Business Thinking for Designers

Analytical storytelling
One of the main reasons organizations hire external, business 
management consultancies like BCG, Bain, or Accenture 
is because their analytical storytelling structure explains 
the rationale behind a recommendation. The structure is 
predictable and focused on prioritizing difficult decisions. 
Analytical storytelling leverages both rational know-how and 
political understanding in order to present recommendations 
in a manner suited for a particular audience. It’s a powerful 
type of communication because it uses structured thinking 
with trade-off decision scenarios at the heart of the story. 

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Communicate the options
Before diving into specifics on how to develop these types 
of stories, I have a few guidelines for when to use a narrative 
storytelling structure versus an analytical one. The guidelines 
are based on what you want to achieve with your presentation.