Storytelling

Professor: Moniek Hover, PhD
Research topic: Storytelling Research & Design

Contact

The professorship of Storytelling studies storytelling in terms of methods and techniques, and in terms of effects on experiences. Based on these insights, experiences are designed with and for the leisure, tourism and hospitality industry.

Storytelling is a phenomenon that applies to both fiction and non-fiction. An important objective of telling stories is to entertain or engage people, by sparking emotions. Stories can help visitors/users attach meaning to places, images or objects. Stories can transmit emotional and symbolic values. Designing a memorable and meaningful experience requires the use of storytelling principles. By doing so, people can create a coherent image of the experience and connect it to their values and lives. Designing meaningful touchpoints in a customer journey requires a narrative concept that creates internal alignment in that journey. In experience design through storytelling, we follow Lukas (2013) by focusing on “evoking emotions, memories, feelings and sentiments that all people can enjoy regardless of their specific backgrounds.”

Storytelling includes:

on-site and/or online storytelling in/for museums, attractions, theme parks, cities, nature areas, resorts
(joint) marketing/branding efforts for regions and cities
co-creative storytelling tangible and digital storytelling products

The purpose of this professorship is:

to unravel the connections between implicit, explicit and interpretative storytelling as applied by suppliers in leisure, tourism and hospitality (LTH) contexts and the emotions/experience of visitors;
to create narrative concepts, storylines and storytelling products for the industry (e.g. stories around cycling routes, scripts for AR applications, story design for interactive museum experiences). Our approach involves taking the content of LTH experiences and loading it with storytelling in a way that engages people’s emotions. These design projects are accomplished together with selected, interdisciplinary teams of BUas researchers, storytelling experts, and students. Co-creation with clients and other external stakeholders is key.

This professorship of Storytelling is closely linked to the professorships of Leisure and Tourism Experiences.

The research & development team:

Moniek Hover
Juriaan Waalwijk
Frank Ouwens
Ondrej Mitas
Wesley Put
Licia Calvi
Niels Wittkampf
Ilja Simons
Wim Strijbosch
Mata Haggis

Featured

Storytelling routes in Brabant

For VisitBrabant Routebureau and local municipalities/regions we create cycling and hiking routes based on local stories.

Nature Park Groote Heide

The aim of this project is to create a borderless and inclusive nature park where the harmonious balance of natural beauty and recreational activities is paramount.

Brabant kust de Kempen

The aim of this project is to foster cross-border collaboration, strengthen regional identity and promote sustainable tourism.

Van Gogh Storysperience

This project investigates how the use of storytelling techniques in (video) narrations around Vincent van Gogh’s life leads to emotions and memories.

Interactive Technology and Storytelling

This storytelling project lead to an interactive exhibit which allows visitors to have a dialogue with people from the past.

Markiezenhof

Bringing a secret story to life in period rooms at the Markiezenhof.

Storytelling Hanzesteden

This project applies storytelling to enhance the branding and the visitor experience of the nine Hanze cities in the Netherlands.

Crossroads

In view of the 75th commemoration of the liberation of World War II, a storytelling approach was used to connect the heritage locations in order to attract more visitors.

< Back to overview