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Abstractions

People understand more than they can explain. So don't just ask your user questions, observe them in action.

Imagine you're watching a group of eight year olds playing a made-up game in the playground. Take one kid aside and ask her to explain the rules of the game and why she's taking part. How useful do you think her answer will be? Explanations are an abstraction. Real knowledge lies much deeper, in action and stories.

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Stupid Questions

When you're talking to a user or an expert, don't ask super-detailed questions to show how clever you are. The interview is not about you - it's about them. Try a stupid question instead. You'd be amazed how much people tell you if you swallow your pride and say "Sorry, I don't really understand."

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Metaphor Engine

“We don't think in the abstract. We think in specific images” - Lisa Cron, Wired for Story.

We use the visual centre of our brain to understand the meaning of words. So when you say there are "storm clouds gathering" we actually SEE what you mean. Metaphors and similes improve your story because they create specific images in our minds. These are always easier to remember than abstract concepts.

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Thoughtful Failures

“We reward thoughtful failures” - Laszlo Bock, Head of HR at Google

Nobody likes to make mistakes. But we rarely make them deliberately. Most of our failures come after much careful thought. You can't be sure your project will succeed. But even if it fails, there's a good story to tell - and plenty of people ready to listen. Failure is only a tragedy if you cover it up or refuse to learn from it.

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Three Whos

Illustration coming soon

Don't write your story until you've worked out who it's for, who it's about and who's going to tell it.

If your stories aren't working, chances are you've got one of these Three Who's wrong. Maybe you're missing what your audience needs. Maybe the story shouldn't be about you. Maybe you shouldn't be the one telling it.

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Three Great Conflicts

Illustration coming soon

Conflict gets our attention and drives your story forward. Any hero may face three Great Conflicts:

• Against Nature: fighting disease, ageing, weather, accidents, animals or Acts of God. Eg: Jaws
• Against Society: a struggle with other people, over goals, values or resources. Eg: Black Panther
• Against Self: we are our own worst enemy, and struggle to do what we know is right. Eg: Trainspotting.

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Circle of Life

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We're born, we learn new things, we become adults. Our time passes and the next generation takes over.

We all share certain stages in life's journey. So we can all recognise the same basic characters we meet along the way. Carl Jung said these "archetypes" are buried deep in our collective unconscious. They emerge in our best-loved stories. And you can use them to understand the journey your user is on.

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Man in a Hole

Illustration coming soon

This is the story of your first day at school or your first job. It's every fear you faced and every lesson you've learned.

You're doing ok, minding your own business. Suddenly, something takes you out - a pandemic strikes, you lose your job or get divorced. You pick yourself up and carry on, a little older and wiser.

Anyone can fall into a hole, but you can't fall out. You've got to climb. This is where you show your strength.

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