Now, remember when I said that we’re wired to empathize with the hero’s journey? That’s what made some stories cross the millennia and survive in our collective consciousness.
So, what’s our hero’s journey? What made them leave their ordinary world behind and walk into the dark forest of their reality?
Let’s take again the online shoe store example.
The Fighter had a difficult childhood. He had no mother and his father worked under minimum wage. His father wanted more than anything in the world to buy his child a pair of the very trendy sports shoes of that age, but they were too expensive. He saved and saved and finally, after years of saving, he bought the latest trend of the most fashionable shoes for his son. That was our hero’s ordinary world.
So, the son got the brand new fashionable shoes and took them out on his first day of school. The Fashion Police saw him and decided that he did not deserve those shoes. So they beat him up and took his shoes. Years of sacrifice are gone in a minute. And that is the inciting incident or the point of action of our story.
After that, the Fighter made his life goal to fight against the Fashion Police. To fight against the oppressive regime of those fashion aristocrats who keep prices up and decide who should wear what. He swore to bring down the price of fashionable shoes so people like his papa could afford them without sacrifices. People like your customers, our heroes, could afford and enjoy.
And so he started the underground movement against the establishment.
You may wonder how is this journey going to be introduced into the shoe store business.
Quite easily actually. Maybe he takes you to his underground movement to give you the best deals in the store. And while there, he may ask you if you want to know more about his fight. Or, while underground, in the best deals territory, you see a sign pulsing to you, asking you if you’d like to find out about the Fighter in his own voice. Or a different scenario. The thing is people can’t wait to delve into other people’s drama and live even for a little bit a different reality.
And if you don’t have the time, then you don’t ask. You just get the best deal, pay and leave.
But our character’s journey could only enrich the users’ shopping experience. Of course, we barely scratched the surface of all the possibilities. But the important aspect of this is that our online experience shouldn’t be so dry cut. It could always be a rich and unforgettable experience. Especially for those digital applications that a user might use on a regular basis.
The future is story. The future is personal.