Stories need frameworks
I’d like to talk about our most expansive one. A super framework consisting of the Internet and the Cloud. It’s a beautiful thing. This super framework provides a stage for something magnanimous. Something colossal. Something universal. Something elemental to the human condition: storytelling. It’s a framework for our individual stories, our collaborative stories, our fabricated, truthful, and embellished stories. A framework for the story of the human race, for it allows us to tell our stories democratically and globally.
As an alum of an organization whose very mission is telling stories, what I loved most about working at NPR was the people. We created some great stories together. I’m no longer there everyday to create new stories based on physical experiences, but via our super framework, I am able to maintain a sense of connection with my NPR friends via their virtual stories. Through his Instagram phototstream, I know that NPR’s multimedia director Keith Jenkins loves to grill steak. I know that he was in rainy Syracuse last week for a workshop. I know that Aly Hurt, one of NPR’s talented editorial designers, loves music and goes to DC’s 9:30 Club a lot. I know what she made for breakfast yesterday morning. And I can follow another NPR alum, Paulo, as he scouts out beautiful vintage cars on the hills of San Francisco, watching his little boy grow from a baby into a boy.
Digital storytelling in this way allows us to read each other’s minds in a sense, and closes the distance between us. It allows us to continue to share our stories with each other, to partake in each other’s experiences, to remain a part of our friends lives despite vast distances. Virtual experiences are no substitute for physical ones, but they’re better than nothing. To the contrary, they’re the threads on this amazing framework that help prevent our friendships from completely unraveling. Gossamer threads. Shimmering, sparkling, expressive gossamer threads. Floating in the ether, gently carrying our individual stories, democratically weaving them together into a collective whole. I can’t think of designing for anything more meaningful.
Written by Callie Neylan
From the shameless plug department -
Join NPR staff photographer and recent Emmy winner John Poole at DUXcamp and find out about the challenges of making audio storytelling visually compelling!
“Right now, publishers are trying to transition to the mobile web in a number of ways…building traditional web sites, mobile sites and native APPs tied to a specific device for a specific operating system…..How do we keep up with the ever-growing number of mobile devices and capabilities of operating systems? How can we shift with the market and/or respond to the needs of our users faster? How can we get a handle on the sheer volume of work on our web devs and digital designers?”
- Miranda Mulligan, Digital Design Director - BostonGlobe.com
Miranda just unveiled the new, responsively designed BostonGlobe.com. Join her at DUXcamp and together we’ll explore other new ways to report, design, and tell our stories!
Charles Darwin did this, slowly and painfully, and so can you.
Every day we walk through the world. We look around. We think we see what’s going on, but it is hard to remember how routinized we are as we look, how we automatically see things from our accustomed angle, never thinking of alternate possibilities.
I mean, who goes to Mount Rushmore and thinks about this? - Robert Krulwich, Radiolab
Ever wonder what it takes to create the unique, multi-platform storytelling that is Radiolab? So did we which is why we invited Robert Krulwich to DUXcamp!
Come hear what Robert has to say about the creative process; how it works when things go right, and how it can get even better when things go wrong. See you at DUXcamp!
DUXcamp sponsorship opportunities
As DUXcamp nears, many of our partners and attendees have inquired about sponsorship opportunities. Yes! Of course, we would love to hear from you. DUXcamp has been a tremendous undertaking and, though the event is free to all attendees, we’re hoping to cover some of our costs related to the hotel, receptions, and materials.
With DUXcamp in its first year, this is a great opportunity for our partners and longtime friends to show their support while providing unparalleled visibility for their organization, as well as their products and services.
For more information on DUXcamp sponsorship opportunities, please contact Chris Howie at 202.513.3992 or chowie@npr.org.
Best,
Chris
Tumblr; the new publishing paradigm? Discuss @DUXcamp!
Another design goal for Tumblr is the idea of taking away the intimidation of blogging — you know, the dreaded confrontation of an empty page. This is achieved with with smaller text fields and even a range of non-text options. “We don’t want to make you feel like you need to write three paragraphs and post a photo,” he says. “You can just post a photo.” The reason the “Create Post” button to publish a post is so big and shiny? They want you to feel good about pushing posts out in the world, as often as possible.
