Issue #3: The Surface
Designing experiences that pull learners out of their predictable tunnels.
Imagine a mole living beneath the soil.
For its entire life, it tunnels in the dark, reacting to raw vibrations. Safety means tight spaces; danger means tremors. It is a predictable life, but the mole doesn’t know it’s missing anything because it has no concept of what lies above.
But then, one day, it pokes its head above ground.
Suddenly, there is light. Colors. Shapes. Space. A world of infinity. The mole doesn’t have the words to describe what it’s seeing, but a new kind of hunger is born: curiosity.
Since then, it goes back underground from time to time, old instincts die hard but each time it returns to the surface, it feels a little more at home.
That is what we want our learning designs to do. We want to design the “surface” that pulls learners out of their comfortable, predictable tunnels and shows them the light.
Narrative design is that surface. It is the architecture of presence; the art of creating a magnetic energy that draws the learner in and makes them stand a little taller, speak with more confidence, and look at problems with fresh eyes.
Over the next six weeks, we are going to explore how to build these narrative surfaces. We will look at the science of why they work, how to use them to collaborate effectively with AI, and how to turn them into practical, effective learning experiences.
Join the Conversation:
What was the first “surface” moment in your career, the moment you realized a topic was far bigger and more exciting than you first thought?
Subscribe so you don’t miss next week’s issues!
Next Monday, we will kick off Week 2 by looking at the brain chemistry of stories. In Week 2, Part 1: The Dopamine Hook, we will find out why tension is a biological requirement for human focus. See you on Monday!