Storytelling in UX
“Character” also refers to the defining traits of those people. It’s the second meaning that concerns us most.
I really appreciate the insight this quote brings to how to write characters for storytelling. Without a character, a story does not have a subject for performance to move the narrative along. It’s not just about writing in a simple character though. In order for a story to be compelling, details of the character must be made to bring them to life. It adds depth and complexity, much like we as humans have in real life. Users are not just a concept to study about, but real life people with views and values who can relate to these characters whose stories are being told.
All stories rely on our ability to fill in the blanks.
I enjoy this quote because it reminds me of something I’ve learned within graphic design courses I’ve taken within SMC. A lot of logo design is much more memorable when there is an “aha” moment that requires thinking to understand more about logos. For example, the FedEx logo’s arrow inside of the “Ex” can be easily missed, but after learning of its existence it’s really hard to forget. Stories that give us just enough to understand it, but with a lot left to interpret are much more memorable similarly to logos. It’s helpful in storytelling to keep some parts open ended as it keeps the reader's attention as they think deeper about it.
Don’t use stories to poke fun at your characters or turn them into caricatures. Your point should come out of the ingredients and structure of the story, not be imposed as a punch line.
While I understand that comedy can be reductive and obstructive, I still think comedy has an important place within storytelling. Emotional storytelling is valuable, but who's to say that humor can’t be a valuable part of a story? I agree that caricatures create flat characters that don’t stand on their own, but increasing details can still create complexity and subversion of comedic archetypes that are worth telling in stories. A story structure can have some comedic timing and still be valuable, in my opinion.