6 types of stories for your bag
Although we don’t always remember it, there’s a difference between good stories and effective stories. This difference is often created by how clearly we answer three questions:
- Who is it for?
- What is it for?
- How will we know if it’s working?
These are arguably the most foundational questions for creative problem-solving, often called “design thinking.” Any experience, message, or project, regardless of medium, can be designed in different or better ways to do its job. The question is, what’s the job? If you know that, you can design your work more intentionally to do that job better.
Because while good stories may entertain or hold attention, only effective stories inspire action. And we need action to see results, whether that’s changing someone’s understanding or behavior.
What makes a story “good” is anyone’s guess. I think there are some generally true elements that don’t hold up against the specifics of every story that exists. That’s because “good” is in the eye of the beholder. You and I could watch the same film and have opposing views as to whether it was “good.” Who would be right? Both of us. Because it’s up to us. Because “good” is subjective.
“Effective” is not.
Effective is about the intended effects of the story. So what are those? Did we trigger them? Did the story do its job?
- Who is it for?
- What is it for?
- How will we know if it’s working?
Be clear on the job at hand, then your work accordingly.
Design thinking has been around for years, whether explored by firms like IDEO, practiced by startup product designers, or preached by Seth Godin — often with those above three questions attached. And while the idea of designing ONE story is fairly accepted, I think there’s a second layer of design we need to talk about today: your collection of stories.
The collection of go-to stories you bring with you anywhere you show up can, itself, be designed with greater clarity and purpose to yield the outcomes we desire.
Designing the collection itself is how we might elevate from telling a good story to being an effective storyteller.
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Πηγή: ckarchive.com
