Flag

We stand with Ukraine and our team members from Ukraine. Here are ways you can help

Get exclusive access to thought-provoking articles, bonus podcast content, and cutting-edge whitepapers. Become a member of the UX Magazine community today!

Home ›› Content and Copy ›› Why I stopped letting the design speak for itself

Why I stopped letting the design speak for itself

by Hoang Nguyen
3 min read
Share this post on
Tweet
Share
Post
Share
Email
Print

Save

Good design doesn’t speak for itself. You are the best person to tell the story you create. So when the opportunity arises, tell it impressively!

Image by Storytale

Since ancient times, stories have been a useful tool to connect and convey human culture. People who were merchants, adventurers, transporters, hunters, and people with different professions passed on their journeys, experiencing stories over the campfire and liquor glasses at night. To reduce loneliness on the way of adventure while ensuring that there were still legacies if something happened.

Good design doesn’t speak for itself

Photo by Lee yan on Unsplash

More than that, storytelling is also one of the abilities that help us survive and climb up the top of the food chain. Not the fangs, sharp claws, incredible strength, or superior speed, man’s evolutionary advantage was its ability to solve problems. And humans are even more powerful when matters are solved in groups. Thus, the stories will help connect the facts, create shared goals, and inspire the team.

We spend a lot of time and effort doing creative work to turn our thoughts into visible things. Powered by passion, designers can create great stories but often forget investing in telling them and then regret seeing them fade away.

“But I don’t have to tell a story. Let my design speak for itself.”

I used to be like that, and there’s nothing wrong with this thought. But after many years at work, been through many flops, I realized I had to learn how to tell stories for a few reasons.

Storytelling thinking helps design stand out.

We create products with a desire to give our users a great experience. Therefore we need to discover their story, turn our products into a positive point within it. Many restaurants have to close during the pandemic due to the mandatory social distancing, so we have had to order food home. With a variety list of dishes and fast delivery, Uber Eats has become a positive point in the story of the epidemic season.

Good design doesn’t speak for itself

Photo by Mak on Unsplash

Through storytelling, we can put ourselves in other people’s shoes. And when we can understand what they’re going through, empathy emerges.

Design is like storytelling. If it’s not properly understood, it’s a design that cannot work.

A design with a good story is an attractive one.

  • Storytelling can be applied to ideas, layouts and makes the products “sell” easily.
  • People are not rational as they think. Customers or decision-makers in projects are not as well. Amid tough choices, they make emotional decisions. And the sentiment is often determined by their feelings for the product.

Back to the old day’s story. Over time, the storytellers gradually learned how to arrange the story in suitable structures, changing expressions, lines, and sometimes adding fantasy elements to increase the drama.

Listeners are more drawn to stories with similar characters — or traits that they can relate to. We, when hearing such stories, will let our imagination soar. We are thrilled when the story climaxes, satisfied with a stunning ending. It can be said that good stories will lead the audience’s emotions.

So how do we tell stories?

Starting to practice this skill is not difficult because writing tasks from schools already gave us a foundation. The next thing to do is apply in each specific context, with the legendary structure: Introduction, Body, Conclusion.

  • Introduction: Define the work context: why it matters, what problems need to be solved, etc. These should be repeated at the beginning of a new phase of the project.
  • Body: Propose solutions: what is your design based on the aforementioned introduction, what information can be shown, and what cannot be solved. Each solution’s advantages and limitations need to be clearly stated to make a decision easier.
  • Conclusion: Answer the question: How successful will this solution be? (or how will it be applied in the future?). This will be the time to put the solution into context (like we often put a logo mockup on the product.)

You can refer to a few more structures here.

Perhaps when designing, we don’t have to create the whole story, and we’re not sure that we are the storytellers. But only you are the best person to tell the story you make when the opportunity arises.

So tell it impressively!

post authorHoang Nguyen

Hoang Nguyen
Hoang Nguyen is one of the pioneers in the field of UI/UX Design in Vietnam. Over the years in the business, he has worked with top clients in the industry and many exciting startups. He has played the role of technical adviser on UI/UX Design at Behance Portfolio for years. He has also published articles on GAM7, a Vietnam’s design and marketing magazine, and other foreign e-magazines. He is founding member and design coach at GEEK Up.

Tweet
Share
Post
Share
Email
Print
Ideas In Brief
  • Since ancient times, stories have been a useful tool to connect and convey human culture, reduce loneliness, and inspire the team by connecting the facts and create shared goals.
  • Powered by passion, designers can create great stories but often forget investing in telling them and then regret seeing them fade away.
  • Storytelling thinking helps design stand out. Through storytelling, we can put ourselves in other people’s shoes. And when we can understand what they’re going through, empathy emerges.
  • Customers or decision-makers in projects are not rational as they think; they make emotional decisions, relying on their feelings for the product.

Read the full article to get this author’s perspective on why storytelling matters in design.

Related Articles

Consistency in UI/UX builds trust and efficiency — without it, users feel lost. Learn how top brands maintain it and how AI can help.

Article by Rodolpho Henrique
Consistency in UI/UX Design: The Key to User Satisfaction
  • The article examines the role of consistency in UI/UX design for user trust and efficiency.
  • It showcases visual, functional, and interaction consistency in creating seamless experiences.
  • The piece warns about the negative effects of inconsistency, including confusion and frustration.
  • It promotes the use of AI and design systems to ensure consistency across digital platforms.
Share:Consistency in UI/UX Design: The Key to User Satisfaction
4 min read

If Mobile-First thinking has revolutionized the UX Design industry, AI-First is promising to be an even more spectacular kick in the pants.

Article by Greg Nudelman
The Rise of AI-First Products
  • The article explores how AI-powered operating systems are changing user interactions.
  • It covers AI-driven personalization, automation, and adaptive interfaces.
  • The piece discusses challenges like privacy, over-reliance on AI, and user control.
  • It highlights opportunities to design more intuitive and human-centered AI experiences.
Share:The Rise of AI-First Products
11 min read

AI is reshaping UX, and Figma may be sinking. As AI-driven systems minimize UI, traditional design roles must evolve — or risk becoming obsolete. Are you ready to adapt?

Article by Greg Nudelman
AI Is Flipping UX Upside Down: How to Keep Your UX Job, and Why Figma is a Titanic (It’s not for the Reasons You Think)
  • The article explores the fundamental shift in UX as AI-first systems minimize the role of UI, rendering traditional design tools like Figma increasingly obsolete.
  • It introduces the “Iceberg UX Model,” illustrating how modern AI-driven interfaces prioritize functionality and automation over visual design.
  • The piece argues that UX professionals must shift their focus from UI aesthetics to AI-driven user experience, emphasizing use case validation, AI model integration, and data-informed decision-making.
  • It warns that designers who remain fixated on pixel-perfect layouts risk becoming obsolete, urging them to adapt by engaging in AI-driven UX strategies.
Share:AI Is Flipping UX Upside Down: How to Keep Your UX Job, and Why Figma is a Titanic (It’s not for the Reasons You Think)
7 min read

Join the UX Magazine community!

Stay informed with exclusive content on the intersection of UX, AI agents, and agentic automation—essential reading for future-focused professionals.

Hello!

You're officially a member of the UX Magazine Community.
We're excited to have you with us!

Thank you!

To begin viewing member content, please verify your email.

Tell us about you. Enroll in the course.

    This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. Check our privacy policy and