One Vital Lesson From Kickstarter’s Interactive Storytelling
* This Post Originally Featured on Turndog.co *
How easy it is to integrate interactive storytelling into your website? If you ask me, easy as pie, and Kickstarter are a brand who pull it off nicely. Of course, it depends how you define interactive storytelling… as Wikipedia (which let’s face it, is basically an in-depth dictionary) says:
Interactive storytelling is a form of digital entertainment in which users create or influence a dramatic storyline through actions, either by issuing commands to the story’s protagonist, or acting as a general director of events in the narrative. Interactive storytelling is a medium where the narrative, and its evolution, can be influenced in real-time by a user.
I say this is largely nonsense, because all interactive storytelling requires is for your audience to interact.Kickstarter’s amazing team page doesn’t have a magical plot that asks you to determine what happens. It merely introduces their team, but does so in an unusual (and awesome) manner.
It also entices YOU to interact, which is what interactive storytelling is all about…
IS THIS INTERACTIVE STORYTELLING?
Maybe you don’t consider this interactive storytelling. That’s fine because you can call it what you wish. But remember, all I think you need to achieve is for your audience to interact, which let’s face it is your website’s entire purpose.
If you haven’t already done so, Check Out Kickstarter’s Team Page Here.
It doesn’t work in all its glory on mobile (so if you read this on your phone, apologies) as it provides a static image that slides from left to right. But on your laptop… boy does your screen come alive.
A simple looping video maybe, but the fact these Kickstarter employees interact on screen — living life and such — entices you to stay around and explore. Be honest with me right now, didn’t you drag your mouse across so you could unearth more team members, see what tricks they had up their sleeve, and how long this scrolling madness would last.
Kickstarter have 120+ employees after all, so the potential goes on-and-on-and-on…
THIS IS INTERACTIVE STORYTELLING BECAUSE IT ENTICES YOU TO INTERACT
This Kickstarter team page is as simple as it gets. There are few words. There’s no music or voiceover or story per se. It’s a looping video that slides from left-to-right. It doesn’t even teach you a great deal about their team, because you leave unaware of who’s who, who owns a cat, and which person prefers pasta over pizza (like so many team pages focus on).
Yet I dare say you spent more time on this team page than you would with most. WHY? Because it entices you to interact with it, drag it from side-to-side, learn who does what, and ask yourself… how the hell do they do this?!?
This is the type of simple interactive storytelling I love, because it doesn’t go overboard or try whisk you on a mammoth journey (like Wikipedia suggests). It merely asks you to interact with the page, fall deeper into the brand’s story, and spend time on their site.
Which again, is the entire purpose of having a website, right?
And although it doesn’t teach you a great deal about Kickstarter and their team, at the same time it does.
This group seems like a fun bunch. A laid-back creative team that enjoys what they do. This isn’t some stuffy brand, but a forward-thinking one who likes to think outside the box. When you match this against Kickstarter’s purpose –to bring new ideas to the table and invite you to be part of their journey — it’s rather apt, don’t you think?
AN UNCOMPLICATED FORM OF INTERACTIVE STORYTELLING GOODNESS
I know what you’re thinking… Turndog, this looks complicated as hell to pull off, let alone expensive.
Come on, you should know by now I don’t want you to copy this Team Page. It isn’t about copy-catting Kickstarter and their rather complex(ish) video clip. It isn’t even about using video, for crying out loud.
It’s about interactive storytelling, and YOU interacting with YOUR customer — or more important, enticing THEM to interact with YOU.
Kickstarter achieve this, providing you reason to drag your mouse from left-to-right. What can you do to entice your own audience to interact with your website? What can you do to entice your audience to interact with you? It doesn’t require a fancy video or website skills that rock the bleeding world.
It requires you to think about what you do best, what defines you best, and what your audience wishes to see from you.
This is interactive storytelling, and the moment you invite your audience to click, drag, comment, push, slide, and whatever else (like Kickstarter do), you’re on to a winner. So… what can you do? I’d love to hear your ideas and thoughts, so be sure to get in touch with me on FACEBOOK or TWITTER. And if you have a question or three, ask them. I’m here, awaiting your conversing…
TURNDOG
* This Post Originally Featured on Turndog.co *
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