Chances are, you’re already using User Journeys to plan how people will interact with products you design. Writers have been doing this for centuries – creating characters, and working out how those characters interact with their newly designed world. We’ll discuss a common narrative framework, Joseph Campbell’s “Monomyth”, and how we can use it to create robust user journeys that drive innovative design and address real human needs. User Journeys are a power tool that are often under-utilized. This is partly because their strengths are misunderstood or overlooked. This session will provide a flexible structure to base user journeys on, which can help designers identify bottlenecks, important players, and deeper underlying themes or challenges of design problems. These insights can be used to drive design direction, client workshops, user research plans, and experience strategy. Additionally, this can be thought of as an introduction into applying theories and frameworks from other disciplines into the way we conceptualize our users.

1. YOUR USER IS A HERO
THE MONOMYTH & USER EXPERIENCE DESIGN
MATT EDWARDS @ASTRONAUTPNGUIN MN WUD 2014
#HEROSJOURNEY

2. YOUR USER IS A HERO
THE MONOMYTH & USER EXPERIENCE DESIGN
• 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
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3. THE HERO’S JOURNEY
A CRITICAL FRAMEWORK FOR ANALYSIS
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4. ANALYSIS
Separation of a whole into
its component parts.
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5. @ASTRONAUTPNGUIN MN WUD 2014

6. (HERO)
THE ORDINARY WORLD
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7. (TRICKSTER)
(HERALD)
THE CALL TO ADVENTURE
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8. REFUSAL OF THE CALL
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9. MEETING THE MENTOR
(MENTOR)
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10. CROSSING THE THRESHOLD
(THRESHOLD GUARDIANS ERRY-WHERE)
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11. TESTS, ALLIES, AND ENEMIES
(ALLY)
(SHAPESHIFTER)
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12. THE APPROACH
(NOT A MOON)
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13. (THE SHADOW)
THE ORDEAL
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14. THE REWARD
(THE TREASURE)
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15. (THRESHOLD GUARDIANS)
THE ROAD BACK
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16. (PORKINS)
THE RESURRECTION
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17. (FORCE = ELIXIR)
RETURN W/ THE ELIXIR
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19. SO WHAT?
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20. WHO IS YOUR USER TODAY?
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21. WE DESIGN ECOSYSTEMS
OUR “USERS” ARE PARTS OF THAT ECOSYSTEM
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22. WE DESIGN ECOSYSTEMS
USERS PLAY DIFFERENT ROLES AT DIFFERENT TIMES
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23. WE DESIGN ECOSYSTEMS
USERS OFTEN NEED TO COOPERATE IN THOSE SYSTEMS
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24. CRITICISMS
DETAILS ARE EVERYTHING
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25. ETHNOCENTRISM
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26. HETERONORMATIVITY
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27. SO WHAT?
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29. THIS
HAPPENS
A LOT.
EVEN WHEN WE
RESEARCH.

30. THE REWARD?
“HI, I’M AN OBJECT IN THIS STORY.”
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31. ENGAGEMENT DEMANDS INCLUSIVENESS
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32. YOUR VALUES IMPACT YOUR DESIGNS
WHETHER YOU ACKNOWLEDGE IT OR NOT.
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33. SO, WHAT DO WE DO?
WE LEVERAGE CRITICAL THEORY.
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34. THIS MAN IS AN AMERICAN TREASURE
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35. THE “HERO’S JOURNEY” IS A CRITICAL LENS.
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36. ARCHETYPAL
HISTORICAL
STRUCTURALISM
CRITICAL LENSES PROVIDE NEW PERSPECTIVES
BUT NO LENS IS ALL-ENCOMPASSING.
PSYCHOANALYTIC READER-RESPONSE
FEMINIST
MARXIST
NEW CRITICISM
DECONSTRUCTION
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37. CRITICISMS ARE NOT DEALBREAKERS
IDENTIFY SHORTCOMINGS AND ADJUST
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38. HARMON’S “STORY CIRCLE”
A GENERATIVE FRAMEWORK FOR SYNTHESIS
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39. ANALYSIS
Separation of a whole into
its component parts.
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40. SYNTHESIS
The combination of parts
so as to form a whole.
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41. (#SIXSEASONSANDAMOVIE)
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42. #SIXSEASONSANDAMOVIE
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43. THE STORY CIRCLE
1
3
8
6 4
5
7
2
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44. THE STORY CIRCLE
1
3
8
6 4
5
7
2
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
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45. 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
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46. WHEN YOU
HAVE A NEED
YOU GO SOMEWHERE
SEARCH FOR IT
FIND IT
TAKE IT
THEN RETURN
HAVING CHANGED
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47. WHEN YOU
HAVE A NEED
YOU GO SOMEWHERE
SEARCH FOR IT
FIND IT
TAKE IT
THEN RETURN
HAVING CHANGED
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48. YOU
NEED,
GO
SEARCH,
FIND,
TAKE,
RETURN
CHANGED.
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49. YOU NEED,
RETURN
CHANGED
FIND, TAKE, GO SEARCH,
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50. DESIGNING WITH NARRATIVE
DATA ANALYSIS AND SYNTHESIS
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51. Q: WHEN IS THIS USEFUL?
A: YES
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52. WORKSHOPS
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53. RESEARCH PLANNING
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54. DATA SYNTHESIS
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55. EXPERIENCE STRATEGY
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56. FEATURE DEVELOPMENT
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57. SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY
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58. COMMUNITY-CENTERED DESIGN
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59. CONSIDER DUALITIES
REFLECTING
ACTING
CONCRETE ABSTRACT
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60. CONSIDER DUALITIES
REFLECTING REFLECTING
ABSTRACT
CONCRETE
ACTING ACTING
CONCRETE ABSTRACT
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61. YOUR USER IS A HERO
THE MONOMYTH & USER EXPERIENCE DESIGN
1. JOSEPH CAMPBELL’S “MONOMYTH”
• STRUCTURE
• CRITICISMS
2. DAN HARMON’S “STORY CIRCLE”
• STRUCTURE
• THEMATIC DUALITIES
3. DESIGNING WITH NARRATIVE
• USE CASES
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62. I HAVE A
QUESTION
I DECIDE
TO ASK
EVERYONE
BENEFITS
I ASK THE
QUESTION
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63. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
INFORMATION
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
CONTACT
EMAIL: MEDWARDS@NERDERY.COM
TWITTER: @ASTRONAUTPNGUIN
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