How do you hook users from the very first moment? How do you create experiences that feel authentic and keep people engaged? In this episode of The Irrational Mind, Kristen Berman talks with Orson Scott Card, author of the science fiction classic Ender’s Game, about crafting experiences that capture and maintain attention.
Card’s approach to storytelling offers valuable insights for product teams working to create engaging user experiences. Here are four key lessons from their conversation.
1. Let users discover things alongside your product
Card doesn’t rely on dramatic hooks or artificial tension to grab attention. Instead, he lets readers discover the story’s world alongside the main character. In Ender’s Game, we learn about the battle school and its challenges at the same moment Ender does. This creates authentic engagement through shared discovery.
Product team takeaway:
Design your onboarding as a journey of discovery. Don’t just tell users about features – let them experience revelations naturally as they explore. This creates stronger engagement than forced tutorials or heavy-handed instruction.
A few companies who have done this include:
- Duolingo introduces language concepts through interactive lessons rather than explanations
- Figma lets users discover advanced features through natural exploration of the interface
- Notion guides users to discover features by starting with templates they can modify
2. Make your product impossible to use wrong
Card learned from his experience with actors that if there’s any way to interpret something incorrectly, people will find it. His solution? Rewrite until there’s only one clear way forward. He does this through careful word choice and visual emphasis that guides readers to the intended interpretation.
Product team takeaway:
When users make mistakes, don’t blame them – redesign so the mistake becomes impossible. Focus on making the correct path obvious and natural rather than adding more instructions.
A few companies who have done this include:
- Square’s payment reader only inserts one way, preventing card swipe errors
- Gmail’s “undo send” feature prevents accidental email sending
- Apple’s charging cables use distinct shapes to prevent incorrect insertion
3. Stay grounded in users’ reality
Card emphasizes that stories must align with readers’ lived experiences 99% of the time, or they’ll reject the narrative entirely. Even when writing science fiction, he anchors the story in relatable human experiences and emotions.
Product team takeaway:
Ground your product innovations in familiar patterns and experiences. Too much novelty can alienate users – anchor new features in existing mental models and behaviors.
Some companies who have done this include:
- Zoom used familiar phone call interfaces as the basis for video calls
- Early smartphones used skeuomorphic designs to mirror physical objects
- Robinhood made investing feel familiar by borrowing from gaming interfaces
4. Observe behavior, don’t ask for opinions
Rather than soliciting direct feedback, Card watches readers interact with his work. He looks for moments of confusion, disbelief, or disengagement – then fixes those issues himself rather than asking readers how to solve them.
Product team takeaway:
Focus on observing what users do rather than what they say. Watch for moments of hesitation, confusion, or abandonment in your analytics and user sessions. These behavioral signals are more reliable than direct feedback.
Examples of companies who have pulled this off:
- Netflix tracks viewing behavior rather than asking users what they want to watch
- Amazon uses purchase and browsing data rather than surveys to improve recommendations
- Instagram evolves features based on usage patterns rather than user requests
The TL;DR
Card’s approach to storytelling demonstrates that engaging experiences come from understanding human psychology and behavior. Whether you’re writing a novel or building a product, success depends on creating clear paths forward, staying grounded in familiar experiences, and paying attention to how people actually interact with your work.
Check out the full episode of The Irrational Mind for more insights on crafting experiences that capture and maintain user attention. Be sure to subscribe to The Irrational Mind so that you don’t miss future episodes. Have a question for Kristen? Hit her up: [email protected].
🔑📈 Enjoyed Kristen’s deep dive into storytelling with Orson Scott Card? Irrational Labs works with top companies to unlock product growth and customer value through behavioral design. Get in touch to learn more about our consulting services. Or get a taste of behavioral science by joining one of our bootcamps.