Generate ideas
Storyboard
Show an idea as a short sequence of panels, from the person's problem to their life after using it, before building anything.
- Time30 to 45 minutes
- People1 to 6 people
- Steps3
What it's for
A storyboard tests whether an idea makes sense as an experience, not just as a feature. Drawing the moment before, the moment of use and the moment after exposes gaps a feature list hides: how did they hear about it, what did they do next?
Stick figures are enough. The panels are about what happens, not how it looks.
How to run it
Pick the idea3 min
One idea, one person, one situation.
Draw the panels20 min
Sketch or describe each moment, with a caption underneath.
Walk it through10 min
Tell the story aloud. Where does it feel thin?
Tips
- Start with the problem, not the product. Panel one shouldn't contain your idea.
- Write what the person thinks or feels in a speech bubble. It keeps the story about them.
Where it comes from
Storyboards were developed at Walt Disney Studios in the early 1930s, usually credited to the animator Webb Smith, who pinned drawings to a board in sequence.
Pairs well with
Crazy 8s
Sketch eight different ideas in eight minutes, one a minute, to get past the first obvious idea fast.
Journey map
Map what a person does, thinks and feels at each stage of getting something done, and find where it goes wrong.
Story spine
Eight sentence starters, from "Once upon a time" to "And ever since then", that give any story a beginning, a turn and an end.