The Connection Between Graphic Design And Storytelling !

We humans are ‘suckers’ for good stories, to an extent that our systems are hard-wired to grasping more out of reading/hearing good stories. A good story is the one that makes all the difference in a boardroom meeting, irrespective of whether it’s an investor pitch or an educational presentation.

Over the years, people have harnessed the simplicity of storytelling and intertwined the same in business; and PowerPoint presentations stand testimony to that.

Let’s say for instance, you’re someone with a good business idea, on the lookout for investors. Instead of carrying around piles of documents bearing your blueprint, to investors; you could simply summarize your idea in the form of a PowerPoint presentation and tell your business story.

Narrating your business idea in the form of a compelling story is one way of succinctly getting your idea across to your investors. Graphic design becomes an integral part of business storytelling and it can be rightly said that designers make great storytellers!

A good design backed by the right choice of words can help create and strengthen emotional connections between you and the audience. Some of the most successful speakers in the world have effectively used storytelling as a means of garnering people support including the likes of Martin Luther King Jr. and Steve Jobs. Such is the power that storytelling bestows you with!

Here’s how you can build a compelling business story for your audience:

1. Conceptualize

Focus on the key idea that you want your audience to remember. Once you’ve done that, weave your story around it. Your key idea should be the heart of your story around which you extrapolate.

2. Structure

Build a structure for your story. Ensure that it has a

• beginning
• mid-portion
• end/conclusion

3. Simplify

Encapsulate statistical data in the form of visual aids that render storytelling easy. Use infographics, pie charts, dashboards and bar diagrams to make your story impactful!