Joy as the original UX design The optimization hangover Rethinking the brief: from hook to lift Joy as compass Choose joy in the design process The strategic imperative of joy
The case for joy. Rebellion in soft clothing Urgency is brittle. Joy is renewable. What joy as strategy actually looks like 1. Designing for emotional lift 2. Surprise and delight as brand currency Joy as KPI Did it spark delight? If so, it deserves to ship. Micro-case studies (Joy in the wild) Marimekko’s 2025 collaborations…
Opening scene: Everyone’s a sleuth now Act I: Mystery is engagement, not murder Act II: Layered worlds instead of single stories Mini case reference: Amos Rex x teamLab: Massless (2025) Act III: Your audience is the detective Act IV: Build characters, not just content Act V: Don’t just deliver content. Create a case Closing line
Act I: The mistake of all action, no change Act II: The difference between what happens and why it matters Plot arc Character arc External events Internal evolution What happens What it means Linear Fragmented or circular Transactional Transformational Focus on doing Focus on becoming What we plan What we feel Act III: You are…
Myth used to mean something The flatlands of Brandland Think like a myth maker, even in a funnel The North remembers. Nordic brands channeling myth Write a myth, sell the shift The Gods are not gone. They’ve been rebranded
The power of darkness in narrative Contrast, the memory mechanism of story Case studies. Brands that let the shadow in & Other Stories Allbirds. The end is just the beginning Selvyt How to weave tension without tearing the aesthetic The gentle confrontation. Add emotional honesty to your soft brand The quiet descent. Build tension through…
Welcome to the apocalypse (It’s branded) What makes story move people? (Literally and metaphorically) Anatomy of a story-driven behavior trigger Story element Marketing parallel Clear stakes (zombies) Problem agitation: what happens if they do nothing? Progress tracking (5K prep) Milestone mapping: visible transformation Sound design, audio characters Immersive brand voice: make it feel like a…
You thought this would be linear, didn’t you? The small reflect the whole Once upon a glitch in the algorithm And then…? Choose your re-entry We end where we didn’t begin
The shape of meaning The arc at work So why do they still work? But isn’t that… predictable? The arc in your brand An arc is an ancient compass Want to try this?
What is an arc? Let’s get literal for a second Arcs in the wild. Real examples across media Why brands should use arcs (even in micro-moments) The arc is how we move an idea through resistance. Without resistance, there is no shape. Without shape, there’s no story. What an arc is not What happens when…