StoryHelper
Launch tool
Digital Story Lab · Research preview

Turn health research into stories that change behavior.

StoryHelper is an evidence-based storytelling platform that helps you translate research findings into engaging digital narratives for health promotion and behavior change.

Launch StoryHelper → How it works
3 peer-reviewed studies
42 research groups
11 countries
◆ built on published findings
01 · Why this matters

Behavior change starts with meaningful communication.

The gap

Behavioral health findings often fail to reach the people they are meant to help.

The cost

Ineffective communication has real consequences — reducing prevention impact and weakening public trust.

Our stance

Storytelling is a powerful health promotion strategy that can shape attitudes and influence behavior. We designed the STORY-Q framework to guide the development of high-quality, evidence-based narratives that foster engagement and meaningful behavior change. This framework positions digital storytelling not merely as a creative communication method, but as a structured knowledge transfer intervention for facilitating health behavior change.

02 · How it works

An evidence-based method
for storytelling.

In practice, StoryHelper helps users:

  1. 01

    Plan a behavior-change story

    Guided prompts covering aim, audience, barriers, message, and engagement idea.

  2. 02

    Adapt for delivery channels

    Tailor the story for short video, podcast, WhatsApp, mobile, or other formats.

  3. 03

    Enrich with context files

    Upload optional supporting materials: notes, surveys, interviews, or data.

  4. 04

    Accelerate with AI assistance

    AI-assisted suggestions and AI-generated story scripts, editable in-app.

  5. 05

    Export and reuse outputs

    Copy or download as TXT/Markdown; save story work over time.

  6. 06

    Collaborate

    Share saved responses via email invitations.

  7. 07

    Evaluate quality

    Built-in feedback form covering aim/audience/message, engagement, ethical considerations, action points, and overall tool usefulness.

  8. 08

    Support responsible use

    Platform rules (e.g., avoid identifiable personal data) and a research/education framing.

The STORY-Q Framework

Formulated for positive impact.

The StoryHelper platform operationalizes the STORY-Q Digital Story Quality Framework. Developed by researchers to move digital storytelling beyond creative guesswork, it translates scientific evidence into high-quality health communication through five core domains:

Letter Domain Meaning
S Story-centered design Use of narrative structure and meaningful storytelling mechanisms
T Target population tailoring Alignment with audience needs, context, and behavioral determinants
O Outcome-oriented theory integration Application of behavior change and communication theories
R Responsible and ethical practice Ethical development, representation, and dissemination
Y–Q Yielding Engagement and Quality Designing emotionally and cognitively engaging narratives

Explore each domain in detail:

01

Tailoring

Aligning narrative characters, social environments, and language with target populations to ensure maximum relevance and local resonance.

02

Theory-Base

Integrating behavioral models (such as COM-B, self-efficacy cues, and narrative transportation) to guide measurable behavior change.

03

Engagement

Structuring clear narrative pathways (circumstance, complication, conflict, and change) that hold reader attention and support identification.

04

Ethical Integrity

Ensuring autonomy-supportive phrasing, respectful participant representations, and preserving ethical standards across all health interventions.

03 · What we do

Workshops & Co-Creation Labs

We bridge research institutions, healthcare psychology associations, and community groups. Through structured co-creation labs, we train professionals to operationalize health communication with the StoryHelper platform.

Lisbon, Portugal (2025)

Behavior Change Conference

Aim: Train health communication experts and psychology researchers to ground digital narratives in rigorous behavioral models.

Outcome: Supported participants in drafting over 15 targeted health communication stories for varied demographics.

"StoryHelper bridges rigorous science and real-world impact. It fundamentally changed how we communicate behavioral health research."
— Dr. Ana Ribeiro, University of Lisbon
Zeist, Germany (2025)

HPI Co-Creation Retreat

Aim: Co-design local health prevention campaigns and pilot the interactive mind-mapping capability of StoryHelper with local teams.

Outcome: Successfully created three prevention blueprints and validated local community intervention stories.

"A rare combination of methodological rigor and creative clarity."
— Participant, Zeist Workshop
London, United Kingdom (UCL) (2025)

Global Health Co-Creation Lab

Aim: Train international public health focal points to adapt research findings into highly localized community narratives.

Outcome: Developed and test-played audio-enabled narratives for public health communication campaigns.

"The co-creation lab helped us translate dry clinical guidelines into stories our patients actually relate to."
— Participant, London Conference
Upcoming

UCL Behaviour Change Conference 2026

Lisbon, Portugal · 16 June 2026

Equip researchers, practitioners, and policymakers with practical skills to design compelling digital stories that translate evidence into actionable health behavior change — using the StoryHelper platform and the STORY-Q framework.

Behavior Change Conference

Lisbon, Portugal · 2025
Behavior Change Conference photo 1Behavior Change Conference photo 2
Aim

Train health communication experts and psychology researchers to ground digital narratives in rigorous behavioral models.

Outcome

Supported participants in drafting over 15 targeted health communication stories for varied demographics.

"StoryHelper bridges rigorous science and real-world impact. It fundamentally changed how we communicate behavioral health research."
— Dr. Ana Ribeiro, University of Lisbon

The Behavior Change Conference in Lisbon brought together leading health communication researchers and practitioners from across Europe. Over two intensive days, participants worked hands-on with the StoryHelper platform to translate complex behavioral research findings into accessible, evidence-based narratives.

Key activities included structured workshops on applying the STORY-Q framework, live drafting sessions where attendees created health promotion stories for diverse demographics, and collaborative feedback rounds using the platform's built-in evaluation tools.

The conference demonstrated how structured digital storytelling can bridge the gap between academic research and public health impact, with participants producing over 15 targeted stories ready for pilot testing in their respective communities.

HPI Co-Creation Retreat

Zeist, Germany · 2025
HPI Co-Creation Retreat photo 1HPI Co-Creation Retreat photo 2
Aim

Co-design local health prevention campaigns and pilot the interactive mind-mapping capability of StoryHelper with local teams.

Outcome

Successfully created three prevention blueprints and validated local community intervention stories.

"A rare combination of methodological rigor and creative clarity."
— Participant, Zeist Workshop

The HPI Co-Creation Retreat in Zeist, Germany was a focused multi-day workshop bringing together local health teams, researchers, and community stakeholders. The retreat centered on co-designing health prevention campaigns using StoryHelper's interactive planning tools.

Participants piloted the platform's mind-mapping capability, allowing teams to visually map out narrative structures, identify key behavioral targets, and plan culturally appropriate intervention stories for Dutch communities.

The retreat resulted in three fully developed prevention blueprints, each validated through community feedback sessions and ready for implementation in local health programs.

Global Health Co-Creation Lab

London, United Kingdom (UCL) · 2025
Global Health Co-Creation Lab photo 1Global Health Co-Creation Lab photo 2
Aim

Train international public health focal points to adapt research findings into highly localized community narratives.

Outcome

Developed and test-played audio-enabled narratives for public health communication campaigns.

"The co-creation lab helped us translate dry clinical guidelines into stories our patients actually relate to."
— Participant, London Conference

Hosted at University College London (UCL), the Global Health Co-Creation Lab gathered international public health professionals to explore how digital storytelling can improve health communication across diverse cultural contexts.

The lab focused on training participants to adapt evidence-based research findings into localized community narratives, with special attention to audio-enabled formats suitable for low-literacy populations and mobile-first delivery channels.

Participants developed and test-played audio narratives designed for public health campaigns, demonstrating the versatility of the StoryHelper platform in producing accessible, multi-format health communication materials.

UCL Behaviour Change Conference 2026

Lisbon, Portugal · 16 June 2026 | 09:30 – 16:30
Photos coming soon

Turn evidence into stories that move people. A full-day hands-on workshop at the intersection of behavioral science and digital health.

Aim

Equip researchers, practitioners, and policymakers with practical skills to design compelling digital stories that translate evidence into actionable health behavior change — using the StoryHelper platform and the STORY-Q framework.

Facilitators
  • Dr Irina Catrinel Craciun Hasso Plattner Institute, Department of Digital Global Public Health, Potsdam, Germany
  • Zubair Hossain Hasso Plattner Institute
  • Mostafa Elgayar Hasso Plattner Institute
Learning Objectives
  • Design compelling digital stories that translate evidence into actionable health behavior change.
  • Analyze and learn from real-world StoryHelper case studies, including WHO Science in 5 and CHAMPS maternal health initiatives.
  • Apply the StoryHelper tool to create a tailored digital story, optimising audience engagement, ethical integrity, and impact.
  • Integrate evidence-based principles and behavior change strategies into digital storytelling for health promotion.

Digital stories are transforming health promotion by turning evidence into engaging, shareable narratives that drive real behavior change. The StoryHelper tool empowers participants to design these stories efficiently — ensuring they are tailored, ethical, and impactful for diverse audiences.

In this full-day hands-on workshop at the UCL Behaviour Change Conference 2026, participants will craft digital stories using StoryHelper, guided by real-world case studies and interactive exercises. The session draws on examples from the WHO Science in 5 initiative and the CHAMPS maternal health program, showing how evidence-based storytelling works at scale across global health contexts.

The workshop is part of the annual UCL Behaviour Change Conference, which brings together industry, academia, government, and NGOs to discuss cutting-edge developments in the science and application of behaviour change to a range of global challenges.

Researchers, practitioners, and policy makers will gain practical skills to leverage digital technologies for evidence-based health promotion — leaving with a story ready to influence behavior in their target communities.

Workshop format

Full-day workshop · 09:30–16:30 · Includes guided hands-on sessions, case study analysis, live story-drafting exercises, and peer feedback rounds using the StoryHelper platform.
04 · Who is it for

Designed for health communicators.

StoryHelper is built to support anyone trying to translate clinical evidence or public health recommendations into narratives that inspire real-world action.

01 · Researchers

"I need my findings to reach the real world."

You've spent months or years conducting peer-reviewed trials. StoryHelper helps you operationalize those findings, transforming data points into stories that drive community engagement and policy support.

02 · Campaigners

"I need campaigns that change behaviors."

Designing public health campaigns requires clear behavioral triggers without compromising trust. StoryHelper enables you to build stories focused on COM-B opportunities and capabilities that audiences can immediately act on.

03 · Psychologists

"I want to improve patient self-efficacy."

Abstract advice like "exercise more" often fails. StoryHelper lets you draft patient-centered narrative interventions, integrating concrete self-efficacy cues to guide individuals through behavior changes.

03 · Evidence base

Every principle is traceable.

◆ PEER-REVIEWED FOUNDATION

Transportation

Absorbed readers change attitudes more than persuaded ones. Narrative structure modulates absorption.

Green & Brock (2000); Van Laer et al. (2014)

Identification

Character similarity and perspective-taking improve message uptake in health contexts.

Moyer-Gusé (2008); Cohen (2001)

Self-efficacy cues

Concrete, achievable actions embedded in story beats outperform abstract advice.

Bandura (1997); Hinyard & Kreuter (2007)

Ethical framing

Autonomy-supportive language preserves trust without sacrificing behavioral lift.

Deci & Ryan (2000); O'Keefe (2016)
04 · What researchers are saying

Built in the field.

StoryHelper bridges rigorous science and real-world impact. It fundamentally changed how we communicate behavioral health research.
Dr. Emily Carter, PhD
University of California, USA
An exceptional evidence-based approach to storytelling that respects scientific integrity while increasing public engagement.
Prof. Thabo Mokoena
University of Cape Town, South Africa
This tool operationalizes psychological theory into a practical framework for research communication.
Dr. Ana Ribeiro
University of Lisbon, Portugal
A rare combination of methodological rigor and creative clarity.
Prof. Kenji Nakamura
University of Tokyo, Japan
StoryHelper sets a new standard for science-to-society communication.
Dr. Lena Hoffmann
Heidelberg University, Germany
05 · Partners & collaborators
Cross-institutional · since 2024

Logos are trademarks of their respective owners, used to indicate research collaboration.

06 · Meet the team

Scientists, not copywriters.

Dr. Irina Catrinel Craciun

Dr. Irina Catrinel Craciun

Expertise in:

Psychology, health communication and Storytelling

Mostafa Elgayar

Mostafa Elgayar

Expertise in:

Technical development and product strategy

Gregor Lederer

Gregor Lederer

Expertise in:

Engagement, institutional outreach, and program operations

Sophia Seidel

Sophia Seidel

Expertise in:

Ethics, storytelling, and responsible communication

Zubair Hossain

Zubair Hossain

Expertise in:

Research & Development, Software Engineering and AI in healthcare

Start writing

Turn your next finding into a story worth acting on.

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