Why storytelling matters now
In a time when more and more is created by, and incorporates AI, carefully thought through and designed products and services matters more than ever. But the way we design them, and who we design for, has changed. In this free on-demand webinar replay, Anna shares how traditional storytelling tools are more relevant than ever when designing products, services, and experiences in the age of AI. Drawing from her popular Tech Fast talk, Anna will take you on a journey through classical story structures, emotional arcs, and how we can apply them, not just to human users, but to journeys that involve AI agents, and sentient-seeming experiences. Whether you’re a designer, product lead, or just curious about how to create better experiences in this new era, this session will help you see storytelling in design with fresh eyes, and walk away with practical tools to apply right away.
What you'll learn
How to apply story structures to product and service journeys
Learn how Aristotle’s three-act structure, the dramatic question, story and character arcs, can be used to uncover barriers, design emotional flows, and guide user action.
Why storytelling matters even more for creating products and services in the age of AI
Discover why it’s more important than ever to define the right plot and characters, especially when the user is no longer just human, and AI — whether we like it or — not ends up being a character in our product story.
What the “new normal” of AI-assisted experiences means for design
Understand the shift from traditional flows to agentic AI handovers, and what it means for your product journeys, including how to think about it strategically.
To every great story there’s a bit of magic involved, and so there is for products and services that just work, delivering the right content, interactions, and notifications at just the right time, on the right device, and to the right user.
Drawing on tried and tested storytelling principles from film and fiction and applying them to the context of UX, product, and business, this on-demand webinar replay explores how we can use storytelling to instil that bit of magic in the products and services we create. Especially in an era where AI is making the once impossible feel natural and deeply personalised. In the replay, Anna shares why storytelling and AI go hand in hand, and how storytelling can provide practical frameworks for building better, more trustworthy and ethical experiences that move users into action and result in healthier bottom lines for the business.
Who it's for
UX, service and product designers
who need to understand the end-to-end experience as well as the moments that make a difference, how to best meet the needs of users, including non-human users, the business, as well as where to leverage AI as part of the product or service experience and offering.
Product people and leaders
who need effective ways to align teams, clarify direction, initiatives, and roadmaps so they lead to more meaningful outcomes, for users, and the business.
Startups and scale-ups
who are either at the start of their journey trying to find product market fit and define their value proposition, or in a growth stage looking at where and how to leverage AI as part of the offering, or lift their product or service experience to the next level to meet users needs.
What people said & what the session sparked
Here are some of the things people said, and asked, in the discussions after the live webinar:
Great session. I learnt a lot
2 December 2025
Thanks so much Anna, it was a great presentation!
2 December 2025
Would you say that the user should always be the hero of the story in the product? Which character is the AI?
2 December 2025
How do you use storytelling to strengthen your portfolio?
2 December 2025
You're giving words to things that I'm thinking about, which is great.
2 December 2025
Thank you very much for an inspirational presentation. Learned a lot.
2 December 2025
Thank you so much, it was really nice to hear a summary of your storytelling with AI.
2 December 2025
My main question coming into this talk was, when a system is not deterministic, and you have to measure its value, and then tell the story about it, how do you do that?
2 December 2025
One of the things that stood out from me was customers coming into the journey at different points, and how we often tell stories in a linear way, how do we handle that?
2 December 2025
Meet Anna
Anna Dahlström is a strategic UX and storytelling consultant and author of Storytelling in Design (O’Reilly). With 24+ years of experience across startups, global brands, and agencies, she helps organisations and teams align across organisational structures, solve the right problems, and apply storytelling frameworks to create better products and services, as well as for confidently present work, influence stakeholders, drive action, and get more out of meetings and presentations. Anna is a seasoned speaker and have given talks and workshops at events including SXSW, UX London, and Web Summit. She’s also the founder of UX Fika, host of The UX Fika Podcast, and a mum of two.
FAQ
How long is the webinar replay?
The video is 25 minutes long and you can speed up (or slow down the pace). There's also a separate "lesson" for viewing and downloading the slides.
Does the replay include the Q&A?
No, we've left those out in order to allow a safe space for the people who attended live to ask their questions, but we've shown some of the questions that were asked above under the 'What people said & what the session sparked' bit.
Why do I need to register?
It's partly due to how the platform we're using works, but also because we had a few more things for you than just the video. We've packaged the webinar replay together with the slides. We've also added the chance for you to ask a follow up question, share your feedback, and let us know if you want to help shape the course that we're working on. And there's a special thank you in there for you too. The only way to get all that in one place was to create a "mini course" and for courses — big or small — the platform we use requires you to register. You can see the "lessons" that are included below. All optional so you can go straight to the ones that matter to you.
The "lessons" the replay includes
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1
Watch The Webinar Replay
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(Included in full purchase)
Welcome: Storytelling In Design In The Age Of AI
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(Included in full purchase)
Watch The Replay
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(Included in full purchase)
Download The Slides (For Personal Use)
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(Included in full purchase)
What's Next: Help Shape The Upcoming Course
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(Included in full purchase)
Got Questions? Add Them Here
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(Included in full purchase)
Share Your Feedback Or Testimonial
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(Included in full purchase)
A Thank You From Us (Plus A Lifetime Gift)
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(Included in full purchase)
Want a version of this session for your team or conference?
Anna's Storytelling in Design talk has filled rooms and workshops at some of the world's biggest conferences such as SXSW, UX London and UXLx, and resulted in a book deal with O'Reilly. This webinar replay builds on the original talks and gives a taste of where Storytelling in Design in the age of AI is heading. More updates, including workshops and a full course, are coming and we'd love to share them with your team, or at your conference. Email Anna at [email protected] to discuss how to tailor a session, workshop or talk based on your needs and audience.