we were thinking of the product as a set of screens. but there’s a problem with working this way: it’s not at all how people experience the product in real life. people use products in little flows that last anywhere from 30 seconds to a few minutes.

a user might first notice your product in a search result, browse around the product for a minute, and then leave. they might come back, sign up, and then leave again. they might open an email from the product, come back, make a purchase, and leave. each of these little stories is a way that people actually experience your product.

a product is not a set of screens — it’s the stories those screens enable.

if your team is not paying attention to these stories, if you’re thinking about each screen individually, then your minds will be in a completely different place than the people who are actually using your product.

- braden kowitz on story-centered design

via dpstyles: thoughtyoushouldseethis [emphasis mine]