Traditional residences embody deep cultural and academic value. To objectively present their historical significance and stimulate public engagement, this study explores an objective approach to digital narrative design within a “story and discourse” narratology framework. Using the traditional residential buildings of Shanghai’s Nanyin Hall as a case study, we collected relevant geospatial data and generated narrative content through visual analysis of data characteristics. We then identified common narrative structures within Shanghai’s traditional residential stories using event extraction and feature vector clustering methods. Based on these findings, we designed a story script and presented it through an interactive digital storytelling website. The digital narrative primarily focuses on how environmental changes have influenced site selection, residential construction, and economic development. The story follows the progressive arc characteristic of Shanghai’s traditional residential narratives. Throughout the narrative design process, full consideration was given to ensuring the credibility and persuasiveness of the narrative content, providing an operable solution for the design of objective and effective digital narratives.
Zhang et al. (Tue,) studied this question.