Storytelling

This design strategy is about connecting with people emotionally, through products, experiences or interactions, in order to encourage sustainable behaviour. Compelling narratives encourage attachment, and can mean a shift in attitude away from the cycle of use–disposal–replacement. This type of design can reduce the consumption and waste of natural resources by making people want want to keep products in use for longer. To achieve this the products must be physically enduring but, more importantly, must be dynamic enough that the consumer resists the usual urge to replace them with a newer model. This could be achieved by engineering the user experience to allow for customisation, updates or personalisation; adaptation over time that will maintain relevance for the user.

Attachment can also be achieved by simplification (the Bialetti or Brown Betty over the Nespresso) or conversely by the inherent value and craftsmanship of an item. Certain materials – usually but not necessarily natural materials such as wood or softer metals – lend themselves particularly well to this approach. Careful design of the user journey can allow the consumer to draw meaning through elements that appeal to the senses, including proportion, texture, colour, smell and sound. This approach is also known as ‘emotional durability’ and is intended to create a deeper bond between the user and the product or experience – possibly extended over many users or several generations of users. This deepened relationship with an object, environment or lifestyle can overrule human desire for the new, and in the best case scenario can change perceptions around what these relationships could be; leading to a shift in mindset and behaviour.

Other design strategies such as localisation can be useful when designing for an emotional connection. This means building local or regional value into a product to improve social and environmental impact. This could be via local resources and materials, production methods, labour and skills, supply chains, investment or ownership, consumer markets and/or end-of-life path. In terms of storytelling, this can be a useful device for ensuring relevance for the consumer, as well as for forming communities and commitment around products or experiences.