Screenwriting techniques, story and UX

- Oct 21, 2021

I am putting the finishing touches to an interview with Yancey Strickler, ex CEO of Kickstarter and Bento creator. In listening back I was interested to notice that he chose to storyboard his book, 'This Could Be Our Future'. In doing so, he found the right metaphor (the Bento) to convey the message and concepts he'd been exploring. Success! In this article, Fabricio Texeira, founder of UX Collective suggests starting designs in text editor and tapping into screenwriting techniques. His thought: 'Browsing a well-crafted interface is like reading a great story. As designers, why are we not incorporating screenwriting techniques more often into our process?'

I agree! On occasion, I've suggested to clients to approach visual platforms (like IG) with a story outline, before focusing their attention on the grid outlook. I can't say they were all that convinced, however I am. Hopefully these ideas will stimulate or inspire you as you map out a new project, be it a book, or a new website.

In the same theme, this week I got back into 'Story: Substance, Structure, Style, and the Principles of Screenwriting' by Robert McKee, to get more fluent with story construction. Intense and fascinating.