Visual Storytelling in UX / UI Design
The ability to create a story with smart UX planning, which includes an effective use of design elements such as icons, videos, or any other visual aides, is called Visual Storytelling.
Make no mistake - this is not a simple task, but when done right, it can help instantly draw in users, and create an emotional response that can be crucial for customer acquisition and retention, and of course - for sales.
Why Are Stories So Important?
Human Beings have always been drawn to stories and storytellers - they provide entertainment, identification, and can also bring about powerful emotions.
This ability to engage an audience is a powerful tool used often by organizations, companies and advertisers to promote customer loyalty and action.
The Power of Visual storytelling
As mentioned earlier, people respond to visual elements faster that textual ones. The reason for this lies in the brain structure - 30% of our cortex is dedicated to processing visual elements, 10 times more than that dedicated to touch and hearing for example). As a result, most people register visual information much faster, and remember it longer too.
How Does Visual Storytelling Help Increase Sales?
Visual storytelling allows us to make the best of both worlds, by combining the impact of of visual elements, along with the emotional power of storytelling.
The result:
Speed and Clarity - studies show that most people read about ⅕ of the test and browse the rest. Using images and smart design, can help highlight and convey your message faster, and help keep user engages longer.
Connection - people respond do content, and are more interested when it tells a story, with a beginning middles and end (not just a list of facts).
Memorability - in today’s endless stream of new and exciting apps, a visual story can help set you apart from the competition and help users remember your brand. In fact, studies show that people are 22 times more likely to remember a story as opposed to ‘dry’ facts.
Entertainment - once’s you’ve reached the users, you have a very short window to convince them to use your app. A good story will always help draw the users in and keep them engaged longer.
Call to action - emotions are a powerful driving force, and a good story can help raise the emotional response you want from your users, thus helping to increase sales, loyalty and customer retention rates.
In fact, there are certain parts of the brain responsible for decision making, which are based entirely on visual cues, meaning images can influence people decisions before they even read a single word.
How to Use Visual Storytelling to Create Engaging UX Design
Now that we’ve established the importance of visual storytelling as a marketing tool, let’s examine the best means for implementing the story in your UX design:
Take the time to create a smart layout
Every story has a beginning, middle, and end - our brains are conditioned to that classic structure, and therefore, it is important to use it in the design, in order to help users understand your message and find their way around faster.
Relevance and Believability
To make sure your story is effective, moving, and calls to action, you should first know your audience and adjust your style to their preferences, (young and hip, minimalistic, etc.)
Include Interactive Features
Attention spans are short these days, so adding some livelier, interactive features, such as videos, forms, and games is a great way to raise their interest and keep them engaged longer.
Don’t Over-complicate it
A good story can be summed up in one sentence. Plus, keeping it simple will help users grasp your message instantly.
Create a Fun, Positive Experience
When it comes to marketing and branding, it’s important to highlight the benefits of your product or service, and how they can improve your user’s life or add to it. Here too, adding interactive and q or gaming elements, such as a point system, bonuses or actual games, can help create a more playful, fresh image.
