Aarhus University
Question
Asked 11 July 2016
Does anyone know any style guides for using literary references or storytelling for mediating technological or scientific innovations to lay people?
History abounds with innovations which are never accepted by the market because of lack of communication. Two such communication devices could be storytelling or literary references. Any style guides or instructions anywhere for using such devices for communicating innovations?
Most recent answer
Thanks for your replies Jaroslava and Kate. I have noted your ideas with great interest. It is indeed surprising to see what can be created by means of narrative devices. I enjoyed especially Eleanor Lutz.
Best, Birthe
All Answers (6)
I understand your problem.
I will skip the literary references for now and draw your attention instead to perhaps Jules Verne's works such as Le tour du monde en quatrevings jours (French) or Around the World in Eighty days or to Vingt mille lieues sous les mers: Tour du monde sous-marin (French) or Twenty thousand Leagues Under the Sea. These works might inspire you to write much shorter pieces that can communicate, inform and even inspire. You could also look into the works of Robert Heinlen and Arthur C Clarke to draw some inspiration.
In an earlier job, I proposed the development of “intelligent”robotic vacuum cleaners and robotic chefs but my bosses, and particularly the marketing people whose advice was sought on the marketing prospects, could not understand what I was proposing. So, I wrote a scenario where human characters (owners) were shown to be using and relying on these “fantasy”** objects, all of whom had human names. For instance, the robotic vacuum cleaner could map a room, with its sensors, and do the cleaning and then retire to its place to re-charge its battery. Marketing finally understood the significance of what I was proposing; they felt no one wanted such a thing, though my wife loved the idea. Needless to say the European company that I was working for did not take up the idea. A US company actually introduced such robotic vacuum cleaners a few years later. That company has gone on to produce robots for the US Military: Packbot. What was ironic, is this: at an exhibition very recently, I saw the same company which did not pursue my idea actually marketing robotic vacuum cleaners. But the product was made in Korea. That company could have had many years advantage, had it listened to my ideas.
As the document is the intellectual property of the company I worked for, I cannot post that document here but I would be happy to send you an excerpt from the document to your personal email address if you write to me.
** My bosses thought I had let my fantasy run wild… And they were dead wrong and millions of dollars or Euro wrong, I hasten to add.
Since I mentioned robotics, and in light of a robot being used by the police to bring down the alleged gunman in Dallas, Texas recently, It would not be out of place to draw your attention to Issac Asimov. He wrote: I, Robot.
Aarhus University
Hi Phil
I would love to see the document. What you describe is how I actually see the problem. How to get your innovative product ideas across in a meaningful way. Literature abound with the use of science and industry ideas. Why does it not work the other way round where science and industry use literature and literary means to further their products and ideas?
Best
Birthe
Technical University of Zvolen
To react to what has been said I would turn my attention to the life of Steve Jobs whose life is full of innovation which needed to be communicated to prospective investors. I suppose there are managerial strategies for communicating your ideas = innovations, across the company. And referring to the use of literature and science , they both use "different language" and their purpose is different, however not excluding each other. Perhaps the lives of innovators (Leonardo da Vinci, Einstein) in autobiographies would provide you with literary resources.
Canterbury Christ Church University
Have a look at the work of Eleanor Lutz whose animations communicate science using illustration and animation as narrative devices: http://tabletopwhale.com - page 2 may be of particular interest with the guide to what you need to build your own computer rendered as a series of tattoo images
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