Analyzing engineering design stories — Predicting engagement in inventive action

In this experiment we intend to discover characteristics of stories that make them effective and utilize the findings to teach engineers and designers effective storytelling to create inventive action. One central research question organized the study: How do ineffective stories predict disengagement? A paper and pencil test and a projective cue method are utilized to uncover preliminary findings. Results from four audiences in one experiment show a high engagement for an effective delivery and some surprises concerning engagement regardless of delivery. The experiment also reveals that participants imagining what would happen next in the ineffective story included a surprising amount of communication cue suggestions for the ineffective story. Achievement motives were also clearly stated across all stories. Results provide us with promising evidence to suggest that we are able to connect audience engagement with the level of effectiveness of a story. Finally, we discuss implications for further work and applications of the findings in engineering/design education.