Interactive Narratives

Everything I learned, I learned from a story.

Story telling is everywhere.  Stories help us to engage, to express ourselves and to connect with one another.

Good story-telling is the road to great communication.  But, what makes a story great? 

A great story-teller must know the audience needs.   The hierarchy of human needs ranges from basic subsistence to complete interaction. 

Knowing your audience and where they are within the spectrum of needs will help to frame the story you have to offer.  But, a great story-teller must also know an audience’s pain points.  What has brought the audience to this particular time and place?  What issue or issues are you addressing that will make their life easier?

 

Once you have identified needs and pain points, expand the story potential.  Create a flexible experience to engage a larger audience.  This is where interactive narratives can excel.

When we look at an interactive narrative we can grow beyond a typical narrative model.  In the interactive space we must observe, explore, modify and then reciprocate.  Building an interactive narrative allows us to expand the possibilities and consider so much more.   Observe the audience, how do they act, what do they view and click and then explore with the audience.  Modify your concept, do not put on blinders and assume your solution is correct and does not need adjustment.  Leave space to think and create and finally be sure to reciprocate.  Offer back to the user what they give to you.  Acknowledge and grow.

Finally, consider Marshall McLuhen’s famous words “The medium is the message”.  

Although first published in 1964, This quote could not be more applicable to today’s world.  Each medium; desktop, tablet, television, paperback, has unique advantages.  Capitalizing on the medium and all that it can offer will elevate story-telling to new heights.

Click, tap, scroll

An experience for the senses

 

When I think of interactivity I think of the senses, all five of them:  sight, sound, touch, smell, taste.

In the digital sphere, interactivity can really only cover the first three, for now.  Until there are scratch and sniff screens or taste-o-vision websites the other two will have to be provided by the user.

So, why are we talking about interactivity?  Well, the Little c project is chugging along and interactivity is top of mind.  Questions are flowing, how, why and when will interactions be incorporated?  Focusing on the why will lead to answers for the how and the when.   I like to break things down into manageable chunks, let’s break interactivity down using the senses.

Sight

Created for children aged 3-7, Little c needs to be accessible to both pre-readers and readers. Infographics, illustrations, photographs and videos will allow children to see what is happening and increase the impact of the stories. Animated characters will grab the attention of children and offer cancer facts if they are curious.  Most importantly, the graphics and illustrations need to be visually appealing for both children and adults. 

Sound

Optional voice over narration will support pre-readers and provide guidance for those who desire it.  Music, narration and sound effects will set the tone and provide an immersive experience. Cancer is a big word and treatment is a scary topic.  Soothing sounds will help to evoke a sense of calm.  Allowing users to opt in or out of the sounds will give them the ability to shape their own experience. 

Touch

Touch is where things get busy. 

The current plan for the stories within Little c is to have long scrolling story pages with parallax effects for added visual excitement.  Scrolling will allow the stories to be read and enjoyed in one fluid experience without having to pause for page reload.  Families will be able to explore the stories at their own speed.  

As the users scroll through the stories ‘Little c’ will show up and alert users when further exploration is available. 

At any point during their journey families will be able to click and tap their way through games and activities.  Children crave physical interaction with digital technology.  The interactive elements will allow children to feel empowerment and give them a space to express their feelings and emotions.

Games will give children the chance to click and tap cancer cells into oblivion.  Colour therapy will let children tap colours into their drawings in a mesmerizing and calming, repetitive motion.  

The story writing space will let children write down their thoughts and feelings.

Little c will provide multiples layers of interactions; scrolling, clicking, tapping, drawing, playing, and colouring.  The interaction can even continue beyond the screen as children print and colour story pages.

Building Little c for children means building interactivity into the website.  Children are very tech savvy, if I want to keep their attention, interactivity better be a part of the plan.

Illustration credits: Melissa Frew