As dorky as it sounds, I got really into magic tricks as a kid. I still remember the times when I would go to the local magic store, there were so many tricks, so much mystery in that tiny shop. From the ages of 7 to 15 you would always find me with a pack of cards in my pocket, asking anyone I saw if they would like to see a magic trick. I’m a little older now, but still have kept my collection of magic tricks. My 10-year-old son has found my suitcase filled with tricks, and now he is getting into magic.
Recently I came home from work and my son showed me his latest card trick. He told me that he had been working on it all week. The trick, though short, was executed wonderfully. There was only one problem: there was no story to it, no engagement, no drawing me in, keeping me at the edge of my seat. That’s when I started to explain to him how showmanship worked and how important it is to bring people along on your story.
There was an epiphany in there for me. As designers, sometimes we spend all of our time on the technical aspects of our work… the perfect colors, how to reduce radial gradient banding, getting that comp just right, but along the way, the story and the mystery gets lost. We can all appreciate the technically beautiful things. But it’s the story, getting people to share in a journey, which brings things to life. Where is the story in what you made?