Scenes Need to Do More Than One Thing

Screenwriter Markus McFeely dropped this gem in the director’s commentary of Avengers: Infinity War:

Scenes need to do more than one thing.

He acknowledged that the events of a scene need to happen, which is its primary reason for appearing in the story. But a scene can also do other things like set up a character conflict, inform you about some backstory or exposition, or somehow advance the plot point in another way—all things that McFeely suggests that screenwriters employ.

This was an important lesson for me as I was learning how to be a more strategic designer. At its simplest, design is about doing something on purpose. Which is great. But it’s not always enough.

I can design a solution to the problem that I’m hungry. I can eat! Problem solved! Whether I eat yogurt or cookies or cardboard, my hunger problem is gone.

But that’s not enough. I need something more than “solve the problem” (design) to help me distinguish between good and bad choices. I need for this scene to be about two things instead of just one. “Quell my hunger and keep me full for the rest of the day” leads to a different choice than “quell my hunger and give me a short burst of energy.”

That is strategy.

There are lots of good definitions of strategy. The one that sticks with me is from my friend Mark Pollard, Strategy Friend , who says, “Strategy is an informed opinion on how to win.”

Design is doing something on purpose. Strategy is having an opinion. These two things go hand-in-hand.

This happens more frequently when a scene is about more than one thing.

Call-to-action buttons guide users to their next step, but they can also reinforce brand personality.

A homepage hero can grab attention, but it can also set the emotional tone for the rest of the site experience.

When a scene is only about one thing, the best you can make is a wireframe.

—Dan

P.S. - This is the last week to sign up for my Design System in 90 Days cohort at Design System University . Get your seat!

P.P.S. - Earlier this week, I ran the first early access session for my upcoming group coaching program for freelancers and studio/agency owners. We talked scaling, tracking metrics, hiring business development help, and more! I can’t wait for our next session. If you’re interested in knowing when the next wave of invitations go out, reply or DM me and I’ll add you to the list.