In design, a scenario is a tangible narrative of use: it tells the story of who, in which situation, does what with the product or service, making a future solution wonderfully imaginable before it even exists.

This approach was formalized by John Carroll (Scenario-Based Design, 2000): rather than specifying abstract functions, we describe lived situations of use. The storyboard, borrowed from filmmaking, is its illustrated version—a few panels that bring a user journey to life. The power of narrative is cognitive: we understand and remember the world through stories, not through lists of specifications.

But therein lies the danger. A great scenario is persuasive, and persuasion is not the same as truth. A beautifully told story can make a solution seem obvious when it really isn't: we fall in love with the narrative and forget to validate it. The scenario illuminates intention; it does not prove value. Confusing "it's a great story" with "it will work" is a classic pitfall, and all the more tempting when the narrative is captivating.

Our approach: we use scenarios to align teams and drive decisions, never to conclude. We use them to make a hypothesis shareable, and then we confront it in the field through prototyping and testing. Tell stories to inspire collective thinking; gather proof to make the call. The narrative opens the conversation; it doesn't close it.

Discover more: the storyboard, design fiction and speculative design (narrative of futures), prototyping (the proof), user testing and the user journey.

References: J. Carroll, Scenario-Based Design (2000); the storyboard, borrowed from cinema.