It’s 9 a.m. when we pull out of the Zebradog parking lot. My coworker turns on the radio and we start talking about where we are headed and who we are about to meet. On most days, I’m a designer, traditionally positioned in front of a computer for several hours making beautiful things out of pixels. But at ZD, a title can mean so much more. Today, being a designer means I’m on the road as a researcher, writer, and video technician.
Zebradog is a team of storytellers. Our day-to-day interactions with the world are that of learning, discovering and crafting, as we strive to find the perfect expression for each of our clients’ stories. And while some of these expressions are presented through more innovative ways–large media exhibits or creative three-dimensional architectural pieces–every once in awhile, the best expression can be as simple and sincere as a storybook.
Not long ago, I was lucky enough to be a part of the development team for Livsreise, the Norwegian Heritage Center in Stoughton, Wisconsin. Our task: to illuminate the Norwegian Emigration Movement that brought thousands of Norwegian immigrants to the US. One of the most beautiful aspects of the center is the seemingly simple Emigrant Storybooks. These digital books, filled with real stories, give voice to dozens of Norwegian-American immigrants from the late 1800s and early 1900s. And it is this exhibit that we are working on today by finding new stories to tell — that means interviewing individuals from around the Koshkonong Prairie to learn about their ancestors’ voyages.
By 9:45, we are pulling into the driveway of a small 1950s stone house set far back from the busy road. Mrs. B answers the door, already telling us her story before we’ve even unpacked the car. Our team — an interviewer, cameraman, producer, and researcher — trudge into the house and get set up as quickly as we can. With the camera in place, lights up, and microphones on, we are ready to listen. For the next hour and a half, Mrs. B shares photographs and heirlooms as tells us her family’s story from her grandfather’s life in Norway, his voyage over at 15 years old, meeting his wife and the difficulties they faced as new immigrants to a developing Wisconsin.
Mrs. B tells us her version of the events. But, as anyone who has sat with family and listened to an exchange of tales knows, a story’s facts tend to change a bit over time. While we do our best to back up the material we are given, as storytellers ourselves, we recognize that a little artistic license is sometimes a good thing!
Back at the office, I settle into my desk and take a look at the stack of finished interviews on my desk. Our team has worked through crafting these interviews into 250-word narratives. Today, the design team will be performing magic, bringing words and images together to create the living storybook. Stretching my fingers, I think of Mrs. B’s animated face as she described her tenacious relatives. I can’t help but smile as I dive into the next story.
Kathryn “Kat” Kloehn tells stories for a living as a content strategist and designer at ZEBRADOG — a company which never lets her coffee cup go dry, and where she can befriend the world’s most interesting characters.
