If you can’t tell it, you can’t sell it. ”
- Peter Guber
@annadahlstrom

4. www.flickr.com/photos/g-ratphotos/3404474275
“ Results repeatedly shows that our attitudes, fears, hopes,
and values are strongly influenced by story. In fact, fiction seems
to be more effective at changing beliefs than writing that is
specifically designed to persuade through argument and evidence."
Entering fictional worlds radically alters the way information is
processed. ”
- FastCompany, Why storytelling is the ultimate weapon
@annadahlstrom

5. www.flickr.com/photos/criminalintent/8403445117/
In all good stories
there’s a bit of magic
@annadahlstrom

6. Every story
takes us on a journey
Image via Shutterstock @annadahlstrom

7. Storytelling how to create experiences that engage
@annadahlstrom

8. Storytelling how to create experiences that engage
@annadahlstrom
Understand
the problem space
Deliver
the experience
Present
the output

9. www.flickr.com/photos/g-ratphotos/3404474275
“ Experiences matter. Experiences are journeys. Journeys are designed. ”
- Strategy + business
@annadahlstrom

10. Storytelling helps
us with the context
www.flickr.com/photos/22309110@N03/35090792306/ @annadahlstrom

11. Image via Shutterstock
“ The whole of a story is that
which have a beginning, a middle
and an end ”
- Aristotle
@annadahlstrom

12. 7 principles of good storytelling
@annadahlstromhttps://www.flickr.com/photos/aaronrhawkins/36186328994/

13. 7 principles of good storytelling
1. Plot
2. Character
3. Idea
4. Speech
5. Chorus
6. Decor 7. Spectacle
@annadahlstromhttps://www.flickr.com/photos/aaronrhawkins/36186328994/

14. 7 principles of good storytelling
1. Plot
2. Character 6. Decor
@annadahlstromhttps://www.flickr.com/photos/aaronrhawkins/36186328994/

15. 1 The plot
@annadahlstrom

16. Dramaturgy knowing how to apply & structure
elements to tell a story
@annadahlstrom

17. Act three
Three act structure
Act one
Setup Resolution
Act two
Confrontation
inciting
incident mid point climax
confronts the main
character
tries to solve the problem but
don’t yet have the skills
the dramatic question is
answered
PLOT POINT ONE PLOT POINT TWO
@annadahlstrom

18. Source: http://www.openculture.com/2014/02/kurt-vonnegut-masters-thesis-rejected-by-u-chicago.html @annadahlstrom

19. Post..PurchaseConsiderationAwareness
The structure of a typical purchase journey
Setup ResolutionConfrontation
inciting
incident mid point climax
confronts the main
character
tries to solve the problem but
don’t yet have the skills
the dramatic question is
answered
PLOT POINT ONE PLOT POINT TWO
1. Becomes aware
5. Takes action
/ no action
4. Makes a decision
3. Looks further into it
2. Starts to consider
Act three Act one Act two
@annadahlstrom

20. Post..PurchaseConsiderationAwareness
Map out the experience
Setup ResolutionConfrontation
PLOT POINT ONE PLOT POINT TWO
Act three Act one Act two
HygieneFeelgoodDelight
Looks
it up
Reads a
review
Compares
it to similar
products
Does more
research
Pays for
it
Decides
to buy
Hears
about it
Receives
it
inciting
incident
mid
point
climax
PLOT POINT ONE
PLOT POINT TWO

21. Source: www.khanacademy.org/partner-content/pixar/storytelling/story-structure/v/piab-storystructure @annadahlstrom

22. Source: www.khanacademy.org/partner-content/pixar/storytelling/story-structure/v/piab-storystructure @annadahlstrom

23. Source: https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/articles/holiday-shopping-search-behavior.html @annadahlstromSource: screenshot www.ted.com/talks/nancy_duarte_the_secret_structure_of_great_talks#t-506594

24. The plot Use dramaturgy to help understand, define &
visualise the plot of the experience
@annadahlstrom
Understand
how things are
Deliver
how it should be
Present
with the right structure

25. 2 The characters
@annadahlstrom

26. The protagonist
+
1.
The main
characters
@annadahlstrom
2.
Supporting
characters
3.
Sub-plot
characters
4.
One-string
characters
+

27. @annadahlstrom
Traditionally we
think of these

28. But it’s also
about this…
Browse
Research
Buy & Pay
Get notified
✓ ✓ ✓
✓ ✓ ✓
✓ ✓ ✓
✓ ✓
✓
@annadahlstrom

29. Commute
Sequential usage
Morning Work
Simultaneous usage
+
Multi-tasking
+
Extending
+
Complementing
“ 90% of users start a task on one device and then complete it on another. ”
- Source: Google
@annadahlstrom

30. ..and about
these
Screenshot from http://internetofthingsagenda.techtarget.com/definition/smart-home-or-building @annadahlstrom

31. Screenshot: Her @annadahlstrom

32. @annadahlstrom

33. @annadahlstrom
Big Health Sleepio Headspace

34. @annadahlstromhttp://www.cs.sjsu.edu https://www.lucidchart.com/pages/uml/use-case-diagram

35. MORE PERSONAS ON https://uk.pinterest.com/uxfika/personas/ @annadahlstrom

36. The characters Identify & define all the different actors that play a role in the
experience & what role they play when & where
@annadahlstrom
Understand
who plays a role
Deliver
to their needs
Present
to a specific audience

37. 3 The decor
@annadahlstrom

38. The ever important
”red thread”
www.flickr.com/photos/pulpolux/3692396234 @annadahlstrom

39. Let users find their way
around your content
https://www.flickr.com/photos/bagogames/32994737230/ @annadahlstrom

40. We no longer control the journey
@annadahlstrom

41. We no longer control the messaging
@annadahlstrom

42. a b
@annadahlstrom

43. @annadahlstrom
Google & social are
our new home page
https://www.flickr.com/photos/useanthonyryansphotos/7946386402

44. Source: https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/articles/holiday-shopping-search-behavior.html @annadahlstrom

45. @annadahlstrom
The reality
is pretty much always this

46. Data tells us everything & nothing
@annadahlstrom

47. There’s a big difference
between these two
https://www.flickr.com/photos/antmcneill/7824200774 http://www.boredpanda.com/funny-fake-book-covers-nyc-subway-prank-scott-rogowsky/

48. STAGES
DOING
FEELING
Research & Planning Shopping Booking Post-Booking, Pre-Travel Travel Post Travel
People choose rail travel because it is
convenient, easy, and flexible.
Rail booking is only one part of people’s larger
travel process.
People build their travel plans over time. People value service that is respectful, effective
and personable.
EXPERIENCE
Rail Europe Experience Map
Kayak,
compare
airfare
Google
searches
Research
hotels
Talk with
friends
Relevance of Rail Europe
Enjoyability
Helpfulness of Rail Europe
Paper tickets
arrive in mail
• I’m excited to go to Europe!
• Will I be able to see everything I can?
• What if I can’t afford this?
• I don’t want to make the wrong choice.
• It’s hard to trust Trip Advisor. Everyone is
so negative.
• Keeping track of all the different products
is confusing.
• Am I sure this is the trip I want to take?
• Website experience is easy and friendly!
• Frustrated to not know sooner about which
tickets are eTickets and which are paper tickets.
Not sure my tickets will arrive in time.
• Stressed that I’m about to leave the country
and Rail Europe won’t answer the phone.
• Frustrated that Rail Europe won’t ship tickets
to Europe.
• Happy to receive my tickets in the mail!
• I am feeling vulnerable to be in an unknown place in
the middle of the night.
• Stressed that the train won’t arrive on time for my
connection.
• Meeting people who want to show us around is fun,
serendipitous, and special.
• Excited to share my vacation story with
my friends.
• A bit annoyed to be dealing with ticket refund
issues when I just got home.
View
maps
Arrange
travel
Blogs &
Travel sites
Plan with
interactive map
Review fares
Select pass(es)
Enter trips Confirm
itinerary
Delivery
options
Payment
options
Review &
confirm
Map itinerary
(finding pass)
Destination
pages
May call if
difficulties
occur
E-ticket Print
at Station
Web
raileurope.com
Wait for paper tickets to arriveResearch destinations, routes and products
Live chat for
questions
Activities, unexpected changes
Change
plans
Check ticket
status
Print e-tickets
at home
web/
apps
Look up
timetables
Plan/
confirm
activities
Web
Share
photos
Share
experience
(reviews)
Request
refunds
Follow-up on refunds for booking changes
Share experience
Buy additional
tickets
Look up
time tables
Opportunities
Guiding Principles
Customer Journey
RAIL EUROPE
THINKING
• What is the easiest way to get around Europe?
• Where do I want to go?
• How much time should I/we spend in each
place for site seeing and activities?
• I want to get the best price, but I’m willing to pay a
little more for first class.
• How much will my whole trip cost me? What are my
trade-offs?
• Are there other activities I can add to my plan?
• Do I have all the tickets, passes and reservations
I need in this booking so I don’t pay more
shipping?
• Rail Europe is not answering the phone. How
else can I get my question answered?
• Do I have everything I need?
• Rail Europe website was easy and friendly, but
when an issue came up, I couldn’t get help.
• What will I do if my tickets don’t arrive in time?
• I just figured we could grab a train but there are
not more trains. What can we do now?
• Am I on the right train? If not, what next?
• I want to make more travel plans. How do I
do that?
• Trying to return ticket I was not able to use. Not
sure if I’ll get a refund or not.
• People are going to love these photos!
• Next time, we will explore routes and availability
more carefully.
Communicate a clear value
proposition.
STAGE: Initial visit
Connect planning, shopping and
booking on the web.
STAGES: Planning, Shopping, Booking
Arm customers with information
for making decisions.
STAGES: Shopping, Booking
Improve the paper ticket
experience.
STAGES: Post-Booking, Travel, Post-Travel
Make your customers into better,
more savvy travelers.
STAGES: Global
Proactively help people deal
with change.
STAGES: Post-Booking, Traveling
Support people in creating their
own solutions.
STAGES: Global
Visualize the trip for planning
and booking.
STAGES: Planning, Shopping
Enable people to plan over time.
STAGES: Planning, Shopping
Engage in social media with
explicit purposes.
STAGES: Global
Communicate status clearly at
all times.
STAGES: Post-Booking, Post Travel
Accommodate planning and
booking in Europe too.
STAGE: Traveling
Aggregate shipping with a
reasonable timeline.
STAGE: Booking
Help people get the help they
need.
STAGES: Global
GLOBAL PLANNING, SHOPPING, BOOKING POST-BOOK, TRAVEL, POST-TRAVEL
Relevance of Rail Europe
Enjoyability
Helpfulness of Rail Europe
Relevance of Rail Europe
Enjoyability
Helpfulness of Rail Europe
Relevance of Rail Europe
Enjoyability
Helpfulness of Rail Europe
Relevance of Rail Europe
Enjoyability
Helpfulness of Rail Europe
Relevance of Rail Europe
Enjoyability
Helpfulness of Rail Europe
Mail tickets
for refund
Get stamp
for refund
The need to map
is greater than ever before
Source: http://adaptivepath.org/uploads/documents/RailEurope_AdaptivePath_CXMap_FINAL.pdf @annadahlstrom

49. @annadahlstromhttps://www.flickr.com/photos/sfllaw/185059759/
What does the
set look like?

50. @annadahlstromhttps://www.flickr.com/photos/sfllaw/185059759/
What does the
set look like?
@annadahlstrom
PR
OOH
INFLUENCERS
PRESS
TV ADS
WOM
WEBSITE
SOCIAL
SEARCH
IN STORE
EMAIL
EVENTS
PRINT ADS
ONLINE ADS
FRIENDS & FAMILY
SALES

51. STAGES
DOING
FEELING
Research & Planning Shopping Booking Post-Booking, Pre-Travel Travel Post Travel
People choose rail travel because it is
convenient, easy, and flexible.
Rail booking is only one part of people’s larger
travel process.
People build their travel plans over time. People value service that is respectful, effective
and personable.
EXPERIENCE
Rail Europe Experience Map
Kayak,
compare
airfare
Google
searches
Research
hotels
Talk with
friends
Relevance of Rail Europe
Enjoyability
Helpfulness of Rail Europe
Paper tickets
arrive in mail
• I’m excited to go to Europe!
• Will I be able to see everything I can?
• What if I can’t afford this?
• I don’t want to make the wrong choice.
• It’s hard to trust Trip Advisor. Everyone is
so negative.
• Keeping track of all the different products
is confusing.
• Am I sure this is the trip I want to take?
• Website experience is easy and friendly!
• Frustrated to not know sooner about which
tickets are eTickets and which are paper tickets.
Not sure my tickets will arrive in time.
• Stressed that I’m about to leave the country
and Rail Europe won’t answer the phone.
• Frustrated that Rail Europe won’t ship tickets
to Europe.
• Happy to receive my tickets in the mail!
• I am feeling vulnerable to be in an unknown place in
the middle of the night.
• Stressed that the train won’t arrive on time for my
connection.
• Meeting people who want to show us around is fun,
serendipitous, and special.
• Excited to share my vacation story with
my friends.
• A bit annoyed to be dealing with ticket refund
issues when I just got home.
View
maps
Arrange
travel
Blogs &
Travel sites
Plan with
interactive map
Review fares
Select pass(es)
Enter trips Confirm
itinerary
Delivery
options
Payment
options
Review &
confirm
Map itinerary
(finding pass)
Destination
pages
May call if
difficulties
occur
E-ticket Print
at Station
Web
raileurope.com
Wait for paper tickets to arriveResearch destinations, routes and products
Live chat for
questions
Activities, unexpected changes
Change
plans
Check ticket
status
Print e-tickets
at home
web/
apps
Look up
timetables
Plan/
confirm
activities
Web
Share
photos
Share
experience
(reviews)
Request
refunds
Follow-up on refunds for booking changes
Share experience
Buy additional
tickets
Look up
time tables
Opportunities
Guiding Principles
Customer Journey
RAIL EUROPE
THINKING
• What is the easiest way to get around Europe?
• Where do I want to go?
• How much time should I/we spend in each
place for site seeing and activities?
• I want to get the best price, but I’m willing to pay a
little more for first class.
• How much will my whole trip cost me? What are my
trade-offs?
• Are there other activities I can add to my plan?
• Do I have all the tickets, passes and reservations
I need in this booking so I don’t pay more
shipping?
• Rail Europe is not answering the phone. How
else can I get my question answered?
• Do I have everything I need?
• Rail Europe website was easy and friendly, but
when an issue came up, I couldn’t get help.
• What will I do if my tickets don’t arrive in time?
• I just figured we could grab a train but there are
not more trains. What can we do now?
• Am I on the right train? If not, what next?
• I want to make more travel plans. How do I
do that?
• Trying to return ticket I was not able to use. Not
sure if I’ll get a refund or not.
• People are going to love these photos!
• Next time, we will explore routes and availability
more carefully.
Communicate a clear value
proposition.
STAGE: Initial visit
Connect planning, shopping and
booking on the web.
STAGES: Planning, Shopping, Booking
Arm customers with information
for making decisions.
STAGES: Shopping, Booking
Improve the paper ticket
experience.
STAGES: Post-Booking, Travel, Post-Travel
Make your customers into better,
more savvy travelers.
STAGES: Global
Proactively help people deal
with change.
STAGES: Post-Booking, Traveling
Support people in creating their
own solutions.
STAGES: Global
Visualize the trip for planning
and booking.
STAGES: Planning, Shopping
Enable people to plan over time.
STAGES: Planning, Shopping
Engage in social media with
explicit purposes.
STAGES: Global
Communicate status clearly at
all times.
STAGES: Post-Booking, Post Travel
Accommodate planning and
booking in Europe too.
STAGE: Traveling
Aggregate shipping with a
reasonable timeline.
STAGE: Booking
Help people get the help they
need.
STAGES: Global
GLOBAL PLANNING, SHOPPING, BOOKING POST-BOOK, TRAVEL, POST-TRAVEL
Relevance of Rail Europe
Enjoyability
Helpfulness of Rail Europe
Relevance of Rail Europe
Enjoyability
Helpfulness of Rail Europe
Relevance of Rail Europe
Enjoyability
Helpfulness of Rail Europe
Relevance of Rail Europe
Enjoyability
Helpfulness of Rail Europe
Relevance of Rail Europe
Enjoyability
Helpfulness of Rail Europe
Mail tickets
for refund
Get stamp
for refund
Think of the set
as this part
Source: http://adaptivepath.org/uploads/documents/RailEurope_AdaptivePath_CXMap_FINAL.pdf @annadahlstrom

52. @annadahlstrom
PR
OOH
INFLUENCERS
PRESS
TV ADS
WOM
WEBSITE
SOCIAL
SEARCH
IN STORE
EMAIL
EVENTS
PRINT ADS
ONLINE ADS
FRIENDS & FAMILY
SALES
Define the eco system
What’s the role for each?
Are they owned, earned or paid?
What’s the messaging for each?
Where do they drive to?
How are they connected?

53. STAGES
DOING
FEELING
Research & Planning Shopping Booking Post-Booking, Pre-Travel Travel Post Travel
People choose rail travel because it is
convenient, easy, and flexible.
Rail booking is only one part of people’s larger
travel process.
People build their travel plans over time. People value service that is respectful, effective
and personable.
EXPERIENCE
Rail Europe Experience Map
Kayak,
compare
airfare
Google
searches
Research
hotels
Talk with
friends
Relevance of Rail Europe
Enjoyability
Helpfulness of Rail Europe
Paper tickets
arrive in mail
• I’m excited to go to Europe!
• Will I be able to see everything I can?
• What if I can’t afford this?
• I don’t want to make the wrong choice.
• It’s hard to trust Trip Advisor. Everyone is
so negative.
• Keeping track of all the different products
is confusing.
• Am I sure this is the trip I want to take?
• Website experience is easy and friendly!
• Frustrated to not know sooner about which
tickets are eTickets and which are paper tickets.
Not sure my tickets will arrive in time.
• Stressed that I’m about to leave the country
and Rail Europe won’t answer the phone.
• Frustrated that Rail Europe won’t ship tickets
to Europe.
• Happy to receive my tickets in the mail!
• I am feeling vulnerable to be in an unknown place in
the middle of the night.
• Stressed that the train won’t arrive on time for my
connection.
• Meeting people who want to show us around is fun,
serendipitous, and special.
• Excited to share my vacation story with
my friends.
• A bit annoyed to be dealing with ticket refund
issues when I just got home.
View
maps
Arrange
travel
Blogs &
Travel sites
Plan with
interactive map
Review fares
Select pass(es)
Enter trips Confirm
itinerary
Delivery
options
Payment
options
Review &
confirm
Map itinerary
(finding pass)
Destination
pages
May call if
difficulties
occur
E-ticket Print
at Station
Web
raileurope.com
Wait for paper tickets to arriveResearch destinations, routes and products
Live chat for
questions
Activities, unexpected changes
Change
plans
Check ticket
status
Print e-tickets
at home
web/
apps
Look up
timetables
Plan/
confirm
activities
Web
Share
photos
Share
experience
(reviews)
Request
refunds
Follow-up on refunds for booking changes
Share experience
Buy additional
tickets
Look up
time tables
Opportunities
Guiding Principles
Customer Journey
RAIL EUROPE
THINKING
• What is the easiest way to get around Europe?
• Where do I want to go?
• How much time should I/we spend in each
place for site seeing and activities?
• I want to get the best price, but I’m willing to pay a
little more for first class.
• How much will my whole trip cost me? What are my
trade-offs?
• Are there other activities I can add to my plan?
• Do I have all the tickets, passes and reservations
I need in this booking so I don’t pay more
shipping?
• Rail Europe is not answering the phone. How
else can I get my question answered?
• Do I have everything I need?
• Rail Europe website was easy and friendly, but
when an issue came up, I couldn’t get help.
• What will I do if my tickets don’t arrive in time?
• I just figured we could grab a train but there are
not more trains. What can we do now?
• Am I on the right train? If not, what next?
• I want to make more travel plans. How do I
do that?
• Trying to return ticket I was not able to use. Not
sure if I’ll get a refund or not.
• People are going to love these photos!
• Next time, we will explore routes and availability
more carefully.
Communicate a clear value
proposition.
STAGE: Initial visit
Connect planning, shopping and
booking on the web.
STAGES: Planning, Shopping, Booking
Arm customers with information
for making decisions.
STAGES: Shopping, Booking
Improve the paper ticket
experience.
STAGES: Post-Booking, Travel, Post-Travel
Make your customers into better,
more savvy travelers.
STAGES: Global
Proactively help people deal
with change.
STAGES: Post-Booking, Traveling
Support people in creating their
own solutions.
STAGES: Global
Visualize the trip for planning
and booking.
STAGES: Planning, Shopping
Enable people to plan over time.
STAGES: Planning, Shopping
Engage in social media with
explicit purposes.
STAGES: Global
Communicate status clearly at
all times.
STAGES: Post-Booking, Post Travel
Accommodate planning and
booking in Europe too.
STAGE: Traveling
Aggregate shipping with a
reasonable timeline.
STAGE: Booking
Help people get the help they
need.
STAGES: Global
GLOBAL PLANNING, SHOPPING, BOOKING POST-BOOK, TRAVEL, POST-TRAVEL
Relevance of Rail Europe
Enjoyability
Helpfulness of Rail Europe
Relevance of Rail Europe
Enjoyability
Helpfulness of Rail Europe
Relevance of Rail Europe
Enjoyability
Helpfulness of Rail Europe
Relevance of Rail Europe
Enjoyability
Helpfulness of Rail Europe
Relevance of Rail Europe
Enjoyability
Helpfulness of Rail Europe
Mail tickets
for refund
Get stamp
for refund
Adapt the rest to capture
that which helps your project
Source: http://adaptivepath.org/uploads/documents/RailEurope_AdaptivePath_CXMap_FINAL.pdf @annadahlstrom

54. The decor Map, define and design the environment in which
the experience takes place
@annadahlstrom
Understand
how it fits together
Deliver
a narrated experience
Present
so it’s memorable

55. The plot. Use dramaturgy to help understand, define
& visualise the plot of the experience.
The characters. Identify & define all the different
actors that play a role in the experience & what role
they play when & where.
The decor. Map, define & design the environment in
which the experience takes place.
@annadahlstrom

56. @annadahlstrom
USERS & ACTORS THE EXPERIENCE JOURNEY THE ECO SYSTEM
THE CHARACTERS THE PLOT THE DECOR

57. @annadahlstrom
USERS & ACTORS THE EXPERIENCE JOURNEY THE ECO SYSTEM
THE CHARACTERS THE PLOT THE DECOR

58. @annadahlstrom
Storytelling how to create experiences that engage
Understand
the problem space
Deliver
the experience
Present
the output

59. www.flickr.com/photos/jox1989/5143301136
Whatever we create & whoever it is for
we want people to do something
@annadahlstrom

60. …that’s really
about this too
www.flickr.com/photos/cannedtuna/4852756417 @annadahlstrom

61. Who? What? Why? How? Why?
@annadahlstrom

62. @annadahlstromhttps://www.flickr.com/photos/aaronrhawkins/36186328994/
The aim of every story
is to connect emotionally

63. www.flickr.com/photos/declanjewell/2181100986 @annadahlstrom

64. Javier Perez via http://the-wonderist.com/2013/11/05/how-to-see-things-with-new-eyes @annadahlstrom

65. What do we want our audience to see?
What is the story we want to tell them?
@annadahlstrom

66. Where do we want to take them?
@annadahlstrom

67. @annadahlstrom
It all start with
Once upon a time...
www.flickr.com/photos/snugglepup/3317051065

68. @annadahlstromwww.flickr.com/photos/snugglepup/3317051065
Or maybe
Once upon a design...
www.flickr.com/photos/snugglepup/3317051065

69. www.flickr.com/photos/expressmonorail/2851793049/
Thank you.
@annadahlstrom @uxfika
www.annadahlstrom.com