Total 521 words used.
America loses $550B annually because 2 out of 3 workers are disengaged. In 2023 Surgeon General Dr Vivek Murthy called America to be in a “loneliness epidemic”, citing that 40% Americans felt isolated. And yet, most user interface designs are focused on a single user and their task which we believe further isolates the user and us as a society.
At Stories & Wisdom we enable inclusive cultures of connection as customized online experiences for our clients.
We wanted to design an experience where we could use technology to enable better group relationships, moving from human-computer interactions to more human-human interactions. And experience where teams could have a structured, deep conversation together with organic flexibility that could morph to accommodate team, cultural and social patterns, and allow for social gestures and motivational intents.
Using neuroscientific methods, using the design pillars of Storytelling, Gamification, and Social Learning, we introduced a synchronous multi-player digital card-game named “STORIES”. Key features include:
- White prompt cards for discussions.
- Black story cards to deepen engagement.
- Allyship icons to foster empathetic reactions.
STORIES is highly customized to each of our client’s values, strategies and priorities and created as an online social environment where every individual's unique perspective are not only valued but celebrated. The discussion often puts individuals in a vulnerable state of sharing, which is balanced as an experience design where other players are encouraged to use allyship icons to react with their emotions forming an empathetic bond. The 4 types of reactions are possible: “Pausing to reflect”, “Learnt something new”, “I’m with you”, and “Inspired to Act”. This user experience design provides a support-system to the storyteller often increasing psychological safety in the group.
From the development phase to implementation, our digital platform adhered to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 AA standards, ensuring that every team member, including our vision-impaired colleague, could actively participate. We had a client member who used a JAWS (Braille) keyboard who loved this feature, while our real-time transcription allowed people with ESL and/or hearing issues to collaborate. Our color choices also were highlighted by people with color blindness, stating that our inclusive design helped them collaborate better.
Participants lauded the event for its ability to foster trust, facilitate genuine connections, and capture emotions in a safe and supportive environment. As a result, our immersive storytelling approach yielded tangible outcomes: enhanced empathy, strengthened team bonds, and clarified roles and responsibilities.
The overall experience received a 9/10 customer rating, with 91.7% of participants acknowledging successful achievement of intended learning objectives. Stakeholders recognized the game’s potential for broader applications, expressing enthusiasm for potential scaling and AI integration. Follow-ups with the client are underway for a broader roll-out.
In 2023, Stories won Training Magazine’s Top award for “Overall use of Gamification for adult learning”; and in 2024, Platinum AVA Digital Awards for Web Learning.
Nomination Title: Human 2 Human Interface Design for enabling a culture of connection.
