Architects and interior designers have long engaged with the principles of ‘emotional design’ and using the fundamentals of storytelling – empathy, emotion, character and context – to enhance the quality and perception of their designs. While the physical entity of a space, its built form and interior design, is of course critical to the success of a project, the emotional and psychological influences inherent in design are also key.  Emotional design seeks to value and nurture the human need to be comforted and inspired and emotionally connected to something outside ourselves. And storytelling does the same. Like good design, it’s a vehicle for deeply satisfying fulfillment. 

 

So given their appreciation for emotional design, why do interior designers and architects often undervalue the opportunity for using storytelling and well-crafted, emotional narratives in their marketing efforts? 

 

Blog posts, brand stories, personal bios, project case studies, email marketing and company newsletters all benefit from storytelling’s many strengths. Something that goes beyond the functional and technical and obvious. Something instead that sparks an audience – and your potential next client – by speaking to their hopes and needs and desires and dreams. Professional design is aspirational but it also needs to relate to real people.

Certainly design firms often use professional photographs to be visually compelling. But in its silence, photography misses out on so much that should be said to stir empathy and engagement, loyalty and lasting love. And the endless stream of beautifully curated photographs – gorgeous one and all – have no emotional hook to catch more than just your cursory attention. 

 

If you want to stand out and differentiate yourself and your brand while connecting with your audience on a deeper level, the persuasive guidance and sticky goodness of language and human stories create a powerful web of emotional wonder and intellectual intrigue. All the research shows, stories stick in the head and speak to the heart – and drive positive brand awareness. And while AI can help facilitate writing, the challenge of speaking with authority and empathy and true passion about a project requires a sensitivity to the heart as much as to compelling details and a narrative arc. It needs to be centered in the truth of your brand, rather than generic text that could be equally applied to any other firm’s design project.  

Your exceptional projects deserve exceptional stories to serve as a bridge to a huge audience wanting to know more, hoping to feel more.  Now, with platforms such as Bowerbird, there is even greater opportunity to connect your brand-generated stories with a global audience. Founded by an architect and design journalist in 2014, Bowerbird is an online platform facilitating the publication of architectural and design projects across a wide array of publications.  Firms can also create their own broadly-appealing platforms through newsletters, email marketing and social media outreach. Stories should be at the center of that appeal. Good stories, colorful and compelling, and tailored for your audience. 

 

Having written for designers and creatives of all kinds, here are 10 tips for sharpening your marketing messages through effective storytelling and strategic use of narrative writing – 

 

Be intentional –

Confidence is compelling. Don’t hesitate to write something meaningful and don’t be shy in expressing a personal point of view. Stand out stories – whatever their length, style or purpose – do best with a strong leader who embraces the opportunity to connect with an audience through language. Approach every messaging opportunity with intent and care. It will prove your distinction and discernment and build a more meaningful connection with an audience.

 

Think about your audience –

Good writing and effective marketing keeps the interests of an audience paramount. Think about their desire to be informed and inspired and spoken to in a relatable manner.  Interior designers and architects, whose work presents such a sharp, evocative visual display should be mindful of the emotional experience of design and how that builds a vibrant connection with an audience.  Design is rich with stories with a human touch – houses and rooms are at the center of every life. Storytelling builds a hearth in the heart of a reader and that energy lives on after the story is done. Think about what will fire up your audience and clients. 

 

Look for a hook, something unexpected –

Stories told from an unexpected angle, something that grabs attention and stirs intrigue, have the chance to dig deeper into your audience’s emotional and memory sensors.  Think of a great movie opening – suddenly something vital and unexpected happens and we’re hooked, and pulled along wherever the story goes. There’s a torrent of information being posted and proffered each minute, so it’s critical to tell an audience something they didn’t expect to hear in a way that truly moves them. Originality is memorable. It breaks through. 

 

Include your own personal story and emotional connection –

From my experience in working with creatives, artistry is about inner stillness and humility, professionalism and privacy, and is at the opposite end from all the razzmatazz that’s thought to be required for building a personal brand. Artists, including designers and architects, often think the work should speak for itself.  Certainly, humility is honorable but hiding your personal story and viewpoint does disservice to your audience. Designers are visionaries and thought leaders and people everywhere want to gain from their experience and creative vision. Effective personal stories and bios open up a subject with meaningful insights and purposeful messaging. Differentiate yourself with thoughtful intent. 

 

Value your client’s journey –

Every successful design project starts with a client who chose to trust your firm to realize their hopes and dreams and demands. By valuing and giving voice to your client’s journey – from initial contact through to completion – you can create a compelling human-centered narrative arc that your audience will emotionally relate to. Design makeover shows make effective use of this narrative structure, allowing the “reveal” moment to have real emotional impact. Whether it’s your clients personal journey or your own design process, make your messaging an act of discovery. That’s what pulls people in.

 

Nurture authenticity –

One of the values of using storytelling in marketing, particularly for designers, is the opportunity to get beyond the perfect and polished, showing more of what a firm or personal brand is all about at its creative core. In our age of AI and digital trickery, people, including clients, look for signals of empathy and honesty which leads to greater trust. Audiences crave the feeling that they know something real and true in this chaotic world – about a person, a company, a brand. Effective storytelling weaves authenticity into the message in a pure way, without jargon or sales hype. But keep in mind that authenticity is a place of shared trust and should be approached with genuine care for the truth.

 

Consider the backstories of specific design details –

Origin stories are fascinating because they provide insights into something beyond what is superficially apparent and show your depth of care in attending to all of your project’s details. Besides, audiences are curious to know more. For designers and architects, there are so many elements of a project that could be given fuller due – from the history of a site location, the source of specific material or the story behind design features. Digging into details in an evocative way brings any story alive. 

 

Spark the senses –

Sensory awareness is keenly influenced by space and design. Storytelling also benefits from an appeal to the senses, creating more touchpoints and stickiness to ensure a message stays with a reader. Everyone is moved by sensory stimulants and they serve as a supple conduit to our memory. Since design is structured and crafted to appeal to the senses through light, form, material, color, texture and mood,  the stories and messaging illuminating design projects have lots of opportunities to spark the senses. Make your messaging a holistic experience which envelops the reader. 

 

Have at least one pivotal moment –

Pivotal moments are crucial turning points in a narrative and often reveal something vital and intriguing about why a specific choice was made or direction taken. They build drama and emotion. An unexpected challenge, a design epiphany, a change of direction, a breakthrough and revelation – all sharpen a narrative and give it force.  People respond to stories about overcoming obstacles and achieving greater clarity. Speak meaningfully about how you broke through and what you discovered on the other side. What was key and why.

 

Harness the power of transformation –

Designers are in the transformation business in the most fundamental and beautiful way. Often starting with nothing but basic materials, smart ideas and much imagination, designers create form and substance and beauty. The results of a design project always deserve central focus but the journey of transformation is a powerful force to harness in your marketing and messaging.  Transformative stories inspire hope and optimism, recognizing how challenges can lead to enriching change.  Share the message that design is a mission and act of good, that it results in something better, enhancing the lives of those who experience its essence. 

 

Architects and interior designers should embrace narratives and storytelling in their marketing and online presence.  Stories of all kinds and lengths stick in the head and hearts of your audience.  They build empathy and trust and engagement. Design is a human-centered experience. The stories flowing from its creative energy deserve to speak to and inspire all the humans eager to fall in love with design and the people who make it powerful.  

  

What stories do you have to tell?

Barry Dumka

BCreative Consulting