Telling your user a story rather than presenting them with information can make all the difference when designing an experience for web.
Another huge UX trend is finally stepping away from the ‘information only’ feel that websites have so contained. In the early 2000s, we got used to seeing a certain way all content was structured. You land on a landing page that simply linked you out to various other places on the site. The biggest shift in this was the introduction of the long scrollable page - moving away from linking out to content and having most of your information on one page. But there was still something lacking here for a lot of content.
Let’s take a step back. Storytelling is not a new concept. It’s an age old concept, of course, and one we as humans have been pretty good at. We’ve managed to tell colorful tales like Paul Bunyan or John Henry and pass them down for generations. We’ve created beautiful movies, plays, and songs that are played throughout generations. Yet, we were not taking these skills and applying them to our web designs. Websites generally looked the same. A website for a small investment banking company might as well be a website for a college kid looking for his first job - our layouts were getting too similar.
Enter digital storytelling. A good website has a good flow, it makes a point to its user, and it shows, not tells, the user what is happening. This is just like a good story. The parallels are already there! Here are the top things to consider when telling your story:
Designing a website to tell a story is very similar to writing a book or play. So look at it from that lens - every story needs an arc.
This will serve as an introduction to your, your product, your company - whatever your focus is. This could be established by something as simple as showing a large photo of your product, a brief title and intro and visual cues to continue on.
This is where you really want to design for the emotion you want your users to feel. Is your brand happy and peppy? Utilize fun language and bold colors. Are you going for a more production, business-like tone? Try language that is straight to the point and a minimalist design.
The entire story is created so your user will desire what you are showing them. They need to understand what this story is telling and why they would want to engage with it.
This is where you will most likely require action from your user. If you are selling a product, this would be where you allow them to purchase or view more details. If you are creating a portfolio website, this would be where you contact info lies. In this eBook, it's the continuation to the next chapter, and finally a contact/learn more link.