100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People, 2nd Edition

33 People Process Information best in Story form

One day, many years ago, I found myself in front of a classroom full of user interface designers who did not want to be there. Their boss had told them they had to attend the workshop I was giving. I knew that many or most of them thought the class was a waste of time, and knowing that was making me nervous. I decided to be brave and forge ahead. Certainly my great content would grab their attention, right? I took a deep breath, smiled, and with a strong voice, I started the session with a big, “Hello, everyone. I’m certainly glad to be here.” More than half the class wasn’t even looking at me. They were reading their email. One guy had the morning newspaper open and was reading that. It was one ...