Research Design

Blending Narratives: The Dance of UX Research and Poetry‍

Fatimah Richmond

July 24, 2024

‍“A tiny drop of your story

brings together the people you’ve met,

the lessons learned,

the pains and pitfalls.

We share our purpose,

we share a connection,

we transform our entire perception.

Why settle for getting to know each other,

when we can cast spells on one another.”

Fatimah Attiya, “Spells & Potions” Wildflowers: A Lifetime of Longing (2023)

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Weaving Worlds with Storytelling‍

Working as both a UX researcher and poet has been a journey of fascinating interplay. Although they’re uniquely different, at their core, both disciplines require storytelling. They capture the essence of the human experience and translate it into something that others can understand.

In UX research, I embrace the words often found in ethnography, applied anthropology, symbolic interactionism and design theory. Poetry, on the other hand, offers a profound way to express the human experience. It’s a chance to explore emotions that are not easily articulated in other forms.

Poetry has long been a powerful tool for humans to encapsulate experiences and emotions in a few well-chosen words. It moves, connects and transforms perceptions. Its power is universal and enduring. In some cultures, it’s even akin to survival and the preservation of the mind.

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Edward Hopper’s 'Nighthawks' captures a moment in time, evoking a story and emotional depth, and illustrating the importance and essence of storytelling, much like in both poetry and UX.

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In my poetry book, “Wildflowers: A Lifetime of Longing”, I explore human experiences through creative writing, using metaphors and imagery to illustrate our shared experience of longing; for self, for others and for a place and time. I’m also keen on using ‘words of affirmation’, to help us navigate life's challenges and provide clarity.

These principles are equally vital in UX research, where storytelling creates connections and brings clarity to complex human interactions. I find immense joy in weaving narratives into my work and, as a result, my research findings highlight the human experience of technology.

I’ve found the poetic perspective enhances my UX research, by allowing me to view user interactions through a more empathetic and nuanced lens.

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Using Constraints to Tell Stories

Storytelling often comes with constraints, especially in a professional context. In UX research, constraints are essential in transforming raw data into actionable structured narratives.

For instance, when presenting findings to different audiences (engineers, product managers and business stakeholders) we have to get creative to ensure our narratives align with audience needs.

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Chuck Close’s portraits are detailed, realistic images that emphasize the human aspect, aligning with the empathetic approach in UX design.

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This often involves distilling complex user research into metaphors and analogies. Thankfully, data provides a well of insights to play with, as it's fraught with stories of disappointment and hope.

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How Storytelling Resolves Boundaries

The boundary between research and design is another area where storytelling plays a role in inspiring designers.

Researchers need to translate their findings into a language that designers can understand to create intuitive user interfaces (UI). They need to align on storyboards, UI flows and vision decks. By speaking the language of UX and evaluating UI, researchers can bridge the gap between data and design.

If we compare the creative freedom of poetry to the structured storytelling in UX research, we see how boundaries can be frustrating but also a door to creative solutions.

For example, you could explain the mix of content needed for tools like Google Chat, Yammer, or Slack by comparing the content to vegetables and desserts - both are delightful, just different forms of sustenance, value and enrichment.

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Yayoi Kusama’s 'Infinity Mirror Rooms' immersive installations parallel the experiences UX researchers create through storytelling and user engagement.

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Another example could be imagining a design interface as having a dialog with the user - the buttons, the colors, the tone, the language, the confirmations and the lack of acknowledgment set the tone for a dialog with the users. This approach can personify user experience in a meaningful way to move and influence stakeholders..

Personally, I love how the Latin poet Prudentius personified the human vices and virtues in Psychomachia (Battle of the Soul of Man). Prudentius illustrates an epic battle between patience, anger, lowliness and pride, empowering the reader along the way. Just like Prudentis, UX researchers use metaphors to help designers understand the dialog the user is having.

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Evoking Emotion

Evoking emotions is crucial in both poetry and UX storytelling. There are various ways we achieve this, but I often try to take a holistic approach to get a better understanding of the user experience.

Immersive methods, such as improv sessions and listening sessions, allow my research to evoke emotional reactions that go beyond traditional videos and comments.

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René Magritte’s 'The Lovers' evokes strong emotions and symbolizes deeper connections. This powerful piece by Magritte highlights the emotional impact that storytelling can achieve much like in our lives and digitally.

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I also regularly partner with other storytellers, such as customer support, marketing, product analytics and customer success teams. I find they further enrich the narrative and help me find an extra layer of empathy.

By putting ourselves in the users' shoes, we can craft stories that resonate deeply. This empathetic approach enhances my research quality and brings more user-centered design decisions.

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Creative Cognitive Workouts

Creative writing can be a very helpful cognitive workout for UX researchers.

By viewing our work through a creative lens, I’ve found we identify structures, gaps, and opportunities that might otherwise go unnoticed.

There’s a bunch of different methods for this. For example, journaling and autoethnography are great practices for reflecting on career goals, researcher well-being and morale.

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Barbara Kruger’s text-based art conveys powerful messages and could visually represent impactful storytelling in UX.

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While mid-study notes, infographics, posters, poems, podcasts and video montages can serve as effective methods for sharing insights.

Lines from my poem, "Spells & Potions", encapsulates my approach. In both UX research and poetry, each story told is a spell cast. They bring together diverse experiences, like handwritten letters to product teams. Researchers have the privilege and responsibility of delivering it.

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Fatimah Richmond is a UX Researcher with over 15 years of experience. She has led impactful research strategies at tech giants like Google, SAP, LinkedIn, and Microsoft. With a background in Applied Anthropology, Human Factors/Ergonomics, and Computer Science, Fatimah combines anthropological insight and critical theory with technical expertise currently at Google. A forward thinker, Fatimah challenges assumptions and the status quo in UX research. Fatimah lives in San Jose, California, with her husband and son. When not writing about users and researchers, she enjoys being active in the community, taking family road trips and writing poetry along the California central coast.

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Blending Narratives: The Dance of UX Research and Poetry‍

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