IDEO

IDEO - Storyboard Key Concepts

Use comic book-style frames to visually map your product or service. Plotting elements helps you deeply understand your idea. Create a rough prototype to think through a concept.

Duration
1 hour
Group Size
4-8
Category
IDEO
Difficulty
Easy
Energy
Medium

Objectives

Visualize a concept's key moments and narrative flow. Understand how your idea works in practice. Think through concepts without needing artistic expertise or expensive prototyping.

Outcomes

You'll get storyboards of key concepts, visual narratives of solutions, and improved communication of ideas.

Step-by-Step Instructions


  1. Choose a focus area: With a partner, decide which part of the idea to prototype. Select a specific user journey or interaction.

  2. Create visual frames: Spend 30-45 minutes drawing how ideas work using comic book-style frames. Focus on key moments and transitions.

  3. Prioritize thinking over drawing: Don't worry about drawing skills. Use simple sketches and stick figures.

  4. Test with the team: Act out the storyboard for team feedback. Walk through each frame, gather input, and iterate.

Unlock Step-by-Step Instructions

Join 2,500+ facilitators who use Workshopr to plan better workshops — free during beta.

Facilitator Tips

No artistic skills are needed – focus on communication. This exercise is great for exploring user journeys and service touchpoints. It helps identify missing steps or confusing transitions. Sometimes, teams get hung up on making the drawings perfect; remind them to focus on the story.

Pre-Work

For Facilitators

  • Review participant profiles and expectations
  • Prepare all materials and supplies
  • Test technology and room setup

For Participants

  • Complete pre-session survey
  • Review background materials
  • Prepare examples or case studies

Unlock Pre-Work Requirements

Join 2,500+ facilitators who use Workshopr to plan better workshops — free during beta.

Materials Required


  • Pens

  • Paper

Unlock Materials Required

Join 2,500+ facilitators who use Workshopr to plan better workshops — free during beta.

Resources & Templates

  • Facilitator Guide (PDF)
  • Participant Workbook Template
  • Presentation Slides
  • Printable Materials

Unlock Resources & Templates

Join 2,500+ facilitators who use Workshopr to plan better workshops — free during beta.

Discussion

0/2000
Loading comments...

Related Exercises

See all exercises

IDEO - Live Prototyping

4 hours

A Live Prototype puts your solution into the real world for weeks or months. This is your chance to stress test the complete system and see how all th...

Ideo

IDEO - Align On Your Participatory Approach

30 mins

Engage participants meaningfully. Center their hopes and needs for your project. Part of the LUMA collection.

Ideo

IDEO - Pilot

4 hours

A Pilot is a crucial, longer-term test of your solution before market launch. Unlike a Live Prototype, it's a sustained engagement that tests your ent...

Ideo

18F - Design Hypothesis

1 hour

Turn your work into a testable hypothesis. This focuses effort on achieving specific goals. It shifts thinking from just building to ensuring impact.

18f

Storyboarding

45 mins

Create comic strip-style stories to visualize user scenarios. Each storyboard shows user context, problem, solution interaction, and outcome in 6-8 pa...

Ideation/creativity