A website is not a dumping ground to dump all your product info, services, portfolio, company information etc. It’s much more than that. A truly effective website must tell a story to create user engagement. This is one of the most important element which will compel users to stick around and that’s exactly what every website aims at. A great story might start with a mere thought but it’s the design which infuses life in a story. Here are 5 effective ways of great storytelling through design:

1. Create The Engagement Through Imagery

The most hard hitting method of engagement creation is through visuals. Use neat and clean visuals, appealing images, compelling videos, and interesting illustrations to create an everlasting first impression. Your story must be full of imagery with a mix of design techniques and words. Develop a color palette which mirrors the essence of the story that you are telling. A good story will always lead the user towards completion of a task or goal.

2. Invite Participation

Create value to your design with interactive elements along with common actions. Add a bit of animation to buttons that users need to notice or help drive the eye to certain elements with directional cues such as arrows or images. Parallax scrolling is an engaging way to encourage motion on the screen.

Consider this example of Humaan. They use simple yet effective hover animations along with team photos. The staff poses quirky expressions that flaunt each member’s character.

3. Construct A Game

The most difficult part of building a story is to know where to begin from. If you are clueless, start off with a simple game. A game can add the fun factor for users. The game needn’t be very complex but has to be rewarding. Take an example of Dropbox. It uses options like inviting others to use Dropbox, logging in from multiple devices, and connecting various email accounts as tools of gamification. It rewards people with extra space on dropbox. This helps it create a brigade of loyal repeat users.

4. Emphasize On Narration

Every story needs to have a proper flow. A story must have a beginning, a middle, and an end. It’s similar in the case of a website as well.

Beginning: The Logo and headline are your beginnings. Tell your users who you are and why they are on your website.
Middle: The middle comprises of a supporting narrative that makes you different from others. What can you offer your users who are on your site? What should they expect?
End: The end must have a call to action such as a form or ability to make a purchase or link to something else.

5. Establish A Character

User persona plays a very crucial role in the case of a website design. Elevate the user persona by introducing a character for your website. A wonderful example for the same would be the email platform MailChimp. The company’s cartoon mascot and logo pops up throughout the entire design of the website. The character clarifies the company name, portrays the fun element of the company, and helps to keep the company’s story fresh.

When you’re designing your story try to be your own self. Portray what you really are. Users love authenticity and connect more to authentic stories. Talk to our team of experts and start your own story today.

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