#btconf Berlin, Germany 02 - 04 Nov 2015

Steph Troeth

Steph is a user experience researcher and designer. In over 15 years of working on the web, she has worn many hats, including a product lead for a tech startup in publishing, and a studio director at a digital agency. More recently, she spearheaded international audience research with MailChimp as an independent consultant. Well-travelled and living on her fourth continent, Steph is also a hopeless BBC World Service radio addict, aspiring literary novelist, once-a-musician, occasional silversmith, serendipitous gardener and slow food aficionada.

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The Hidden Plot Device

“Storytelling" appears to be a magic word when it comes to creating user experience—we use it to evoke design ideals, to summon the creative spirit, or to cry out for a narrative link across the complex world of devices and short attention span. But is this all there is?

Unconvinced that storytelling could be so superficial, Steph spent a few years learning from the art of making documentaries, crime fiction, novels and the shortest of stories. As she uncovered the parallels in the making of stories and the research/design processes of UX, she began to formulate a framework where these two worlds meet, unearthing a different angle on what do in order to take our skills to greater heights.

In this session, Steph will show how understanding the essence and practice of story opens a world of possibilities and adds another dimension to your UX toolset. Better still, it’s less of a mystery than what you might think.

Speakers