mobile-navigation

Great storytelling isn’t just about what you say—it’s about how you structure it. Whether you’re pitching an idea, inspiring a team, or sharing your own journey, the right framework can turn your message from forgettable to unforgettable. Here are seven powerful storytelling approaches you can use to connect, persuade, and inspire.

1. The Hero’s Journey

Perfect for personal stories or transformations, this classic arc works because people don’t just connect with outcomes—they connect with the struggles, growth, and triumphs along the way.

2. Problem–Agitate–Solution (PAS)

Ideal for coaching or persuasion, PAS highlights a problem, amplifies the pain it causes, and then offers relief. The emotional weight keeps your audience hooked until they see the solution.

3. Before–After–Bridge

A quick, effective way to show contrast. Start with the “before,” paint the picture of a better “after,” then build the bridge that connects the two. People move when they see hope for a better future.

4. The 3-Act Structure

Borrowed from theatre and film, this approach is brilliant for interviews, talks, or meetings. It keeps things simple—set the scene, build the conflict, deliver the resolution—ensuring people stay engaged from start to finish.

5. The “You–We–I” Approach

Designed for leadership and communication, this flips the script. You begin with empathy (you), then build a shared vision (we), before adding your role or expertise (I). It builds trust faster than ego-led messages.

6. The Mountain Framework

When a story is complex, this framework creates momentum by layering challenges. Each “climb” builds tension until the peak, making the eventual resolution even more impactful.

✅ Whether you’re writing a pitch, delivering a keynote, or designing a brand story, these frameworks give you a structure that works. Choose the one that best fits your context—and let the story do the heavy lifting.

After being introduced to the Kick.com app through EasyGo by Mickey Rummery , a recruiter you truely want representing you in the UX UI filed, I was inspired to explore how the mobile experience could evolve in this app. The app in its current state looked like an exact clone of the Twitch App.

This video showcases a conceptual redesign of the Kick mobile app – built from the ground up using my personal Figma Design System, DSONE, which reflects over a decade of UX and UI expertise. I thought this would also be a fantastic way of us raising a flag to the employer and saying LOOK AT ME, this is what I can do for you.

🧠 This is not a critique of the existing app but a creative exploration into how design choices can support better usability, engagement, and personalisation.

✅ Key Design Upgrades Highlighted in This Video:

👁️ User Visibility:
Improved layout hierarchy and clearer UI affordances to help users easily identify primary actions and key content.

🔎 Cognitive Focus:
Reduced visual clutter and optimised spacing to allow users to focus on one core action or content piece at a time.

📐 Information Architecture:
Reorganised key screens to align with mental models and user flows for improved navigation and clarity.

🔦 Information Spotlighting:
Introduced stronger visual contrast and emphasis to surface the most important info at the right time.

💁‍♂️ User Personalisation:
Explored how the UI can adapt more naturally to different user behaviours, creating a more engaging and tailored experience.

I enjoyed developing this project and bringing in more components into the DS ONE Design system from my learnings in this project.

I do wish the KICK Team the best of luck and happy to help them with their future endeavours if the need arises.

Hotjar is a powerful user behaviour analytics tool that offers free and paid plans.

Here are five main advantages of the paid version over the free version:

1. Increased Data Collection Limits

2. Advanced Heat maps & Recordings

3. Deeper Survey & Feedback Features

4. Team Collaboration & Integrations

5. Enhanced Data Retention & Analysis

 

The SMART framework is a goal-setting method that ensures objectives are clear and achievable. It stands for:

  1. Specific – Clearly define what you want to accomplish. Be precise about the goal.
  2. Measurable – Set criteria to track progress and determine when the goal is achieved.
  3. Achievable – Ensure the goal is realistic and attainable within your resources and constraints.
  4. Relevant – Align the goal with broader objectives, making sure it matters to you or your organization.
  5. Time-bound – Set a deadline to create urgency and maintain focus.

For example, instead of saying “Improve UX skills,” a SMART goal would be:
“Complete an advanced UX course within three months and apply the concepts to two real-world projects.”

 

Hick’s Law

Hick’s Law states that the time it takes to make a decision increases with the number and complexity of choices. This principle highlights the importance of breaking down complex tasks into smaller, more manageable chunks to reduce cognitive load and decision-making time.

How Hick’s Law Supports Steppers

Supporting Example

For instance, in a multi-step checkout process, a stepper can guide users through stages like:

  1. Cart Review
  2. Shipping Information
  3. Payment Details
  4. Confirmation

This structure helps users make decisions more confidently without feeling overwhelmed, directly aligning with Hick’s Law.

 

 

  1. Hick’s Law: The time it takes to make a decision increases with the number and complexity of choices available, so simplifying options enhances usability.
  2. Fitts’ Law: The time required to move to a target is a function of the target size and distance, meaning larger and closer targets are easier and faster to hit.
  3. Miller’s Law: The average person can hold 7±2 items in their working memory, suggesting that design should avoid overloading users with too much information at once.
  4. Jackson’s Law: The time and effort required to perform a task are directly proportional to the complexity of the system, advocating for simpler systems to enhance efficiency.
  5. Aesthetic Usability Effect: Users perceive more aesthetically pleasing designs as easier to use, even if the functionality is unchanged.
  6. Pareto Principle: Also known as the 80/20 rule, it suggests that 80% of effects come from 20% of causes, encouraging focus on the most impactful areas.
  7. Law of Proximity: Elements that are close to each other are perceived as being more related than elements that are spaced farther apart, aiding in visual organization.
  8. Tesler’s Law: Also known as the law of conservation of complexity, it states that for any system, there is a certain amount of complexity that cannot be reduced, and it should be managed thoughtfully.
  9. Zeigarnik Effect: People remember uncompleted or interrupted tasks better than completed ones, highlighting the importance of maintaining user engagement.
  10. Peak-End Rule: People judge an experience based on how they felt at its peak (most intense point) and at its end, rather than the total experience, emphasizing the importance of creating strong and positive final impressions.

These laws guide UX designers in creating experiences that are intuitive, efficient, and emotionally satisfying.