Storytelling in Digital Service Design: Interaction 16 Workshop 1.3.2016

STORYTELLING
IN DIGITAL
SERVICE DESIGN
Interaction 16
Workshop 1.3.2016
• 
LEAN SERVICE CREATION

2.00 – 2.20 INTRO
Agenda •  2.20 – INSPIRATION / GROUP WORK

• 
• 
Part 1 – Service Concept & Controlling Idea
Part 2 – Hero
•  3.30 Break
•  3.40 – INSPIRATION / GROUP WORK
•  Part 3 – Narrative
•  Part 4 – Design Elements
•  Part 5 – Group Presentation Prep
•  4.50 Break
•  5 – 6 PRESENTATIONS & WRAP UP
We are Futurice
A veeeeery short introduction
We create  
digital services  
for people to love
Creating a culture Discovering and Developing, scaling

that makes designing new and operating
innovation happen digital services digital services
Way of working
Lean
Service
Creation
LSC is a multi-disciplinary way of working that
maximizes the probability of creating
successful digital services
LEAN SERVICE CREATION PROCESS
NEW IDEAS
LSC$SLIDE$HERE Improve
SERVICE VISION SPRINT
MVP Improve
SERVICE TO
VISION LAUNCH
Improve
BUSINESS
NEED
TEAM :
Business / Technology
Design / End-Users
FIND A PROBLEM WORTH SOLVING FINDING PRODUCT MARKET FIT GROWTH HACKING
Days to Weeks Weeks to Months Months to Years

Design at futurice
TEAM / US
Design team
Complex problems require broad thinkers and doers.
45 multi-disciplinary designers (business design, service design, concept
design, brand design, UX/UI design, visual design, sound design.
SERVICE DESIGN LEAD SENIOR SERVICE DESIGNER SENIOR SERVICE DESIGNER
Maria Lumiaho Suvi Numminen Jane Vita
maria.lumiaho@futurice.com suvi.numminen@futurice.com jane.vita@futurice.com

@marialumiaho @janevita
THINK ABOUT THE
SERVICES &
PRODUCTS YOU USE
Are there any that you …
Are happy to pay a premium for even
though another product would do the
same job just fine?
Go on and on about to your friends and

don’t understand why they don’t want
to use it, too?
Are happy to use even if it doesn’t

always work perfectly?
There’s more to life than seeking solutions to
problems
We look for answers to big questions & seek
meaningful experiences
STORIES ARE A WAY OF TRYING TO UNDERSTAND
THE WORLD AND WHAT IT MEANS TO BE HUMAN
Can the experience of using a service be
meaningful in the same way a story can?
YES!
(IF IT’S DESIGNED TO DO SO)
There are similarities between designing
an experience and writing a story
But also differences:
The story a service creates is not linear
and doesn’t deal with conflict the same
way
ALSO A DISCLAIMER
Does not replace other service design

methods, but useful as an additional lens
Requires seamless collaboration between

branding, service design & UX/UI design
Why we care about  
storytelling
in digital Service Design?
Storytelling Storytelling about & Who doesn’t

is all about inside the services like a good
experiences we create story?
LET’S GET STARTED!
5 Groups
Pick a service to

work on
•  Retail
•  Fast food chain
•  Travel / hospitality
•  Going to / watching movies
•  Banking
•  …
1) WHAT IS THE STORY
ABOUT?
A GOOD STORY
Has a clear reason to exist
Makes a statement about the

world
Resonates with people who

share those beliefs
From
“Story” by Robert McKee &
“Start With Why” by Simon Sinek
A good story can be distilled into a
CONTROLLING IDEA
From “Story” by Robert McKee

Example:
The Lion King
Evil is defeated
when you come to terms with
your past and take responsibility
+
Example:
The Lion King
CHANGE IN VALUE
VALUE
Evil is defeated
when you come to terms with
your past and take responsibility
+
CAUSE
Structure of a controlling idea from “Story” by Robert McKee

Example:
The Lord of the Rings
CHANGE IN VALUE
VALUE
Peace is restored
when ordinary people have
courage
+
CAUSE

Example:
Coca-Cola
CHANGE IN VALUE
VALUE
Happiness ensues
when you have special,
refreshing moments
CAUSE

Example:
Apple
CHANGE IN VALUE
VALUE
Life is more enjoyable

when you do things
differently
CAUSE

Controlling ideas drive action and drive you
to make decisions!
“It’s about peace” is a theme, not a

controlling idea

Should be based on customer
insight & brand design
Should be universal enough to

be understood by most
people
Flexible enough to turn into a

service, movie, game,
whatever!
Qualities of
Should be able to start a good
good controlling conversation over beer
ideas
// CONFLICT DRIVES ACTION
Story is not interesting without conflict
Different levels of antagonistic forces try to

win over the positive value

For example:
Wisdom as the core value
Stupidity disguised
Wisdom Ignorance Stupidity as wisdom
Positive value Lack of positive value Negative value Worst of the worst

For example:
Love as the core value
Love Indifference Hate Self-loathing

For example:
Justice as the core value
Injustice
Justice Unfairness Injustice disguised as
justice

// WHAT’S THE POINT?
The controlling idea & changes in value act
as the core of the service
When designing any aspect, ask

“does this support the controlling idea?”
If the controlling idea is expressed clearly
enough, it will resonate very strongly with users
à users loving the service

(even if they can’t tell why)
Group Work
2) THE HERO
// SOME BASIC RULES TO KEEP IN MIND
YOUR SERVICE IS NOT THE MAIN CHARACTER
Tell me and I'll forget.
Show me and I may remember.
Involve me, and I'll understand.
-Chinese Proverb
THE USER IS THE HERO
From “Every Guest Is a Hero” by Adam M. Berger

‘USERS’ DON’T HAVE ADVENTURES
Rebels, philosophers, guests, tricksters, hosts, antiheros and friends, dreamers do…
‘Who am I?’
Crucial to know your users

when defining the hero
User’s role should be

communicated clearly to
them (marketing, landing
pages, onboarding)
The user must identify with

the adventure the service is
presenting
Example:
Disneyland
Customers in Disneyland
are called ‘guests’
The personnel is the ‘cast’

who work ‘onstage’
What you call your

customers can make a
subtle difference
From “Be Our Guest” by Theodore B. Kinni“

Who is the user when
using this service?
“Who am I?”
Group Work
• 

2.00 – 2.20 INTRO

• 
• 
Part 2 – Hero
•  3.30 Break
•  4.50 Break
BREAK TIME!
3) NARRATIVE
What kind of experiences and functionality
does the controlling idea suggest?
EXAMPLE CONTROLLING IDEA FOR A RECIPE SERVICE:
“Life’s more fun when you can improvise and let go of fear of failing”
WHAT IS DISCOURAGED /
WHAT IS ENCOURAGED? MORE POSSIBILITIES
NOT ALLOWED
Experimentation Following recipes strictly Live-streaming while cooking: taking

suggestions on the go from the
Replacing ingredients (suggestions Rating a recipe as good or bad crowd
on/off) (or stars etc.) Recipes branching out with different
Sudden changes while cooking Specific measurements in recipes variations
Stumbling upon new recipes Weekly challenges with mystery
ingredients or theme
Sharing the experience, giving new
ideas to others Rating recipes based on how many
new ideas you got
Sharing and celebrating failures, too
Recipe rating based on how many
(hall of fame of bad/failed recipes) new ideas you get from it
Fixing bad recipes, submitting your Become a master of an ingredient
own version (master of potato etc.)
Seeking ideas from others (“what Different levels of recipes based on
would you do with this?) how vague vs. specific they are
Functionality that isn’t aligned with the
controlling idea will dilute it
// STRUCTURING THE STORY
DESIGN FOR CLEAR BEGINNINGS, MIDDLES AND ENDINGS
MIDDLE

HAVING A CLEAR STRUCTURE
FEELS GOOD
BEGINNING END
From “Poetics” by Aristotle and many more…

WORKS BOTH ON THE ENTIRE SERVICE AND SINGLE TASKS

ENTIRE LIFECYCLE OF
USE
SESSIONS
SINGLE TASKS
NOT ACTUALLY AND ARC, THOUGH, BUT MORE LIKE THIS

From “The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses” by Jesse Schell
EXPOSITION
Introducing the protagonist, the world

EXPOSITION & status quo of the controlling idea
Combining elements from “Story” by Robert McKee, Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey and Gustav Freytag’s Freytag's Pyramid
INCITING INCIDENT
Accepting a call to adventure à

suddenly everything changes
Entering a different world
There’s no way back to the old
INCITING
INCIDENT
EXPOSITION
Setting & inciting
incident
Landing page &

onboarding
RISING ACTION
INCITING RISING ACTION

INCIDENT
Battle over the winning value gets more intense
Being constantly surprised & feeding curiosity
Showing affordances and foreshadowing
Providing breaks, too
EXPOSITION
Surprises create emotional stamps that make up
most of the memory of the experience
From “The Service Startup” by Tenny Pinheiro

Give people what they want but not the way
they expect it

Creating delightful
surprises during the
journey
Turn errors and inconveniences into
opportunities to enforce the story
‘Secret’ game in
Chrome browser
Queuing areas in
theme parks are
designed to
deepen the story
They can also

help to build
excitement for
the ride
CLIMAX
The most dramatic moment, biggest conflict
It all leads to this
Inevitable, but must also be a choice CLIMAX
Can’t go back

INCIDENT
EXPOSITION
RESOLUTION
CLIMAX
Everything is different
Showing how the
world has changed
Wrapping things up,
removing confusion

INCIDENT
EXPOSITION RESOLUTION
STRUCTURE OF THE STORY
The most dramatic moment, biggest conflict
It all leads to this

Inevitable, but must also be a choice CLIMAX
Can’t go back
Everything is different
Showing how the
Accepting a call to adventure à world has changed
suddenly everything changes Wrapping things up,
Entering a different world removing confusion
There’s no way back to the old

INCIDENT
Battle over the winning value gets more intense
Being constantly surprised & feeding curiosity
Showing affordances and foreshadowing
Providing breaks, too
Introducing the protagonist, the world RESOLUTION

EXPOSITION & status quo of the controlling idea
Group Work
4) DESIGN ELEMENTS
BUILDING BLOCKS OF IMMERSIVE WORLDS
THEMES & SHAPE,

CONTRAST &
CONCEPT COLOR COMPOSITION, MOTION JUICINESS
VALUE
ASSOCIATIONS FOCUS
All aligned with the controlling idea

// THEME EXPLORATION
EXPLORING THEMES
& CONCEPT
ASSOCIATIONS
1)  What concepts, ideas &
themes help make the
controlling idea more
concrete?
2)  What design motifs and

symbols represent the theme
& associations?
From “The Immersive World Handbook” by Scott Lukas

Example for the recipe service with the controlling idea of
“LIFE’S MORE FUN WHEN YOU CAN IMPROVISE AND LET GO OF FEAR OF FAILING”
Prototypes Weird tools
Experimentation Bad ideas Smoke, burning
Laboratory (but
Joy Explosions not clinical)
Excitement
Surprises Stirring, whisks
Mystery Makeshift
CONCEPT Celebration
workspace MOTIF
IDEAS IDEAS Veggies etc. that
are not perfect
Thinking on
your feet
Laughing at A world of Ingredients Sprinkles
possibilities Branching out,
yourself branches (exploding)
Living in the Piles, mess
moment Nothing is ever Unconventional
final/done materials, texture Mystery
present
// COLOR & MOOD
COLOR & MOOD Passion
Danger

Energy Mysterious
Vitality
Calmness
Trustworthiness
Optimism
Cold
Joy
Caution
Life
Growth
Not that simple,
though…
Context matters…
// CONTRAST & VALUE
Color values affect
the mood
High key – happy

Low key – threatening
Contrast – dramatic
etc.
// SHAPE, COMPOSITION, FOCUS
Building a mood
visually
(composition, fonts,
etc.)
http://www.zevendesign.com/
mood-lines-giving-designs-
attitude/
Originally from “Landscape
Architecture” by John Ormsbee
Simonds
Scale, composition, focal points
Using scale & mass to

create sense of awe
and attract you
towards something
From “The Immersive World Handbook” by Scott Lukas

// MOTION
MEANING OF MOTION
Examples

UPWARD MOTION DOWNWARD MOTION HORIZONTAL MOTION
Exhilarating Hiding, digging in Easy

Sense of accomplishment Confinement Free
Going up in life Protection Visually interesting
Detachment from earthly things Privacy Easy to control
Command, higher ground Minimal effort Effortless movement
From “Landscape Architecture” by John Ormsbee Simonds

// ’JUICINESS’
ENGAGE AS MANY SENSES AS POSSIBLE WITH SOUND,
TEXTURE, SMELL, TASTE, TEMPERATURE, BALANCE, ETC.
REMEMBER THAT DIGITAL SERVICES HAVE A ‘FEEL’ TO

USING THEM, TOO
Some things feel
good to use and
fiddle with.
Different types of
feedback make
them feel ‘juicy’ to
use.
Juiciness in action:
‘Game Feel - Why
your death
animation sucks’
https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=pmSAG51BybY
More in “Game Feel: A Game

Designer's Guide to Virtual
Sensation” by Steve Swink
Group Work
5) PRESENTING YOUR
STORY
Different options for presenting the story:
storyboards, customer journey, role playing
etc.
Pick one that suits your story

• 

2.00 – 2.20 INTRO

• 
• 
Part 2 – Hero
•  3.30 Break
•  4.50 Break
BREAK TIME!
PRESENTATIONS
WRAP-UP
THE END

Storytelling in Digital Service Design: Interaction 16 Workshop 1.3.2016

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Storytelling in Digital Service Design: Interaction 16 Workshop 1.3.2016

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

STORYTELLING

LEAN SERVICE CREATION

Agenda • 2.20 – INSPIRATION / GROUP WORK

Creating a culture Discovering and Developing, scaling

Days to Weeks Weeks to Months Months to Years

SERVICE DESIGN LEAD SENIOR SERVICE DESIGNER SENIOR SERVICE DESIGNER

Maria Lumiaho Suvi Numminen Jane Vita

maria.lumiaho@futurice.com suvi.numminen@futurice.com jane.vita@futurice.com

Go on and on about to your friends and

Are happy to use even if it doesn’t

Does not replace other service design

Requires seamless collaboration between

Storytelling Storytelling about & Who doesn’t

LEAN SERVICE CREATION

Makes a statement about the

Resonates with people who

From “Story” by Robert McKee

Structure of a controlling idea from “Story” by Robert McKee

Structure of a controlling idea from “Story” by Robert McKee

Structure of a controlling idea from “Story” by Robert McKee

Life is more enjoyable

Structure of a controlling idea from “Story” by Robert McKee

“It’s about peace” is a theme, not a

From “Story” by Robert McKee

Should be universal enough to

Flexible enough to turn into a

Different levels of antagonistic forces try to

From “Story” by Robert McKee

From “Story” by Robert McKee

Love Indifference Hate Self-loathing

From “Story” by Robert McKee

From “Story” by Robert McKee

When designing any aspect, ask

à users loving the service

From “Every Guest Is a Hero” by Adam M. Berger

Crucial to know your users

User’s role should be

The user must identify with

The personnel is the ‘cast’

What you call your

From “Be Our Guest” by Theodore B. Kinni“

LEAN SERVICE CREATION

Agenda • 2.20 – INSPIRATION / GROUP WORK

Experimentation Following recipes strictly Live-streaming while cooking: taking

LEAN SERVICE CREATION

From “Poetics” by Aristotle and many more…

LEAN SERVICE CREATION

LEAN SERVICE CREATION

Introducing the protagonist, the world

Accepting a call to adventure à

Landing page &

INCITING RISING ACTION

From “The Service Startup” by Tenny Pinheiro

From “Story” by Robert McKee

They can also

INCITING RISING ACTION

INCITING RISING ACTION

LEAN SERVICE CREATION

INCITING RISING ACTION

Introducing the protagonist, the world RESOLUTION

THEMES & SHAPE,

All aligned with the controlling idea

2) What design motifs and

Agenda •  2.20 – INSPIRATION / GROUP WORK

Agenda •  2.20 – INSPIRATION / GROUP WORK

2)  What design motifs and

Agenda •  2.20 – INSPIRATION / GROUP WORK