Designing For Others: A Nerdy Enneagram Exploration
How I created a choose-your-own-adventure story designed for the enneagram seven
The Problem
I believe strongly in keeping my audience/user in mind through every step of my design process. I am not designing for me, I am designing to for them.
This project helped me cover room for growth and improvement in two areas: book design, and designing for individuals who interact with the world differently than I do.
The Process
This project was all about research and experimenting. The enneagram, a personality system that examines how people interact with the world and experience emotions, was the driving force. I wanted to use the enneagram to understand how others would interact with my designs, and how I could design for people who think differently from myself.
Once I’d done my research, I focused on a single enneagram type for my deliverable. I learned how to apply my new knowledge of the enneagram seven and designed a book that was for them in every way.
The Deliverable
For my final deliverable, I rewrote the story ‘The Frog Prince’ for the enneagram seven and designed it based on what I learned. I chose a ‘choose your own adventure’ format that caters to the enneagram seven’s preference for new and interesting content.
Things To Know…
What is the enneagram?
The enneagram is a personality system that consists of nine types, focusing on how people feel their emotions and understand the world. It is often a tool used for knowledge, helping people understand their core motivations and what drives their behaviors.
I’m an enneagram 5w6. I highly recommend taking the test for yourself; there is a great assessment available at truity.com.
What is the enneagram seven?
The enneagram seven is a personality type in the enneagram system. Type sevens, often called ‘The Enthusiasts’, are spontaneous and curious and are known to seek fun and adventure. They don’t like to feel bored or uninspired, so they stay active and busy and chase all those fun, new experiences.
Below is a moodboard documenting my research for the enneagram seven.
Some great sources to learn more:
• Blueprint: an Enneagram guide (iPhone app)
• Truity, the Enneagram Seven page (website)
What was a challenge I encountered, and how did I overcome it?
This project taught me how to pause. Once I started to wrap up my research, I realized I needed to get out of my head and get my ideas onto some sort of deliverable.
To get out of my head, I went on Miro and set up a plan for the rest of my project. I reflected on what each step was, why it was important to my project, and how I would get it done. Once I did that, I was able to get out of my head and focus on deliverables. Below is the step-by-step guide I made for myself.
What did I learn from this project?
I grew a lot in understanding how different enneagram types would react to different designs. I also learned a lot about book design. This project gave me the opportunity to create my first book deliverable, and provided the space to think through dimensions, printing format, assembly, binding, and materials. My favorite part of the book design process was considering all the little details, like adding small embellishments above the chapter titles and making sure the typography flowed smoothly.
Below is another diagram I made in Miro as I was thinking about how to make my book. I used 8.5″ x 11″ sheets of printer paper and folded them in half.
Was this project successful? How did I determine success?
I consider this project successful in that I learned a lot about both book design and the enneagram, which made me a more versatile and user-focused designer. I would love the opportunity to discuss my final deliverable, a book designed for the enneagram seven, with any enneagram sevens to better understand how to improve.
If you love the enneagram, please reach out! I would love to know your reaction to my work. You can connect with me or share your thoughts in the form below:
My Process
Define
Project Definition
I first started my project by defining different aspects of it: the deliverables, the success factors, the target audience, etc. I did this step in Miro.
Click on the image below to expand it and see all the nerdy details!
Research
Research Moodboards
I collected my research into a moodboard format, using both written and visual elements to capture what I was learning.
Below is my moodboard for the enneagram seven. Click to expand it to see all the nerdy details!
Pause & Reflect
At some point, I struggled to get out of my head and the research space and make process towards my deliverable. My professor advised me to pause, and so I stopped and reflected on all the steps I’d need to take to complete my project.
Researching Book Design
On top of researching book design, I had to also understand how I would assemble my final book deliverable. Below is a diagram I made where I worked out how to print and fold 8.5″ x 11″ paper into my book.
Ideate & Prototype
Storyboarding
I storyboarded the classic tale, ‘The Frog Prince’ with twists that catered them to each individual enneagram type. For the enneagram seven, I decided to use a choose-your-own-adventure format that caters to their preference for new and exciting content.
Visual Elements
For the frog prince story, I used mostly frog and crown imagery. To cater towards the enneagram seven, I chose bright colors and lines with lots of movement.
Written Elements
Fun fact: I wrote the revised choose-your-own-adventure frog prince story myself. It was a great creative exercise, and I believe that having good grammar, syntax and punctuation is a great skill for any designer who often works with text.
Build & Test
Print and Assemble
Before the final critique/showcase of my work, I printed out my deliverable and assembled it.
Feedback
This project frequently featured one-on-one feedback with my professor and group feedback from my classmates. Their insights really helped me prioritize my efforts and helped me stick to the time constraints. I also really enjoyed being able to have some great conversations about the enneagram with them!
Final Deliverable
