Story vs Narrative? And Why It Matters to Product Managers and Designers

Story vs Narrative.

This one distinction is the basis of narrative strategy, an emerging discourse embraced by heads of product in Silicon Valley and anyone who needs to sell a disruptive future.

Here’s why —

Story, in its simplest form, is about a character and the things that happen to them.

Story, in its simplest form, is about a character and the things that happen to them. As author Michael Lewis defines it, “a story is — people and situations.”

A story has a beginning, middle, and end. Where we explore the desire, dilemmas, and choices that a character faces. Think of a story as an anecdote or vignette that recounts specific moments, with a time and place. It provides us with entertainment, insight, or even a lesson on life. It creates a shared emotional experience that can bond us together. A customer story. A “values in action” story. A new employee on-boarding story.

Therein lies the challenge — in business, we are swimming in a sea of stories.

Everybody has a story. From the boardroom to social media. Infinite stories. Billions and trillions of stories. Where every story matters. In such an environment how can you make sense and meaning of things, much less get everyone aligned around a shared common story? That’s the role and power of narrative. Defining the frame.