Storyboarding

Develop the story
We understand much through stories and this is a key medium for communication. Stories are natural media by which anyone can explain something to another. When we listen to the story of another person, we put ourselves in their shoes, feeling and experiencing as they do, so stories are great for learning, as we naturally follow along the path they lay down to the ideas and conclusions that the author has crafted.

Stories are great for hooking people in and generating emotional responses.We use them to define a problem and (or) to plan implementation of a solution. Storyboarding enables a team of participants to explore a topic and arrive at a consensus view on a course of action or a set of conclusions.

We use storyboarding to facilitate the creative-thinking process and can be likened to taking your thoughts and the thoughts of others and spreading them out on a wall as you work on a project or solve a problem. Storyboards gives participants total immersion in a scenario, letting them see how everything fits together.

How to use it
  • Consider what you wish to explore or explain. Many situations or ideas can be brought to life by showing what happens over time, illustrating the very real stories in which they do or may exist.
  • It is important that the objective and purpose of the storyboard are clearly understood by all participants at the start of the session.
  • Explore the dynamics of the situation. Try to understand people lives. Draw out their stories. Wild ideas are encouraged. The more ideas the better.
  • Consider how your idea shapes and guides the story, dramatically or subtly changing what would otherwise be.
  • Find a coherent storyline, with actors and a complete plot. What are the key turning points in the story? What are the main things that happen? What are the main messages?
  • After the session, the results can be typed as a report of the session.

Tips: Use your imagination. Good stories build tension and include unexpected surprises. They evoke emotions. And they end by resolving the tensions and leaving the reader satisfied.
During a story-boarding session, consider all ideas relevant, no matter how unrealistic they appear.

 

 

The key characteristics of this technique are the following:

 

Quick




X


Long

 

Logical




X


Psychological

 

Individual




X


Group

 

Do you know that Walt Disney used this technique? Watch the video to learn more...
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