Narrative by Design

A 25-minute interactive exercise
to discover your story

Self-Awareness Story Design Career Clarity

By Seth Looper · Founder, Lo/Be Studio
Tested & used at Dartmouth College

Let's start

What's your name?

What are you studying?

Before we begin

This is private — only you can see what you write on your screen.

There are no wrong answers. This is about self-discovery, not performance.

Write in Chinese or English — whatever feels natural.

This is a starting point, not a final answer. You can always come back to it.

Anonymous responses are shared with your facilitator to improve future sessions. No personal data is stored.

Phase 1 · Brain Dump

3:00

Tell us about yourself

Something you've done that matters to you, and something you want to do in the future. Write in Chinese or English.

▸ See an example

EXAMPLE

I study Computer Science at Zhejiang University. In sophomore year, I joined a rural education volunteer program and taught coding to elementary students in Guizhou. That experience made me realize technology isn't just about writing code — it can change people's lives. I want to study HCI in the US and build ed-tech products so more rural kids can access good learning tools.

中文也可以 — write however feels natural.

0 words No right or wrong answer

Phase 2 · Ground It

Discover your building blocks

You'll see three card decks. Tap the ones that feel true to you — pick 5 from each.

5 Values

5 Strengths

5 Skills

VALUES

Tap to select 5

0 / 5 selected

Values locked in!

Next up: your natural strengths.

Phase 3 · Compress

From paragraph to one word

We'll take everything you've shared and distill it down to the ONE word that defines your direction.

Phase 3 · Step 1

Which sentence captures you best?

▸ Your 15 cards

— or write your own —

Phase 3 · Step 2

What's the ONE word at the heart of it?

— or type your own —

Your Compass Word

Does this word surprise you? If it doesn't feel right, that's OK — you can change it.

Phase 4 · Map It

5:00

Connect to your future

▸ Your building blocks

🎓 What kind of work or study excites you most?

💡 What problems do you want to help solve?

🌎 Where do you imagine yourself in 5 years?

👪 How would your family describe your strengths?

Phase 5 · Rewrite

4:00

Rewrite your story

Using your compass word and building blocks below, write 2-3 sentences about who you are and where you're heading. Write in Chinese or English.

⭐ Compass:

Tap any chip above to insert it into your writing ↓

0 words Your words, your story

Your Story — Redesigned

Your transformation

25 minutes ago

Now

Your Compass Word

What You Discovered Today

Quick Insight Summary

Your Compass Word

Values

Strengths

Skills

Your Direction

🔄 What to do next

This is your starting point, not a final answer. Come back to these questions over the next few weeks:

Does my compass word still feel right?
Which values am I actually living, not just wishing for?
What experiences can I create this semester to test my direction?
What would make my family proud — and does that align with what I want?

"The students who find the right path are the ones who start with themselves — not with a school name."

— Seth Looper, Founder of Lo/Be Studio

Want help building your narrative?

seth@lo-be-story.com

lo-be-story.com