SOAP Atoms: Designing Stories That Help People Keep Going
Narrative is one of those things people love to overcomplicate. Give someone the word “story” and they immediately reach for epic arcs, heroes, destinies, and some poor character being forced to fundamentally transform themselves by Act Three. That’s all very well if you’re writing films, but it’s far less helpful if you’re designing experiences for real people, in real contexts, on real days where they’re tired, distracted, and just trying to get through.
Over the years, I’ve talked a lot about Narrative Atoms and the Soap Hero’s Journey. They came from the same place: a frustration with big, monolithic narratives that look great on slides and fall apart the moment they meet reality.