storytelling
streamlined
BACKGROUND
Get to the point with Stori - a tool for writers who need to streamline their storyboarding across all their projects. From doodles to smart tags, Stori's features help you enjoy the writing process more than ever.
Stori
Role
UX, UI, Product Design, Research, Copy Writing
Product
Mobile App
Duration
2021-2022
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UNDERSTANDING THE USER
This app is designed with authors, screenwriters, and hobbyist writers in mind. Anyone can use Stori to get their ideas down on "paper."
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By interviewing writers (both professional and hobbyist) we found that finding time to work on their writing projects was the biggest hurdle. For this reason, Stori is designed to be efficient, intuitive, and enjoyable to use.
DEFINING THE PROBLEM
The idea for Stori began out of a desire for a simple tool to help storyboard a screenplay. Competing apps were scarce, and those that existed were glitchy, visually unappealing, and had a massive learning curve.
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We needed to design an app that would allow anyone to instantly get to work while inspiration was striking.
Intuitive - no learning curve required.
USER PAIN POINTS
Lack of time
"I find it difficult to make time in my day to sit down and write."
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Distractions
"As a writer I work from home, so kids, home duties, and more are always omnipresent."
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Lack of Community
"People in my daily life don't relate to my job as a writer. It is hard to find encouragement and feedback from people who understand."
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Organization
"I often scramble for whatever is near me when inspiration strikes, which can lead to a messy array of notepads, journals, and scraps of paper."
KEY CHALLENGES
How might we help users record their ideas in an efficient way?
How might we encourage writers to progress their projects in a way that integrates in their daily life?
How might we provide a digital space for writing collaboration, review, and encouragement?
How might we create a tool that writers reach for to develop ALL of their writing ideas in one organized place?
RESEARCH STUDY DETAILS
Research Methods:
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Competetive Audit
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Interview (10 participants)
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I used Reddit to find communities of writers and asked several of them to engage in an interview with me.
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Through this method, I discovered common pain points for the target user base.
Through a competitive audit, I found very few apps that aimed to help with this specific problem for writers. Those that were remaining had several opportunities for improvement:
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Improve on UI to build trust
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Simplify for a more intuitive first experience
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Improve accessibility for all users and those with special requirements
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EARLY DESIGN
Early wireframes of the mobile app identified the desire for a step-by-step walkthrough that would ask users the important questions about their writing project.
FINDINGS
User testing method:
Moderated usability study (5 participants)
USER TESTING
User testing method:
Moderated usability study (5 participants)
Improvement needed for the following user flows:
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Creating a new project from the home screen
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Jumping back into a project the user was recently working on
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General navigation
User testing method:
Moderated usability study (5 participants)
DESIGNING THE UI
The branding of Stori was intended to be fashionable, pleasant and calming. Each step of the way, satisfying animations and features make users feel motivated, productive, and proud of what they are creating.
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Smart tags for characters and settings produce helpful analysis of your Stori.
Instant inspiration with the Stori community publisher.
Color code scenes to help visually organize your project.
PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS
PROTOTYPE
FINAL DESIGN
The Storyboard is the "homepage of the project." It gives users a glimpse of each scene and allows them to see and make changes to the overall structure of the story.
In Walkthrough Mode, users go on a step-by-step journey to build the basics of their story in a satisfying way. Here the user is building out a character and their core aspects of identity.
If users are familiar with the app, they can speed through the Stori creation mode. Users can fill in all the details they need to get their idea down on paper.
CONCLUSION + LESSONS LEARNED
Through the creation of the Stori app, I have learned about the needs and behaviors of writers. These were invaluable insights, as I don't identify as a creative writer myself. I learned how to bring functionality to the forefront, while also creating a pleasing design that creatives would enjoy using.
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In the future I could foresee Stori entering the market and helping writers to make the most of their creative momentum and produce great books and screenplays more efficiently.
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