I thought this was an interesting article because of how useful the process of directed storytelling can be. Everything we design comes from what we've experienced or what we've learned. Sometimes our designs may be lacking meaning or may not resonate with our intended audience. This is where directed storytelling can be a successful tool. Take for instance interaction design. This is an area where storytelling is absolutely essential. The article accounts the educational software "Blackboard." Information was gathered through a directed storytelling session from a students perspective and also from a teachers perspective. The combined perspectives gave the designers a clear understanding of what aspects of the software worked and what needed improvement.
This process will be very useful to think about when I'm designing my term long. Instead of thinking about the design from just my point of view it will be important to involve the audience that will be experiencing my design. For instance there are many different maps of downtown Portland, some are more attractive than others but that doesn't mean they are better. It is the maps that work and do the job they are supposed to do easily and effectively that get used the most. Maps that don't work very well have numbers as locations that correspond to a description somewhere else on the page. These are annoying because you have to look in two different places before you know what you're looking for.
Look at these maps:
What is easier to understand? This map with numbers? 
Or this map with the business logos as markers?
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