What are some examples of successful collaborations between design thinkers and storytellers?

Story and Design are tools to create the futures we long for. They go hand in hand. To convey the power of a design, a great story is needed. To create a powerful design, the current story of the challenge needs to be understood.

In this case, i found the stories more helpful to understand the experience or need. When we create any wireframe or start to design any digital banners, the story help us to create the whole user journey & scenario.

A suitably “trained” AI can help with ideation and prototyping. Similarly if you are not a natural story teller I have found that AI can help with a first “draft” that can kick start the process.

Collaboration between design thinkers and storytelling is a powerful tool to leverage your message. I have found that at the base of this Collaboration is sharing. As a storyteller, consider who you are telling the story to, what do you want the takeaway to be, what is the main message and the value to your audience. What are your goals? Share all this with your designers to help them focus and deliver the best outcome. Review together and twick the design as necessary. Collaboration is the key to success in this partnership.

As a creator, I've always struggled to balance storytelling and design thinking. However, I've come to realize that both disciplines feed into each other. When I start working on a new project, I let my imagination run wild and then weigh my options. In my mind, these two skills are intertwined and must work together in harmony. It's a marriage that lasts a lifetime. How do you balance your creative processes?

In addition to creating innovative solutions that are user-friendly, feasible, viable, and desirable, IDEO has started including a new and critical dimension which is sustainability. I admire this very much as creating innovative solutions that are sustainable in addition to being user-friendly, feasible, viable, and desirable brings to art of innovation to a new level. Thank you, IDEO.

Pixar storytellers don't come up with all the plot and art direction details out of thin air. The entire production team of Ratatouille went to Paris to do the first major step of design thinking – empathy. They watched chefs and all the back of house restaurant staff, talked with them but also listened to their word choices and body language. The team on Coco made a similar immersion trip to empathize with the environment and characters in the Mexican-set film. Another page from the Pixar storytelling playbook is the Brain Trust. This team of trusted experienced co-workers watch the prototype film and give feedback as a viewer. They don't only criticize, they also build on opportunities to make the story more compelling or clear.

Take a look at the D&AD awards and you'll have a great panorama of what the best synergy between design and storytelling is. Also, as a side note, a seasoned designer is also a good storyteller, and vice-versa.