15 Storytelling Websites that Won’t Let You Go Till The End

Today’s selection is completely devoted to the art of telling stories but presented through the prism of modern web design – storytelling websites!

What classifies a storytelling site as such? For sure, we are looking for creatively written narrative content, a flow that leads the viewers through the story, and engaging visual effects and design elements that enhance the experience.

And while storytelling websites are usually one-page designs whose goal is to take the user all the way through, there are plenty of variations where brands want to leverage this technique in order to attract and retain visitors. Now, let’s sink into inspiration and see 15 beautiful and witty examples of storytelling websites that will definitely ‘wow’ you.

 

Aftermetoo – a compassionate storytelling website

Highlights:

• an illustrative style with visual guide elements
• a compassionate and emotional message
• multiple prompts to action

Aftermetoo is a beautifully illustrated website that tells a sad story in a fantastic way. Targeted at people who have been harassed, Aftermetoo manages to compel by showing compassion and understanding. The interesting thing about the approach is that after each motivating paragraph, the site prompts you to take action – Learn, Act, and Heal.

Lunar Wheel – high-end storytelling design

Highlights:

• high-quality 3D visualizations
• a very engaging visual and written flow
• key information in the beginning that progresses to more detailed explanations

Lunar Wheel tells the story of the quietest wheel you have ever heard. Or shall we say, “have never heard” as the site does a pretty good job engaging the viewer in the story and convincing them of the features of the product.

Quite helpful in this mission are the high-quality visuals that make the site look extremely modern and high-end. The site starts off with key information that sparks the viewer’s curiosity. As the design progresses, the explanations become more detailed.

Paul Furey – a typography-based storytelling site

Highlights:

• typography design without photos or illustrations
• various font styles taking turns
• attractive effects that keep the viewer’s interest

Storytelling websites naturally rely on the impact of words, and that’s the case with Paul Furey‘s personal site, as well. Besides being absolutely compelling, the site manages to engage the viewer with just plain text.

Pardon, not just plain text but brilliant typography that alternates handwriting with typed lettering, underlining and even statements that appear as stamps. All these effects actually boost the power of the message and make the site’s design look modern and appealing.

Mirror City – a VR storytelling site

Highlights:

• a virtual reality web design
• highly informative
• makes the viewer completely immersed

Mirror City invites you on a walk through an alternative universe to present a data-driven ecosystem and tell the viewer everything about it. The highly impressive virtual reality makes the visitor completely immersed and occupied with the story. As the design evolves, you are elegantly led from section to section, learning everything about the project and the team that stands behind it.

Chizzy’s Tips – humorous and interactive storytelling site

Highlights:

• trendy simplified 3D illustrations
• interactive elements
• a humorous note that engages the viewer

If you want to cheer up, check out Chizzy’s Tips! This is one of the funniest storytelling websites. It delights the viewer with humor, super trendy 3D illustrations, and bright colors that perfectly complement the optimistic mood they set from the beginning. Chizzy’s Tips surprises with fun interactive elements – humoristic messages that reveal when hovering with the mouse over the cards. This site will definitely put a smile on every visitor’s face.

Biological Preparations – immersive 3D environment

Highlights:

• 3D environment with a VR effect
• extremely informative
• turns a boring subject into an exciting one

Biological Preparations presents a compelling 3D environment that takes you away and keeps your interest, as you keep scrolling to reveal more. The site is devoted to biological technology. Thanks to the storytelling technique, it manages to turn a boring subject into an exciting journey. In addition, it gives very valuable information about biotech products in a snackable way.

Aampe – product storytelling site

Highlights:

• app features presented through storytelling techniques
• engaging illustrations, animations, and effects
• on the borderline of being classified as storytelling

Aampe is an app for marketing analysis of user behavior, presented in a brilliant way on their site by using a storytelling technique. All illustrations and animations enhance the user experience, and help the viewer understand the concept of the app even better. Plus, they are quite fun. The site cannot classify entirely as a storytelling site. However, it does use storytelling techniques that are worth checking out.

React GG – a visual guide in a board game style

Highlights:

• extremely interactive and engaging
• a visual guide that represents a board game
• written in a friendly and easy-going manner

The React GG website demonstrates a single-page design with plenty of interactive elements for the viewer to engage with. To start off, the user is narrated through the content by a fun visual guide that represents a board game. While scrolling through, you can engage with elements like comparing the traditional approach vs the React approach, play videos, and even perform some simple React tasks.

Atlas – a minimalist storytelling approach

Highlights:

• minimalism in words and design
• a powerful combination of images and written content
• the visitor feels empowered and motivated

Atlas Bespoke‘s website follows the storytelling approach while leveraging minimalism in words. The site’s strategy is to focus on short sentences that feel empowering and motivating. At the same time, each sentence is greatly complemented by powerful images. Or vice versa. Both images and text work together to walk the visitor through the story of how their vision becomes a tailored final result. Overall, the site is a great example of how you can successfully tell a story with little words.

Allens law firm website – a journey through History

Highlights:

• a captivating story that grasps the visitor’s interest
• it tells about the history of the law firm and its values
• enchanting historical images

Allens law firm‘s website is one of the most captivating storytelling websites on this list. It invites the visitor on a journey through history to tell the story of how the company was founded and what values it cherishes, in a compelling and exciting way. In addition, all historical images and illustrations make the viewer completely immersed in the atmosphere. The site truly feels like a tale of the oldest law firm in Australia.

Danube – a fully illustrated storytelling website

Highlights:

• fully designed in a flat illustrative style
• a captivating story with sad and happy moments
• each section prompts the visitor to read more

The Life of a River website is devoted to the Danube River and captivates the viewer from the very beginning. The website is fully illustrated in a modern flat style. Just like a modern tale, the site takes away the viewer with a modern story that sounds sad at times (pollution), and more optimistic – at others (plans to repopularize the area). Created in a captivating flow, each section gives the visitor the opportunity to read and discover more.

Ways We Work – an extraordinary story of an ordinary subject

The Ways We Work introduces a story of how we work but seen from a different perspective – a perspective you might have not even thought about. The story goes into the depths of what people actually dream about their work – what matters the most for Gen Z, Gen X, Millenials, and Baby Boomers. While the site is actually on the fence about being considered storytelling, the captivating way in which how people work is presented as a story definitely gives us the confidence to put it on this list.

The Fabulous World of Dior – a VR experience

Highlights:

• an incredible VR technique
• stories written in a captivating way
• the user can control the pace

The Fabulous World of Dior impresses with a wonderful visual experience that invites the visitor on a journey to the world of Dior. And boy, how it does it! The virtual reality technique literally takes the viewer to the depths of Dior history and lets them reveal exciting stories that make the brand what it is today. The user can easily control the pace of how fast to move on this VR avenue by just moving the mouse scroller forward and back.

Pistola the Legend – mythology-inspired storytelling page

Highlights:

• homepage in a storytelling style
• visual and written content inspired by mythology
• a fixed header that allows the user to navigate to other pages at any time

Pistola‘s website welcomes the viewer with the captivating Legend of Maya Pistola which classifies the site right in the storytelling category. Not only the tale itself is inspired by mythology but the beautiful pencil drawings all vibe out old-school handcrafted art that instantly nails the attention of every mythology-, history-, and even comics lover. In addition, the sticky header that remains all the way through allows the viewer to navigate to any other page at any time in case they don’t want to read about the story anymore.

Singapore Airlines Boarding – an animated storytelling experience

Highlights:

• a storytelling technique that feels like you are watching an animation
• a modern illustrative style
• an interactive experience that the user can control back and forward

We admit it, we had to literally click this site all the way through. The experience that Singapore Airlines Boarding provides is made so captivating and exciting that the user can hardly stop themselves. Although it’s not a story in the meaning of a tale, the whole thing feels like a journey that makes the stay at the airport actually look exciting. Even more, the story evolves to “board” the user on the airplane itself and present the conditions there, as well. Definitely one of the best animated storytelling websites.

 

To sum it up,

More or less, every site tells a story.

So, what traits actually make storytelling websites different?

Put in simple words, a storytelling website is one that tells a story and does it in an extremely captivating way. To make that happen, copywriters, designers, and developers unite powers to create an experience that makes the viewer immerse. You have a compelling story (personal, fictional, or simply creative writing), guiding elements that create a flow for the viewer to follow (scroll effects and animations, visual guides), interactive features (quizzes, games, decision-making prompts), and high-quality visuals that complete the story.

Let’s compare a storytelling site to a regular one.

With this cleared up, you can now easily differentiate an actual storytelling site from the tons of regular ones (that are often ranked as storytelling but are not). I believe that most of us can agree here that the storytelling technique is a wonderful opportunity to create an engaging experience for the viewer that connects with them on a deeper level and simply makes them bond with your brand, cause, or personality.

Hopefully, you loved this collection of 15 captivating storytelling websites and got plenty of inspiration to apply this technique for your next website project. While you consider how you can leverage the power of storytelling, maybe you can check out some other inspirational articles, as well:

• 33 Truly Minimal Design Website Examples
• 50 Bold Black Website Examples for a Strong Online Presence
• 16 Stunning Web Transitions Examples to Inspire Your Design