A strategy, approach, or design philosophy that prioritizes the storytelling or narrative aspects of a project, product, or experience above other considerations like functionality, technology, or data. This approach emphasizes the user's or audience's emotional journey and engagement through the crafted narrative. It often involves carefully structuring information, crafting compelling characters (real or imagined), and developing a cohesive plot or sequence of events to achieve a specific outcome or deliver a particular message. The narrative-first method is commonly used in filmmaking, game design, advertising, and content creation.
Narrative-first meaning with examples
- In the development of the new museum exhibit, the team adopted a narrative-first approach. Instead of focusing solely on displaying artifacts, they first crafted a compelling story about the era, integrating the artifacts as supporting elements within the historical narrative. This method ensured a captivating and immersive visitor experience, fostering greater emotional connection to the subject matter. The exhibit’s success highlighted the power of prioritizing story.
- The game designer, known for their narrative-first philosophy, always begins a project by outlining the main character's arc and the overarching plot. Only after solidifying the narrative structure do they focus on gameplay mechanics and level design. This approach allows them to seamlessly integrate the mechanics into the story, making the player’s actions feel meaningful and driving the narrative forward rather than it being a gamey afterthought that the user doesn't enjoy.
- When crafting the marketing campaign, the advertising agency championed a narrative-first strategy. They focused on developing a relatable character who embodied the target audience's aspirations, weaving their stories into the advertising spots. This resonated deeply with potential customers, leading to significantly higher engagement and conversion rates. The focus on the character allowed the products features to be relevant and not feel shoehorned into the ad.
- During the website redesign, we decided on a narrative-first design, focusing on the user's journey. We built the site around their needs and potential questions, crafting a compelling story about our service to answer them. This approach led to increased user retention and conversion rates. Our previous design had important information but our users had no idea what we were talking about.