The Design of Extraordinary Worlds
How good design intersects with worldbuilding and genre
The new “in” thing is the aesthetic. Dark academia titillates some. The studious Lofi Girl sitting at her desk has her own aesthetic. And YouTube seems to have cottoned to the fact that I like witches relaxing in cozy environs.
“Here’s three hours of royalty-free music paired with a poorly animated woman wearing pajamas and a pointy witch’s hat.”
— YouTube algorithm
There’s even a market for cozy witch mysteries. Ready to take it on and make it your own? Shouldn’t be tough. You know a little about witchcraft. You know what it’s like to live in these modern times. And you’ve always loved a good mystery. It’s like mixing a potion.
- A bit of mystery.🩸
- Add a splash of witchery. 🧹
- Mix it all into an urban setting. 🌆
- *poof*
- It all ends in a puff of smoke ☁ and a little bit of fire. 🔥
Should you try a bit of worldbuilding? Or is that overkill?
The Design of Everyday Things
Creating a world for character to inhabit is a bit like designing a product. Some products are known and just need jazz hands to make them interesting. Other products are new to the world and would be endlessly fascinating if anyone could fathom what they do.
“Swipe the screen? I’ve never swiped anything in my life.”
— My dad
A classic book found in the designer’s library is Donald A. Norman’s, The Design of Everyday Things. Relevant story — he wanted to name the book The Psychology of Everyday Things since the acronym would be POET. But the book would have been shelved as psychology. Designers would have never found his book.
His editor argued that he should change the name and he took a page from his own book. He changed the title to match his user’s needs. He was experiencing the importance of genre as a design decision.
When authors write novels they tend to think of worldbuilding as a task for writers of epic fantasy or space opera. But worldbuilding is part of a spectrum of aesthetic choices every author deals with.
- Tone. An emotional resonance that permeates the story.
- Voice. Characteristics of the author and narrator’s speech.
- Genre. Cultural conventions the reader brings to the story.
- Milieu. Story elements developed by the author.
What ties these factors together? They’re all design choices that an author makes when developing a story. Call it genre or call it milieu — it’s all part of the same outfit.
The author of our cozy witch mystery, for example, must bring together genre conventions from mystery together with a modern milieu that contains witchcraft and possibly werewolves. All without violating a comfy, cozy tone and snarky voice.
Constraints and Affordances, Oh My!
A book is an object like any other. When someone picks up an object they may come to it with a mental model already in place. Let’s say you hand them a teapot. They know not to cup their hands around the bottom because it will be hot. They grab the handle.
The handle is what is called a physical affordance. An affordance is a relationship between a person and their environment, or in this case an object within that environment. It allows someone to engage in a goal directed behavior.
The handle is also a constraint. The size of the handle probably won’t allow someone to slip more than a few fingers inside. Too small to grab with two hands. The spout is likely too small to easily pour water into, but great for pouring water out.
If the teapot whistles, that is feedback which tells the user the water is ready for tea. I’ll take a cup of Harney and Sons Hot Cinnamon Spice in my favorite Moomin mug, thank you!
These same ideas can be adopted when designing a setting or milieu that accounts for the reader’s perspective.
- Mental Model. The conceptual model of an object (or environment) in a user’s mind. The model might be correct, only partially right, or completely wrong.
- Affordance. Interactions between user and environment that allow for goal-directed behavior. The presence of a witch in the story affords magic.
- Constraint. Interactions between user and environment that limit behavior. A magic wand might constrain magic so it can only be used with a wand in hand.
- Feedback. How an object shows mental models are correct and that goals are being achieved. A witch starts an incantation telling us that a spell is being cast. The tiny spark and yelp of pain shows it fizzled.
Which Witch Will it Be?
Above all else an author must respect the reader’s mental model. When the book goes to print, the author can’t stand next to each reader and explain things.
“No, no, no. You don’t understand. She can’t just use any broom to fly. That’s why she doesn’t just raid the utility closet. She needs a witch’s broom blessed in a sacred rite during a blood moon.”
— The Author Who Underwrote
A reader comes with conventions preinstalled. These are cultural constraints. An older audience might think of witches as menacing or even taboo. For example, my grandmother thought Ouija boards were satanic and chased my brother and I around the house with a giant wooden spoon when she found us playing with one. Japanese readers will likely expect their witches to be cute thanks to Eiko Kadono and Kiki.
Semantic constraints are also important. A reader might expect a green potion to be useful and a red potion to be a curse.
Let’s say your witch can fly on a broom. That comes with affordances that your readers will love to imagine. She can get across town during rush hour, no probs! But there will also be physical constraints to flying on a broom rather than flying on a dragon, let’s say.
“Two hands on the broom at all times, young lady! Put that cell phone away.
— Mother Witch
If your witch has a familiar, what sort of constraints and affordances apply there? Can a familiar be something other than a cat? Does it talk? Do they have magic? Maybe it can talk but chooses not to interact with an inferior species like non-magical humans. Whatever you choose will lead to logical constraints later in the story. Couldn’t the familiar have sneaked out the window and gone for help?
Throughout the story, make sure to include feedback that reinforces or corrects the readers’ mental models. If the witch is trying to keep the existence of witches secret, have her carefully look around for observers before casting a spell. If witches are well known in this modern world, show her flying her broom down a bike/broom lane, ringing a little bell, yelling. “Make way! Witch’s business!”
Readers love affordances and constraints and they will gravitate to genres expressly for those features. What was it like to travel to another continent when boat travel took months? What would it be like to ride a dragon in aerial combat?
But readers also love discovering new ideas and imagining what affordances and constraints come with those new ideas. As long as they’re not left in The Gulf of Execution with an incorrect mental model.
And don’t think that contemporary fiction doesn’t need any kind of worldbuilding. Every story contains specific affordances and constraints. For example, authors today have to consider lots of questions that impact the story. Do I give my characters cell phones? Is the world in lockdown due to the pandemic? Do I mention politics, environmental issues, or the metaverse?
Every story creates a mental model in the reader’s working memory. Like any designer of real-world objects, you have to work hard to create a world that feels extraordinary.
