The Storyteller's Guide to UX: Creating Products Users Actually Want
When I sit down with clients to discuss their projects, I notice a common pattern. Many have already built out technical features—what I call the "world-building approach"—where they've focused on creating all the knobs and buttons first. While this approach demonstrates technical capability, it often misses the most crucial element of successful product design: the user's journey.
Understanding Goals First
My first priority is always understanding the fundamental goals of the project:
Who is this product for?
Why would they need to engage with it?
What specific problems does it solve for them?
These questions might seem basic, but they're frequently overlooked in technically-driven development processes.
From World-Building to Character-Driven Design
As a UX designer, I see my role as a guide who helps clients take a step back and embrace what I call a "character-driven approach." This perspective draws inspiration from storytelling principles, where:
"A character-first approach to storytelling is often considered better because it prioritizes emotional engagement and relatability, leading to stories with depth and resonance, as readers connect with characters and their journeys."
This narrative-driven style of product design helps establish the crucial "why" that draws users in and encourages engagement. It focuses on the job to be done while creating moments of delight throughout the experience.
Reducing Overwhelm Through Progressive Disclosure
Too often, users feel overwhelmed by choice and need subtle guidance. This is where progressive disclosure becomes invaluable, especially during a first-time user experience. By carefully revealing functionality as users become more comfortable with the product, we create a more intuitive learning curve.
What's beautiful about this approach is how the guidance naturally falls away as users become familiar with the product and populate it with their own projects and content. The first-time user interface (FTUI) guidance gradually disappears, leaving confident users with a streamlined experience.
Moving Forward Together
By shifting from a features-first mindset to a character-driven approach, we can create products that not only work technically but also connect emotionally with users, solving their problems in ways that feel natural and intuitive.
