I Am User Generated

What is Revenge?

Challenge: Promote the upcoming TV series Revenge.

Creative Solution: Create a crowd-sourced look at revenge by letting user anonymously tell their revenge stories.

Role: Creative Strategist.

One of the most exciting parts of interactive storytelling is that it’s uncharted territory but this can also be its downfall because it’s uncharted for the viewer as well. To put them at ease we need to give as much context for the experience as possible. Most users have no idea how they got there, where they’re going or how to get where you want them to go.

When we read a book we immediately know how long it is and and how to move through the experience. Most movies are between 90mins and 120mins and all we really have to do is sit there and turn off our cellphones. But have you ever landed on a site or fired up an app and immediately forgotten why you’re there? If we add some global context into the experience that reminds the user how they got there then they’re more likely to keep moving through the experience without thinking that they should be doing something else.

We also need to hint at where the user is going. This is usually done with a master nav that is broken into chapters or a timeline of sorts. The user wants to know that they are a third of the way through the story or they have two more hours to go. How often do you look at the run time of a YouTube video before you click play? You want to know what you’re in for.

Users also want to know how they’re going to get through the story. Do I have to click a hundred times, do I have to scroll to the bottom to see the next chapter? The easier the user-experience, the more seamless the story can become. Just read the press when a popular website switches their user-interface. Everyone hates it, because it’s unfamiliar. If we’re telling an unfamiliar story that requires some mental effort then don’t make user-interface a barrier. The less templates and the more repeatable the experience is, the more likely the user will move through the to an end game. Sorry interface designers it’s not about the interface it’s about the story so the interface should disappear.

These three interactive storytelling tricks will add context and give the best chance to tell the most complete story.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Track Listing

Fast Life (Vinyl Reanimators Remix) – Kool G Rap and Nas
Who Dat – J. Cole
The Player Way – Mase
Young G’s – Puff Daddy and Notorious B.I.G. and Jay-Z
Get Money – Notorious B.I.G. feat Lil Kim
Beautiful Hustle (Green Mix) – Jay-Z
Finito ft. Pharrell and Lil Wayne – N.O.R.E.
Hustlin’ – Rick Ross
Raid – Pusha T feat. 50 Cent
Start It Up feat. Sway, Giggs, Kanye West, Swizz Beatz and Ryan Leslie – Lloyd Banks
Dammit Man feat. Lil Wayne and Lil Flip – Pit Bull
Door man prod by The Neptunes – Clipse

Hey Doorman. Right-click to download.

Well the last six months have blown by. But in my industry six months is a long time and in an effort to keep up with advances in media, culture and technology I’ve decided to make a move again.

I’ve decided to launch myself head first into my first entrepreneurial venture – Storypanda.

The company is based on the insight that kids and parents are now sharing technology devices and are equally skilled on these devices. We want to use this insight to bring kids and parents together through technology and interactive storytelling possibilities. When we grew up technology drove a wedge between us and our parents. We were downstairs playing video games and watching DVDs and mom and dad were upstairs reading books. Now as an adult I’m playing Wii and using my iPad and my little nephews and parents are right there with me. It’s my belief that technology can bring families together again and the best way to do this is through great stories.

On a personal level I remember my parents reading me bedtimes stories, as well as, making up bedtime stories. We read together but we also created stories together. In part, our first product for Storypanda aims to emulate that experience but for the tablet publishing and social networking generation of kids and parents.

When does it come out? Yes we get this question every time we talk about this idea. Parents are so pumped to start creating. Go to Storypanda.com and enter your email. From there I’ll send you a beta release copy before anyone else so you can test it out. All I ask for is a little feedback so we can continue to improve.

There’s still so many exciting features to share but I’ll be updating this blog as well as our Storypanda social channels with all of our progress:
Storypanda Facebook
Storypanda on Twitter
The Storypanda blog

Exciting times! Thanks to all our early supporters.

Stories move us to act. Action requires risk and our willingness to take risks is rooted in our emotions, themselves rooted in our values. One way we can translate our values into the emotions that can inspire action is by telling a story. ~ Marshall Ganz