Storytelling

“Stories, where Time meets Life”

Challenge

First of all, I would like to tell my reader that I haven’t graduated yet and my challenge will stay below a real  time job experience. However, I still consider it as a test that provides a sneak peak of what obstacles I may  endure during my development as a professional. To put you in context, I’ll tell you that I’m coursing my senior  year in graphic design at Universidad

de San Carlos de Guatemala in Honduras. During my 3rd year I encountered a course called “Outreach  Campaigns” which basically consisted in creating an adequate concept based on a study on the target and  every detail researched to develop a full campaign. Once, my professor assigned everyone to come up with a  concept for a relative organ donation campaign but it had to be subtle enough to be accepted by the audience.  This becomes a difficult situation because our Honduran society is very conservative about “touching” or  maintaining corpses as they are dead, from their immediate family (parents, sons, daughters, grandfathers)  or relatives (uncles, aunts, cousins, nieces, etc.). So, the challenge eradicated in persuading these people that  find it hard to donate their deceased loved ones’ healthy organs to people they don’t know.

The purpose of this campaign was for people to understand that even though their family was gone, they  could still help another family. But the question of how to tell them without sounding hard-heartedness grew  bigger and bigger knowing that our culture considers corpses sacred and that they need to be buried with  honor. Clearly, sending a direct message of how transplants from dead donators would save other people was  not going to be the best appeal for those who valued burying their loved one with honor more than caring for  people they don’t know.

Selection

Family relations are a very delicate subject to talk about, even the slightest details. That’s the reason why I  tried to understand how these people who lost their family felt. I always try to empathize with everyone’s  feelings in order to know how to help them. In this case, as humans, we communicate how we feel in very  different ways but at the end they always converge in stories. Because of this, I decided to use storytelling.  It´s easier for people to open up when they “show” you the impact that person had in their lives and how  losing them changed their whole perspective of how to live. Using storytelling was my way of demonstrating  them how this person that wasn´t here anymore would change someone else’s life.

Just in Week 2, I strengthened how storytelling appeals deeper than any other tool. And I quote textually:

“It has emotional connection, and it also has larger purpose.”

For this reason, I decided that storytelling was going to be useful to persuade someone to allow the organs of  their deceased relatives be donated to save someone else’s life.

Application

Storytelling became my blade to fight the wrong idea that donating a dead person’s organs was unrespectful  for them. Honestly, I had a close experience with an aunt that survived thanks to someone else’s heart

donation. Unfortunately, that person died in an accident but his heart was untouched so the doctors called  my aunt that night to tell her that she could live at least 10 more years. This couldn’t have been possible if  that person’s guardian had not allowed his organs to be donated past death. That experience taught me that  donations became the gift of time. More time to laugh with your loved one, more time to wake up every  morning to sunrays, more time to travel… more time to be alive.

I was very happy to hear that my concept was a success. People’s responses had a positive outcome because  telling my story and how someone’s death represented someone’s life showed them the greater significance  their loved one could accomplish. After death, their relatives became life and time for someone else and this  person was even more honored. And that it was all possible thanks to the ones that allowed the donation.  This showed them their little but very significant support in the whole process.  The campaign was launched  among some students at the university. That’s how I can tell that it had positive responses.

Insight

Normally, I would like to create stories of my own and write them on my journal. But the fact that I could  actually use one for a campaign and help others in a massive level convinced me of how powerful storytelling  could be. This tool and the possible uses I could give it were reinforced through this design thinking course. I  now have a very clear perspective on how my stories applied correctly to find solutions may impact positively  in others. However, I too, understand that storytelling extends wider than I thought and that I must become  careful in managing the organization of events to cause a positive response.

Approach

As I said earlier, storytelling is a very useful tool. The diversity of applications storytelling has, opens up millions  of possibilities to reach people’s motives and call them to action. It’s this specific detail that limits the freedom  we might think we have using storytelling. That’s why in this particular challenge I encountered there’s also  another approach to communicate my message. Considering that humans depend on their senses and that  sight is the strongest one that we trust, my other option in this challenge would have been visualization.  Graphic content can also contain strong conceptual messages that appeal to people’s feelings and transmit  emotions through color and forms placing them in a scenario that puts them in some kind of context.


Storytelling “ Stories , where Time meets Life ” Challenge First of all , I would like to tell my reader that I have n’t graduated yet and my challenge will stay below a real time job experience . However , I still consider it as a test that provides a sneak peak of what obstacles I may endure during my development as a professional . To put you in context , I ’ll tell you that I ’m coursing my senior year in graphic design at Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala in Honduras . During my 3rd year I encountered a course called “ Outreach Campaigns ” which basically consisted in creating an adequate concept based on a study on the target and every detail researched to develop a full campaign . Once , my professor assigned everyone to come up with a concept for a relative organ donation campaign but it had to be subtle enough to be accepted by the audience . This becomes a difficult situation because our Honduran society is very conservative about “ touching ” or maintaining corpses as they are dead , from their immediate family ( parents , sons , daughters , grandfathers ) or relatives ( uncles , aunts , cousins , nieces , etc . ) . So , the challenge eradicated in persuading these people that find it hard to donate their deceased loved ones ’ healthy organs to people they do n’t know . The purpose of this campaign was for people to understand that even though their family was gone , they could still help another family . But the question of how to tell them without sounding hard - heartedness grew bigger and bigger knowing that our culture considers corpses sacred and that they need to be buried with honor . Clearly , sending a direct message of how transplants from dead donators would save other people was not going to be the best appeal for those who valued burying their loved one with honor more than caring for people they do n’t know . Selection Family relations are a very delicate subject to talk about , even the slightest details . That ’s the reason why I tried to understand how these people who lost their family felt . I always try to empathize with everyone ’s feelings in order to know how to help them . In this case , as humans , we communicate how we feel in very different ways but at the end they always converge in stories . Because of this , I decided to use storytelling . It´s easier for people to open up when they “ show ” you the impact that person had in their lives and how losing them changed their whole perspective of how to live . Using storytelling was my way of demonstrating them how this person that wasn´t here anymore would change someone else ’s life . Just in Week 2 , I strengthened how storytelling appeals deeper than any other tool . And I quote textually : “ It has emotional connection , and it also has larger purpose . ” For this reason , I decided that storytelling was going to be useful to persuade someone to allow the organs of their deceased relatives be donated to save someone else ’s life . Application Storytelling became my blade to fight the wrong idea that donating a dead person ’s organs was unrespectful for them . Honestly , I had a close experience with an aunt that survived thanks to someone else ’s heart donation . Unfortunately , that person died in an accident but his heart was untouched so the doctors called my aunt that night to tell her that she could live at least 10 more years . This could n’t have been possible if that person ’s guardian had not allowed his organs to be donated past death . That experience taught me that donations became the gift of time . More time to laugh with your loved one , more time to wake up every morning to sunrays , more time to travel … more time to be alive . I was very happy to hear that my concept was a success . People ’s responses had a positive outcome because telling my story and how someone ’s death represented someone ’s life showed them the greater significance their loved one could accomplish . After death , their relatives became life and time for someone else and this person was even more honored . And that it was all possible thanks to the ones that allowed the donation . This showed them their little but very significant support in the whole process . The campaign was launched among some students at the university . That ’s how I can tell that it had positive responses . Insight Normally , I would like to create stories of my own and write them on my journal . But the fact that I could actually use one for a campaign and help others in a massive level convinced me of how powerful storytelling could be . This tool and the possible uses I could give it were reinforced through this design thinking course . I now have a very clear perspective on how my stories applied correctly to find solutions may impact positively in others . However , I too , understand that storytelling extends wider than I thought and that I must become careful in managing the organization of events to cause a positive response . Approach As I said earlier , storytelling is a very useful tool . The diversity of applications storytelling has , opens up millions of possibilities to reach people ’s motives and call them to action . It ’s this specific detail that limits the freedom we might think we have using storytelling . That ’s why in this particular challenge I encountered there ’s also another approach to communicate my message . Considering that humans depend on their senses and that sight is the strongest one that we trust , my other option in this challenge would have been visualization . Graphic content can also contain strong conceptual messages that appeal to people ’s feelings and transmit emotions through color and forms placing them in a scenario that puts them in some kind of context .