Storytelling and visualization

Selection

Storytelling and visualization, I think are the most important tool for progressive innovation.  Storytelling help us to convey the massage and requirement of an idea, concept or product  to our stakeholders and team mates while the tool of visualization helps us to find clarity in  our design by giving us tool to arrange and link together various information and design  ideas. As an engineering student I have came across situations in which these two tools  were very much useful.

Challenge

During a project of developing an assistant bot system to help elder people. The first  challenge I faced was to explain our sponsors idea behind our project. By using the story  telling method we were able to develop an empathy among our stake holder and convince  them for need of this project. The second challenge we faced was developing a design and  laydown the whole detail plan of manufacturing and alternative method in a systematic way  that we can link our research data and design to build better prototype. For this we used  various tool of visualization such as mind mapping, graphs and even stick drawing figures.  This tool also helped us in presenting our work to stakeholders.

Application

While presenting the concept to sponsors we told a story about a person who love his old  grand parents and how even when he wants to take care of there needs he can’t due to his  work life. We emphasize on factor of loneliness of elder. The story of relatable enough for  almost everyone. The various scenarios were predicted and how our bot should reaction in  each, the tools of mind mapping helped a lot during this process.

Insight and approach

During the period of entire project, I found the visualization is an essential tool in any  problem solving not just in engineering or business but also in daily life. How visualization  tool made it easier to understand the problem and even finding solution.

The art of storytelling was a new thing for me. But as I learn and applied storytelling I was  able to appreciate the importance of it. I thing it is the most important skill that every one  should master. It not only help to convince our stakeholders about product but also increase  our own appreciation for our own work and hence somehow motive yourself to achieve  excellences.

