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Storyboarding
Planning and Checking a Process as a Team
You've just finished a long planning session for a new initiative, but you can't shake off the
feeling that you've forgotten something important.
Then it hits you. There's a critical flaw in the plan, and now you're going to have to
schedule another meeting to do the whole thing all over again. Does this sound familiar?
It's a terrible feeling, and one that we've likely all experienced. But we might have avoided
this problem if we'd used a simple planning tool that the film industry has relied on for
decades: the storyboard.
This article explains how storyboarding can improve your planning processes – leading to
even better end results.
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Storyboards work because they tell a story in a visual way. When people have something to
look at, it's much easier for them to understand concepts, interpret diagrams or charts, and
visualize the future.
It doesn't matter if it's a movie plot or the story of your company's new product.
Storyboards can change any kind of data into something living and dynamic. They can turn
the sometimes-boring process of planning into an interactive, fun experience for everyone
involved.
Tip:
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You can structure your storyboard any way you like. Some models show the final outcome
on the left, and the steps flow from right to left toward it. Others use a vertical approach:
the outcome is at the top, and the steps come up from the bottom to support it. Or you can
use the film industry's model, with one frame after another in a line, running from left to
right.
Create a design.
Brainstorm a topic.
Develop the content.
Do the mailing.
1. Brainstorm a topic.
2. Develop the content.
3. Create a design.
4. Do the mailing.
Hire a copywriter.
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2. Create a design:
Hire a designer.
Lay out the newsletter.
Tip:
See also our articles on Affinity Diagrams , Flow Charts , Swim Lane Diagrams ,
and Work Breakdown Structures , all of which do similar jobs, and have different
strengths and different weaknesses.
Key Points
When you're faced with a big project or key decision, a storyboard can help you to think
through the process. This can prevent you from feeling overwhelmed by everything that
you and your team must accomplish, and to identify and plan for the key problems that
may arise.
By working together, you can brainstorm action steps, put them in the correct order, and
discuss them to make sure that you've considered everything, and that your process is
robust.
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