Class Introduction
Good stories not only provide a source of entertainment but draw out attention towards ancient aspects of our human nature. Before they could write them down, our ancestors shared wisdom through storytelling devices, maybe gathering around the fire to share their life lessons. Later, we could write them down on Indian scriptures, act them out in Greek theatres, or represent them in Japanese scrolls.

In this class, we will study the underlying elements that make a good story and explore them through different design disciplines. The main goal of this class is to provide you with experiential knowledge on storytelling, so you can apply them to your work. Learning to tell a good story is important not only for writers but also for designers. Therefore, we will conduct experiments to find out how to tell a compelling story using graphic design, illustration, photography, video or sound.

Structure
There are more chances to learn something if the questions we are trying to solve are „intriguing, important or just beautiful“ [[Bane, 2004]]. That is why we will connect your main interest with the multiple design disciplines we will use to assemble your story in this class. This class is structured as follow:

A theoretical part: you will get input on different theories and models of storytelling
Experimental part: based on the previously learned models, you will explore how to tell a story using photography, illustration, graphic design, video or sound.
Integrative part: you will create a catalogue to share your story as part of an exhibition at the end of the semester (e.g., video installation, zin, poster exhibition, illustrated book)

We will go through the syllabus together during our first class. To prepare for this class, think about a story you would like to tell through design. It can be a folk story from your culture, a recipe, a mythical story, or you can create your own. It is crucial that you feel it is a story worth telling and that you have a preselection of alternatives so we can pick one.

Learning Objectives
At the end of this course, you will be able to:

_Understand and analyse storytelling models from the literature
_Improve your communicative skills
_Learn from stories around the world by exchanging experiences with your peers
_Develop experience on design disciplines you might not be familiar with (I encourage you to try something you did not do before)
-Produce a creative output to take with you

Important Notes
If you are not present on the campus at the beginning of the semester, you will still be able to take part in the class. I will offer a hybrid format for those who can not join.
We will conduct mindfulness exercises to support your creative process as part of this class.
If you have any questions, do not hesitate and contact me on income or my university email: alberto.iberbuden@hs-anhalt.de

Image Credits: https://tinylittlebusinesses.com/frank-and-matt/