Talking Stories
Making storytelling a habit
WORK
1/8/20254 min read



Behavioural Problem Framing
Behavioural Analysis
Behaviour Change Design
Behavioural Strategy
Every story connects, enriches, and preserves. Talking Stories believes storytelling shouldn’t be occasional—it should be a habit that spans generations. Their mission? Capture personal histories, bring families closer, and ensure no life story is forgotten.
The challenge? Turning a deeply meaningful act into something approachable and effortless. They moved from bespoke storytelling services to building a scalable, digital-first platform—and needed help making storytelling feel natural for everyone.
Overview


Talking Stories was changing. The pivoted from using their journalism skills to interview and package client stories to something more scalable. But the business faced with the challenge of engaging users more consistently with questions around how to build a storytelling and capture digital platform. Talking Stories collaborated with us for a deep dive into the heart of storytelling.
"People and communities are preserved through their stories."
- Sam Regi, Founder of Talking Stories
Storytelling is powerful, but it doesn’t come naturally to everyone. Talking Stories faced several key obstacles that kept users from fully engaging:
Emotional barriers:
Sharing personal stories felt heavy. Users worried about reliving intense memories or feared how others might react. This emotional weight often stopped people before they even started.Procrastination:
Storytelling seemed like a big task—time-consuming and effortful. Many users delayed it indefinitely. Younger users, accustomed to quick captures on Instagram or TikTok, didn’t see storytelling as a meaningful habit.Lack of immediate rewards:
Sharing stories didn’t offer instant feedback or gratification. Without quick wins or a sense of progress, users struggled to stay motivated and missed the long-term value.Generational divide:
Younger users didn’t yet value documenting their lives, while older users cherished the idea of legacy but felt intimidated by the technology. Bridging these needs required careful attention to their unique perspectives.
To succeed, Talking Stories needed to lighten the emotional load, make starting easy, and turn storytelling into a habit that felt rewarding and accessible for everyone.
The problem


To make storytelling an everyday habit, we first had to understand what was holding users back. We used behavioural tools like the Behavioural Problem Framing Canvas and Behavioural Research Planner to uncover the underlying challenges. Here’s what we found:
Unpicking the challenge
The emotional weight of storytelling, combined with the perceived effort, made it feel more like a chore than a rewarding activity. Users hesitated, unsure how to begin or worried about revisiting difficult memories.
Researching what drives, and blocks, storytelling
Using the Drive Grid and Behavioural Research Planner, we identified the key needs and obstacles:
Judgment-free sharing:
Users needed a safe, non-critical space to tell their stories.Community power:
Seeing others share their experiences encouraged participation and reduced hesitation.Legacy vs. starting point:
Older users were driven by the desire to leave a legacy but often didn’t know how to begin.Breaking the daunting task:
Many users delayed storytelling because it felt overwhelming, requiring too much time or emotional energy.
These insights shaped every part of our strategy
Our approach


1. Start personal
We designed a personalised onboarding process. A few simple questions about users’ interests and experiences made the platform feel tailored and relevant right away. Starting felt easy, not intimidating.
2. Build trust through community
We highlighted stories from other users to reduce the fear of judgment. Seeing diverse experiences showed users they weren’t alone and inspired them to share their own. Trust grew with every story shared.
3. Create gentle habits
Monthly reflection prompts, synced with users’ calendars, made storytelling a regular, low-effort habit. Instead of feeling like an occasional task, storytelling became part of their routine.
4. Use familiar formats
We introduced multimedia options—photos, videos, and voice notes. These tools made storytelling easier and more engaging, tapping into behaviours users already knew from platforms like Instagram and TikTok.
5. Remove the pressure
Timely nudges encouraged small steps. Instead of asking users to write an entire story, we broke it into manageable actions. These small wins kept users moving forward.
6. Make it social
We added a buddy system. Users could invite family or friends to join them, turning storytelling into a shared experience. This built accountability and made the process more meaningful.
Solution
“This work has been incredibly valuable to us. We're at a pivotal moment where we have the reins to truly shape and develop something meaningful. The strategies provided are not only insightful but will serve as a crucial foundation for developing our product and platform. Having these strategies in place gives us the clarity and direction we need to move forward with confidence."
Sam Regi, Founder of Talking Stories
Results
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