assEMBLING a NaRRaTIVEPLAN601E VErbAL ANd VisuAL: iNformAtioN GrAPhics (sEssioN 5)

ELEMENTs of a sToRyBoaRd

ELEMENTs of a sToRyBoaRd

dIaLoGuE

whaT you sEE

how ThIs fITs IN sEquENcE

NoTEs oN whaT you sEE

ELEMENTs of a sToRyBoaRd

storyboards do not have to be well drawn. they only have to communicate your ideas (and should be more explicit than this one)

Pose a problem: “An outcast patriarch tries to win back his family’s good graces.”

pREMIsE: fuNdaMENTaL coNcEpT ThaT dRIVEs ThE pLoT

Ask a question: “What if you had to live the same day over and over?”

pREMIsE: fuNdaMENTaL coNcEpT ThaT dRIVEs ThE pLoT

trace a route: “find 100,000 deutsch marks and get across town (i.e. the roads not taken).”

pREMIsE: fuNdaMENTaL coNcEpT ThaT dRIVEs ThE pLoT

ThREE acT sToRy

acT 1: sET up – sETTING, chaRacTERs, aNd pRoBLEM INTRoducEdconfined to a wheelchair, Jefferies spends the day watching his neighbors. Lisa wants Jefferies, but he acts distracted.

acT 2: TuRNING poINT – pRoBLEM GETs coMpLEXA neighbor appears to have killed a dog that was digging up the garden; Jefferies thinks the neighbor has murdered his wife, but his detective friend doesn’t believe him.

acT 3: dENouEMENT – cLIMaX happENs aNd pRoBLEM REsoLVEdJefferies convinces Lisa to sneak into the neighbor’s apartment to find evidence of the murder, but they both almost get murdered themselves. Now that she is a co-conspirer, Jefferies agrees to marry Lisa. Lisa is happy.

organize a presentation with three “acts” or “chapters”: 1) set the characters and context; 2) detail a problem; 3) resolve the problem. Let story lead your narrative, not data.

ways To TELL a sToRyorganize a presentation with three “acts” or “chapters”: 1) set the characters and context; 2) detail a problem; 3) resolve the problem. Let story lead your narrative, not data.

BuILd a casE

Provide information and argue for a specific interpretation – reveal a way to look at the world

acT 1: background informationacT 2: AnalysisacT 3: findings or proposal

ways To TELL a sToRyorganize a presentation with three “acts” or “chapters”: 1) set the characters and context; 2) detail a problem; 3) resolve the problem. Let story lead your narrative, not data.

GIVE a suMMaTIVE TouR

describe existing conditions in depth and volume that puts a single phenomenon in context

acT 1: individual instancesacT 2: Explain phenomenaacT 3: draw phenomenon into context and draw conclusions

ways To TELL a sToRyorganize a presentation with three “acts” or “chapters”: 1) set the characters and context; 2) detail a problem; 3) resolve the problem – narrate with stories not data

EXpLoRE a scENaRIo

Explain a problem or condition through the experience of stakeholders

acT 1: describe a character and their issues/concerns acT 2: detail the mechanism that could serve themacT 3: describe how the character is served by the proposed program or service

ways To TELL a sToRyorganize a presentation with three “acts” or “chapters”: 1) set the characters and context; 2) detail a problem; 3) resolve the problem. Let story lead your narrative, not data.

EVaLuaTIoN

Explore the strengths and weaknesses of a given phenomenon, issue or dimension

acT 1: set a baseline: establish existing conditions and explain them in contextacT 2: Evaluate conditions or solutions via matrix comparison, continuum, pros and cons, etc.acT 3: make recommendations

acT 1mAiN idEA

acT 2mAiN idEA

acT 3mAiN idEA

1) make a grid with three acts and write out the main idea of each act

sToRyBoaRdING wITh INdEX caRds

2) Write all of your content onto index cards.sToRyBoaRdING wITh INdEX caRds

fAct

fAct

fAct

fActfAct

idEA

idEA

idEA

idEAobsErVAtioN

diAGrAm

GrAPh

GrAPh

GrAPh

GrAPhmAP / drAWiNG

Photo

Photo

Photo

Photo

Photo

Photo

acT 1mAiN idEA

acT 2mAiN idEA

acT 3mAiN idEA

3) Place the cards into the grid, grouping content based on the ideas you want to express.

sToRyBoaRdING wITh INdEX caRds

fAct

fAct

fAct

fActfAct

fAct

idEA

idEA

idEAidEA

idEAidEA

idEAidEA

GrAPh

GrAPh

mAP / drAWiNG

mAP / drAWiNG

mAP / drAWiNG

mAP / drAWiNG

mAP / drAWiNG

mAP / drAWiNG

mAP / drAWiNG

mAP / drAWiNG

mAP / drAWiNG

Photo Photo

Photo

Photo

Photo

Photo

Photo

Photo

Photo

Photo

diAGrAm

diAGrAm

diAGrAm

acT 1mAiN idEA

acT 2mAiN idEA

acT 3mAiN idEA

4) talk through your presentation – thinking especially about how you transition from one idea to another. What else do you need?

sToRyBoaRdING wITh INdEX caRds

fAct

fAct

fAct

fActfAct

fAct

idEA

idEA

idEAidEA

idEAidEA

idEAidEA

GrAPh

GrAPh

mAP / drAWiNG

mAP / drAWiNG

mAP / drAWiNG

mAP / drAWiNG

mAP / drAWiNG

mAP / drAWiNG

mAP / drAWiNG

mAP / drAWiNG

mAP / drAWiNG

Photo Photo

Photo

Photo

Photo

Photo

Photo

Photo

Photo

Photo

diAGrAm

diAGrAm

diAGrAm

acT 1mAiN idEA

acT 2mAiN idEA

acT 3mAiN idEA

5) revise. re-sequence / re-group cards; re-visit main ideas; edit and identify gaps in content (ideas / visuals).

sToRyBoaRdING wITh INdEX caRds

fAct

fAct

fAct

fActfAct

fAct

idEA

idEA

idEAidEA

idEAidEA

idEAidEA

GrAPh

GrAPh

mAP / drAWiNG

mAP / drAWiNG

mAP / drAWiNG

mAP / drAWiNG

mAP / drAWiNG

mAP / drAWiNG

mAP / drAWiNG

mAP / drAWiNG

mAP / drAWiNG

Photo Photo

Photo

Photo

Photo

Photo

Photo

Photo

Photo

Photo

diAGrAm

diAGrAm

diAGrAm

1) draw grid of boxes, leaving column on right for main and supporting ideas and background information.

sToRyBoaRdING oN a BLaNk paGE/whITEBoaRd

Main Idea

supporting Ideas

Background / clarification / contradiction

2) give a title for each box and a message, write main ideas and background information in right column.

sToRyBoaRdING oN a BLaNk paGE/whITEBoaRd

supporting Ideas

Background / clarification / contradiction

Main Idea(s)title

Message Message Message

title title

title

Message Message Message

title title

title

Message Message Message

title title

title

Message Message Message

title title

title

Message Message Message

title title

title

Message Message Message

title title

fAct

fAct

fAct

fAct

fAct

fAct

fAct

idEA idEA

idEA

idEA

idEA

idEA

3) Add content to each box, including graphics and visual documentation to support the message.

sToRyBoaRdING oN a BLaNk paGE/whITEBoaRd

supporting Ideas

Background / clarification / contradiction

Main Idea(s)

title

Message Message Message

title title

title

Message Message Message

title title

title

Message Message Message

title title

fAct

fAct

fAct

fAct

fAct

fAct

fAct

idEA idEA

idEA

idEA

idEA

idEA

4) talk through your presentation – how do the transitions work? does the content support the main idea?

sToRyBoaRdING oN a BLaNk paGE/whITEBoaRd

supporting Ideas

Background / clarification / contradiction

Main Idea(s)

title

Message Message Message

title title

title

Message Message Message

title title

title

Message Message Message

title title

fAct

fAct

fAct

fAct

fAct

fAct

fAct

idEA idEA

idEA

idEA

idEA

idEA

5) revise. re-sequence / re-group cards; re-visit main ideas; edit and identify gaps in content (ideas / visuals).

sToRyBoaRdING oN a BLaNk paGE/whITEBoaRd

supporting Ideas

Background / clarification / contradiction

Main Idea(s)

1) brain dump. List all main points in the order they occur to me.sToRyBoaRdING: hyBRId TEchNIquE

main point A

main point b

main point N

main point X

main point v

main point L

2) List any assumptions or key ideas required to understand or accept any of these points, build any especially significant ones into the list

sToRyBoaRdING: hyBRId TEchNIquE

assumptionkey idea

assumptions

key idea

main point A

main point b

main point N

main point X

main point v

main point L

4

7

3) Put your list in sequence. sToRyBoaRdING: hyBRId TEchNIquE

assumptionkey idea

assumptions

key idea

main point A

main point b

main point N

main point X

main point v

main point L

1

2

3

5 4

56

{4

7

4) recopy the list and identify act/chapter breaks with main ideas. Evaluate per timing, duration and tonal needs, and readjust.

sToRyBoaRdING: hyBRId TEchNIquE

assumptionkey idea

assumptions

key idea

main point A

main point b

main point N

main point X

main point v

main point L

1

2

3

5 4

56

main point bmain point nmain point amain point xmain point Qmain point vmain point Lmain point M

exist

ing

cond

itio

nsan

alys

ispr

opos

als

{

Message Message Message

Message Message

Message

fAct

fAct

5) use the blank page/whiteboard method, sketch in ways to visualize each message. try not to be limited to only the visual material you have already made.

sToRyBoaRdING hyBRId TEchNIquE

Main Point 1 Main Point 2

Main Point 3

Message

fAct

idEA

Message Message

fAct

Main Point 4

Main Point 5

Message

Main Point 6

Message

AssumPtioN

Main Point 7

AssumPtioN

Message

fAct

idEA

Message Message Message

Message Message

Message

fAct

fAct

6) revise. re-sequence; evaluate coherence, timing, pace and story arc; edit and identify gaps in content (ideas / visuals). make additions.

sToRyBoaRdING hyBRId TEchNIquE

Main Point 1 Main Point 2

Main Point 3

Message

fAct

idEA

Message Message

fAct

Main Point 4

Main Point 5

Message

Main Point 6

Message

Main Point 7

Message

fAct

idEA

Message

fAct

idEA

AssumPtioN

AssumPtioN

sToRyBoaRdING EXERcIsE

wRITE a pREMIsE 10

BRaINsToRM ThREE acTs/chapTERs 10

BuILd youR sToRyBoaRd 20

start with main ideas/points

GRoup dIscussIoN 20