In the world of animated cinema, Pixar has established itself as an undisputed master of storytelling. Through captivating and moving films, the studio uses well-defined narrative structures, deep characters and universal themes to appeal to audiences of all ages. This know-how isn't limited to the big screen: the principles that make Pixar films so memorable can also be applied to the realm of design and user experience (UX).
This article explores the parallels between Pixar's narrative rules and the fundamental principles of Product/UX design. By examining these rules, we discover how clear structure, well-developed characters, universal stories and emotion can transform not only films, but also digital products into unforgettable experiences.
Rule #1: Adopt a clear structure
Pixar uses a well-defined narrative structure that guides the story from start to finish. You follow the hero's adventure and adventures without asking too many questions, which makes the story accessible to everyone, young and old. Finally, you watch Pixar films as a family where everyone gets something to enjoy with adult jokes nestled within children's animation. It is not a coincidence…
Likewise, in UX/Product design, a clear structure is essential and guides the user's choices.
Users must instinctively understand how to navigate and interact with the product. A good structure helps create a smooth user journey, where each interaction makes sense and leads to the next one in a logical way. If you want to push it further, it is even more interesting to rely on Marketing storytelling in the flow of your product, so that the brand is reinforced in the user's psyche as it progresses. measurement of their use of your product.
Application: dask your users to talk about your product in a fluent way: they must be able to tell you about it without too much problem, because itAs Albert Einstein said, “If you can't explain something to a 6-year-old child, it's because you don't know enough about your subject.”
In other words, make sure your product is simple and well-designed, so your users can talk about it easily. To help you, itconsider that they are 6 years old (but not too much… 😉
A well-made product is one that you don't need to sell and that can be recommended by someone close to you.
Rule #2: The characters at the heart of the story
At Pixar, characters are developed in such a way that the audience becomes deeply attached to them. They touch us by evoking emotions that we feel, but that we do not necessarily express. They are authentic in such a way that we can identify with them and their adventures; This is what makes us dress up as TV characters. Whether it's a Pixar or something else, we want these to be part of our identity and to remind us of what we want to be or become.
In Product/UX Design, our “characters” are our users. It is crucial to fully understand their needs, motivations and pains. By using personas and user stories, we can design experiences that resonate with users in a personal and meaningful way.
An app is an extension that you touch with your fingertip on your phone or iPad mini (a nod to Apple Fanboys)!
You must therefore be able to identify with the products you use in order to be loyal to them. These are the little details, the little touches of the product that make the user say “Great, they EVEN thought of that!” ". Emotionally, this translates to “THEY REALLY KNOW ME!” » which leads to the desire to remain faithful to this product which really knows us and which serves us even in the most improbable scenarios.
A product is not just a set of interfaces in the ethos of an app store, it is an opportunity to make someone's life easier and arouse emotion for a few seconds during an interaction.
Rule #3: Tell a universal story
Pixar stories reach global audiences by exploring universal themes like love, loss and personal growth.
We must also aim to create universal experiences. This means designing for accessibility, taking into account diverse abilities and contexts of use, so that our products are inclusive and usable by as many people as possible.
Rule #4: The importance of emotion
Pixar knows how to play with emotions to create a deep connection with the audience. This ability to play with emotions is one of the secrets of their global success. As previously stated, Pixar addresses universal themes and this allows it to reach a wide audience. For example in The world of Nemo, Marlin's quest to find his son touches viewers as it speaks to parental love and the challenges of separation.
In the same way, Product/UX Design must arouse emotions in the user with well-thought-out colors, divisive typographies and micro-interactions which arouse what we call in experience marketing "the stage of fascination”.
We identify the emotions of our users through shadowing and user research by identifying points of frustration, pleasure and enthusiasm, and then strategically placing them. A mini-interaction functions as a mini-journey in the user's interaction with the product, taking it out of its infinite scroll to experience a surprise. We also find this mechanism of self-investment for emotional reward in the book Hooked by Nir Eyal who says that “the mind takes shortcuts influenced by our environment to make quick and sometimes erroneous judgments.”
Application: micro-interactions, colors, typography make up the environment of your product. Master the emotions that revolve around it, and you will provide a memorable experience for your users 😉
Conclusion
Adopting Pixar's storytelling rules in UX/Product design allows you to create user experiences that are not only functional. A clear structure facilitates navigation and interaction, while deep understanding of users, through well-defined personas, allows designing products that meet their needs and aspirations. By putting characters at the heart of the story and arousing emotions, designers can create universal and memorable products.
Find part 2 by clicking here 😉
Osama Berrahal, Product/UX Designer at UX-Republic
