The people who move organizations aren't the ones with the best ideas. They're the ones who can make other people believe in them. Whether you need someone to support your organization, get behind your idea, or get excited about following your lead, building the skill of storytelling can help.

Storytelling for Influence is IDEO U's foundational storytelling course. At IDEO, storytelling is both an art and a science. There's a logic to how people receive information, and a craft to connecting with what they believe. You'll learn both: how to shape your idea into a story, create a story brief, iterate through prototyping and feedback, and hone your tone and style. Because it's not just what you say. It's how you say it. The skills you build here will make you more persuasive, memorable, and confident every time you have something important to say.

Course Outcomes

• Gain a repeatable framework that will help you develop and hone any story.
• Understand your audience deeply: what they need to hear, what they already believe, and what will move them.
• Learn to pressure-test your story before you share it, so every choice you make is informed and intentional.
• Develop a tone and style that’s distinctly yours, and learn to tailor it to your audience.
• Move from sharing information to telling stories that inspire and move people to act.
• Walk away with the confidence to tell any story, to any audience, in any room.