Stories and Storytelling in the Design of Interactive Systems Dan Gruen Panel Chair Lotus Research 55 Cambridge Parkway Cambridge, MA 02142 USA +1 617 693 5786
[email protected] This challenge has become increasingly complex as interactive systems affect more aspects of their users’ work and personal lives, and involve a growing variety of portable and ubiquitous devices.
ABSTRACT
This panel will look at how stories can be used in the design of interactive systems from two perspectives: stories that exist as the content or organizing theme within a system, and stories told around the people, settings, and activities in which an interactive system is used. Although these uses are different, they involve common themes and the use of similar tools. Examples from actual engagements using story-based design techniques suggest that the same elements that contribute to a compelling story, movie, or novel are important for a successful and compelling product or offering. Participants will discuss their use of stories, drawing from specific projects and engagements in which stories, storyboards, and other narrative techniques have played a role.
The telling of rich, detailed stories around an interactive system insures that attention is paid to issues critical for the overall user experience of the system. This goes beyond traditional usability: to design a system that will delight, provide value, and "feel right", designers must have a deep understanding of people, their activities, the settings in which they live and work, and their goals and values. Stories help designers immerse themselves into the situations in which their interactive systems will be used. Stories can be valuable at every stage of the product lifecycle, from inspiring the earliest vision, through concept definition, requirements specification, design, prototyping, development, and product introduction. Stories are also powerful communication tools, helping people understand how they could benefit from a system in their own lives by mapping their own experiences to ones depicted in a story.
TWO ROLES OF STORIES IN DESIGN Stories Within an Interactive System
Stories and narrative elements appear at the heart of many interactive systems. Digital Storytelling systems have as their primary goal the capture, creation and telling of digital stories. Others use stories and narrative as an organizing technique, giving coherence and direction to the user's experience.
Questions and Issues
Panelists will discuss their own use of stories, drawing heavily from examples to shed light on questions including: •
What is a story, and how can designers of interactive systems use them?
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What makes a compelling story? What is the difference between a story and a scenario?
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How rich do stories for design need to be? How much effort is required to make them?
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What tools exist to help people capture, craft, and share digital stories?
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What are the various ways to represent a story digitally?
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What are the dangers of using stories? Can a specific story lead you astray?
Stories About an Interactive System
Many designers have also found stories told around a system to be an effective way of setting vision, concretizing ideas, guiding design, and communicating value. A major challenge faced by designers of interactive systems surrounds the issue of how those systems will mesh with the lives of the people who will use them and provide value.
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techniques, and representations to support the capture, creation, analysis, organization, finding and use of stories and scenarios in a business context. John joined IBM Research in 1973 and spent 13 years doing research in various areas of human computer interaction. In 1986, he began the Artificial Intelligence Laboratory at NYNEX Science and Technology. He rejoined IBM Research in 1998 to work on knowledge management. He is also a licensed psychologist in New York State and has over 130 publications and invited presentations in computer science and psychology. His main hobby is writing poetry, short stories, plays, and novels.
PANELISTS Tom Erickson
Thomas Erickson is a Research Staff Member at IBM's T. J. Watson Research Center, where he specializes in studying and designing systems for supporting network-mediated interaction in groups and organizations. Among other things, he is interested in techniques such as storytelling, rough prototyping, and the use of pattern languages in supporting cross-disciplinary communication. Tom has been at IBM since June '97; before that he spent nine years in Apple's research group. Among many other writings, Tom is the author of Notes on Design Practice: Stories and Prototypes as Catalysts for Communication (In Scenario-Based Design: Envisioning Work and Technology in System Development (ed. J. Carroll). New York: Wiley, 1995), and Design as Storytelling, which appeared in Interactions (1996).
Dan Gruen (panel chair)
Dan Gruen is a Research Scientist at Lotus Development. Dan applies his experience with observational methods and background in user-centered design to areas including spatial and conversational interfaces, tools to help users manage multiple activities, portable devices, and innovative ways of linking computer-based information with the external world. He is currently active in the use of visual scenarios and other story-based methods to ground design in real world situations of use.
Mary Beth Rosson
Mary Beth Rosson is Associate Professor of Computer Science at Virginia Tech, where she has been since 1994. Prior to that she was a Research Staff Member and Manager at IBM's T J Watson Research Center. Dr. Rosson received her PhD in 1982 from the University of Texas at Austin. Her research includes The Web StoryBase project: an archive of Web users' personal experiences and comments, and the Nostalgia project for stories and comments about the history of Blacksburg, Virginia.
Dan has a Ph.D. in Cognitive Science from the University of California at San Diego. Dan's research, conducted under Don Norman (and funded by the NSF and Apple Computer), investigated such topics as how people manage multiple activities and handle interruptions in everyday life, tradeoffs in the design of graphical representations, and issues surrounding creativity and interestingness. He has taught and consulted on usability and interface-design issues in a variety of academic and industrial settings.
John Thomas
John Thomas is currently Manager, Knowledge Socialization at IBM's T. J. Watson Research Center. The efforts of his team currently focus on developing new tools,
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