Your User is a Hero: Applying Joseph Campbell’s “Monomyth” to User Experience Design

transcript

YOUR USER IS A HEROTHE MONOMYTH & USER EXPERIENCE DESIGN

MN WUD 2014MATT EDWARDS @ASTRONAUTPNGUIN

#HEROSJOURNEY

MN WUD 2014@ASTRONAUTPNGUIN

• Analysis vs. Syntheis • What’s a “Hero’s Journey”? • Why should I care? • Using Critical Theory • What’s a “Story Circle”? • Case Studies • Q+A

THE HERO’S JOURNEYA CRITICAL FRAMEWORK FOR ANALYSIS

ANALYSIS

Separation of a whole into its component parts.

THE ORDINARY WORLD

(HERO)

THE CALL TO ADVENTURE

(HERALD)

(TRICKSTER)

REFUSAL OF THE CALL

MEETING THE MENTOR

(MENTOR)

(THRESHOLD GUARDIANS ERRY-WHERE)

CROSSING THE THRESHOLD

TESTS, ALLIES, AND ENEMIES

(ALLY)

(SHAPESHIFTER)

THE APPROACH(NOT A MOON)

THE ORDEAL

(THE SHADOW)

THE REWARD(THE TREASURE)

(THRESHOLD GUARDIANS)

THE ROAD BACK

(PORKINS)

THE RESURRECTION

RETURN W/ THE ELIXIR

(FORCE = ELIXIR)

SO WHAT?

WHO IS YOUR USER TODAY?

WE DESIGN ECOSYSTEMSOUR “USERS” ARE PARTS OF THAT ECOSYSTEM

WE DESIGN ECOSYSTEMSUSERS PLAY DIFFERENT ROLES AT DIFFERENT TIMES

WE DESIGN ECOSYSTEMSUSERS OFTEN NEED TO COOPERATE IN THOSE SYSTEMS

CRITICISMSDETAILS ARE EVERYTHING

ETHNOCENTRISM

HETERONORMATIVITY

zMN WUD 2014@ASTRONAUTPNGUIN

SO WHAT?

THIS HAPPENS A LOT.EVEN WHEN WE RESEARCH.

THE REWARD?“HI, I’M AN OBJECT IN THIS STORY.”

ENGAGEMENT DEMANDS INCLUSIVENESS

YOUR VALUES IMPACT YOUR DESIGNSWHETHER YOU ACKNOWLEDGE IT OR NOT.

SO, WHAT DO WE DO?WE LEVERAGE CRITICAL THEORY.

THIS MAN IS AN AMERICAN TREASURE

THE “HERO’S JOURNEY” IS A CRITICAL LENS.

ARCHETYPAL

FEMINIST

MARXIST

NEW CRITICISM

PSYCHOANALYTIC READER-RESPONSE

DECONSTRUCTION

HISTORICAL

STRUCTURALISM

CRITICAL LENSES PROVIDE NEW PERSPECTIVES BUT NO LENS IS ALL-ENCOMPASSING.

CRITICISMS ARE NOT DEALBREAKERSIDENTIFY SHORTCOMINGS AND ADJUST

HARMON’S “STORY CIRCLE”A GENERATIVE FRAMEWORK FOR SYNTHESIS

ANALYSIS

Separation of a whole into its component parts.

SYNTHESIS

The combination of parts so as to form a whole.

(#SIXSEASONSANDAMOVIE)

#SIXSEASONSANDAMOVIE

THE STORY CIRCLE

1. A CHARACTER IS IN A ZONE OF

COMFORT

2. BUT THEY WANT SOMETHING

3. THEY ENTER AN UNFAMILIAR

SITUATION

4. ADAPT TO IT

5. GET WHAT THEY WANTED

6. PAY A HEAVY PRICE FOR IT

7. THEN RETURN TO THEIR FAMILIAR

SITUATION

8. HAVING CHANGED

THE STORY CIRCLE

A CHARACTER IS IN A ZONE OF COMFORT

BUT THEY WANT SOMETHING

THEY ENTER AN UNFAMILIAR SITUATION

ADAPT TO IT

GET WHAT THEY WANTED

PAY A HEAVY PRICE FOR IT

THEN RETURN TO THEIR FAMILIAR SITUATION

HAVING CHANGED

WHEN YOU

HAVE A NEED

YOU GO SOMEWHERE

SEARCH FOR IT

FIND IT

TAKE IT

THEN RETURN

HAVING CHANGED

WHEN YOU

HAVE A NEED

YOU GO SOMEWHERE

SEARCH FOR IT

FIND IT

TAKE IT

THEN RETURN

HAVING CHANGED

YOU NEED,

GO SEARCH,

FIND, TAKE,

RETURN CHANGED.

YOU NEED,

GO SEARCH,FIND, TAKE,

RETURN CHANGED

DESIGNING WITH NARRATIVEDATA ANALYSIS AND SYNTHESIS

Q: WHEN IS THIS USEFUL?A: YES

WORKSHOPS

RESEARCH PLANNING

DATA SYNTHESIS

EXPERIENCE STRATEGY

FEATURE DEVELOPMENT

SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY

COMMUNITY-CENTERED DESIGN

REFLECTING

CONSIDER DUALITIES

ACTING

CONCRETE ABSTRACT

CONSIDER DUALITIES

REFLECTING REFLECTING

ACTING ACTING

ABSTRACT

ABSTRACTCONCRETE

CONCRETE

1. JOSEPH CAMPBELL’S “MONOMYTH”

• STRUCTURE

• CRITICISMS

2. DAN HARMON’S “STORY CIRCLE”

• STRUCTURE

• THEMATIC DUALITIES

3. DESIGNING WITH NARRATIVE

• USE CASES

I HAVE A QUESTION

I DECIDE TO ASK

I ASK THE QUESTION

EVERYONE BENEFITS

ADDITIONAL RESOURCESINFORMATION

1. JOSEPH CAMPBELL - “THE HERO WITH A THOUSAND FACES” - LINK

2. CHRISTOPHER VOGLER - “THE

WRITER’S JOURNEY” - LINK 3. DAN HARMON, CHANNEL 101 -

“STORY STRUCTURE” TUTORIALS - LINK

CONTACTEMAIL: MEDWARDS@NERDERY.COM

TWITTER: @ASTRONAUTPNGUIN