4 ways to tell interactive digital stories about food

If you've ever drooled over an Instagram post or combed Yelp for photos of an entree, you know that food is an inherently visual subject. The best storytellers know that in order to create a compelling narrative around food, you need to first make it look good. In other words, it's all about the presentation.

Presenting food has just as many challenges online as it does offline. We aren't professional chefs here at Shorthand, but we do know a thing or two about telling beautiful stories. If you want to elevate your food writing — whether it's an editorial story, restaurant menu, or a recipe collection — you'll want to find novel ways to transform your content into engaging multimedia experiences.

If you want to learn about interactive marketing — and not just for food writing — read our guide to interactive marketing.

There are many ways to tell a successful visual story about food. Let's get a taste of four creative ideas to help inspire your next food story.

One of the most effective ways to introduce visual interactivity to your food story is by deconstructing your subject. You can do this by breaking a dish down into its ingredients or categorising it by characteristics, like texture or flavour.

In Deconstructing The Chicago-Style Hot Dog, WBEZ Chicago uses Shorthand to create an interactive section that builds a hot dog from the bun up. See below how this results in an entertaining, media-rich experience.

Find other(non-food related) interactive content examples here.

Layering images with graphic similarities creates an engaging experience that will set your story apart. When talking about food, there are ample opportunities to combine visuals in this way.

In From Ocean to Plate, the Marine Stewardship Council uses a handful of similar images to create an exciting scrollytelling effect while scrolling through their story. This draws the reader's attention, making the message more impactful.

Learn more about creating interactive infographics in our guide.

In The Eternal Life of the Instant Noodle, BBC News does something similar and layers two photos of an instant noodle cup to create an interactive juxtaposition between the interior and the exterior.

Food can be used to understand larger social issues or cultural moments. It can often be an emotional topic, and its power can be amplified by using the right storytelling tools.

My Life on a Plate is a BBC News story that profiles five people who depend on food banks to eat. The story is made more powerful by the accompanying images of each person's meal from the food bank. The food on the plates slowly dwindles as the reader scrolls.

Make your recipes engaging by using rich media in the form of videos, images, and animation. A multimedia presentation is a great way to make your recipes feel unique and interactive, especially when your are creating a brand story.

See this excellent example of brand storytelling, The Art of Batching by Robb Report. The story introduces cocktail recipes with an animated section that compels the reader to interact with the story, and then pairs each cocktail with compelling imagery.

Whether it's breaking down a hot dog or dissecting a cup of ramen, there is no shortage of Shorthand storytellers using our tool to tell unique, interesting tales about food. We can't wait to see what other delicious stories are to come!

If you want to chat to us about using Shorthand for your next food story, or have any questions, please get in touch!