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  • DUp 179 🔖 19 Days to DesignUp24, Guest Ed > The Magic of Storytelling, Sukumar Ray, Hayao Miyazaki, Michelangelo and more!

DUp 179 🔖 19 Days to DesignUp24, Guest Ed > The Magic of Storytelling, Sukumar Ray, Hayao Miyazaki, Michelangelo and more!

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DesignUp Conf
September 09, 2024

Magic brewing over at DesignUp24! Art by Hemant Suthar

🚀 The wait is over, and the full schedule for DesignUp24 is now out! Head over to check it out!

The week-long extravaganza kicks off with 4 days of festivals, including studio visits, brunches with design leaders, and networking events ++ followed by a full day of Masterclasses and Hands-on Workshops on Oct 2nd. You can book these as Add-Ons to your passes (free for Premium Pass members)! ⏳Bookings open soon...

Last but not least, we wrap up with two power-packed Conference Days on Oct 3rd & 4th, with stellar talks & keynotes 🚀 ++ as well as panels & lightning talks by a long list of amazing speakers - all hosted by the fantastic Suresh Venkat and Katja Forbes!

🎟️ If you haven't grabbed your Conf Pass yet, there's still time to do it 👉 24.designup.io

💌 In this Newsletter - 6 fabulous links from DesignUp’s very own Content Designer, UX Writer, and Social Media Manager Mohana Das.

✨✨ DesignUp24 MasterClasses & Workshops

🤔 What do inverted pyramids, martini glasses, diamonds, and kebabs have in common?

They’re all storytelling structures that can make overwhelming information and data more memorable and engaging! We’re thrilled to invite Gurman Bhatia back this year for a Masterclass on Structuring Stories with Data. In this session, you'll dive into real-world scenarios, experimenting with how different structures can shape your data story, and explore the art of crafting compelling and memorable narratives that resonate with audiences through hands-on team exercises.

ICYMI, Gurman’s talk When Statistics Become Stories was a big hit at DesignUp 2019:

The DesignUp community is no stranger to Nishita Mohta, DesignOps consultant, educator & author, who curated DUp newsletter edition 175 a few weeks ago. In Nishita’s workshop Launch Lab: Fuel your Passion Project, get ready to blast through your creative books to launch your passion project and, finish it too.

✅ For the latest updates on  DesignUp Conference 2024, follow us on Insta or Linkedin!

Content Designer, aspiring novelist, and long-time volunteer for DesignUp, Mohana Das has spent a decade as an engineer, designer, and now as a writer. She’s currently learning Japanese, traveling the world, and can finish 300-page novels in a day! For this edition, Mohana has selected 6 carefully chosen resources on writing and storytelling for designers:

❝

As human beings, we're born to tell stories. As designers and writers, its crucial for us to know how to tell a good one.

Mohana Das

Here's some inspiration that has helped me tell my stories better - both in work and in life.

The 100 stories that shaped the world

Stephen King once said, "If you don't have the time to read, you don't have the time or the tools to write." Before we start writing a story, it's important to know what makes one good. Here's my go-to reading list of classics for storytelling inspiration. How many of these have you read so far?

Good copywriters are also master storytellers. They can tell a fantastic story, usually with just a few carefully curated words. One of my favorite copywriters, Harry Dry, sits down with David Perell and demystifies the art of good copywriting. This is a long one, but worth the watch. Harry's newsletter is also one of the best things to arrive in your inbox every week.

Kishōtenketsu: Exploring The Four-Act Story Structure - The Art of Narrative

Not all stories need conflict. This piece talks about kishōtenketsu, a very un-Hollywood-like form of storytelling that originated in Chinese poetry and is now predominant in East Asian media.

Roger Ebert Interviews Hayao Miyazaki on Storytelling

This year, I finally got to visit the iconic Ghibli Museum in Tokyo and needless to say, I was in awe. There is something profoundly, magically mysterious about the way Miyazaki tells stories.
Here's a throwback to a 2002 interview with Miyazaki where he talks about using 'Ma' in his stories - intentional emptiness. A stark contrast to the storytelling techniques in the West.

A Lullaby of Nonsense – The Wild World of Sukumar Ray

To the uninitiated, Ray's work can come off as utter nonsense. But as the author aptly says, "Nonsense, simply put, is a celebration of language." Whenever I feel stuck and my imagination runs dry, I think back to my childhood memories of listening to my mother read me nonsensical Sukumar Ray stories before bed.

📗Book Recco: On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen Kind

Useful, practical, writing advice interweaved with anecdotes from the author's life. A textbook guide to writing, and also a memoir of the legendary writer's life. A must-read for aspiring writers.

📌 If you’re interested in Storytelling, don’t miss

at DesignUp24!

Cartoon: If Michelangelo Had Used AI

Stay in Touch

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📨 Came across a cool link? Share your recommendations with @soosixty or @jdallcaps - we love to hear from you!

🐱 Stay calm, and stay curious!