New to Studio 09_Need Storyboard Examples

[rxmeds]

I'm designing my first project. Can anyone share an example(s) of a storyboard template they've used specifically with Studio 09?

All would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[DavidAnderson]

HI rxmeds - I usually storyboard first in Word and then move to authoring my course. Here's and example of one format I use.

It might help to qualify what you're meaning by storyboard? This terms is used interchangeably for many aspects of elearning design (written script, detailed design doc, visual storyboard, etc.)

Is there a specific meaning you had in mind?

David

[rxmeds]

Not sure what to develop for my client, David. Is the file you shared with me a "detailed design doc?" Do you have an example of a visual storyboard?

Which do you recommend?

[Jenise_RidgeViewMedia.com]

Hi rxmeds:

What David sent you is a very simple storyboard document. Detailed Design Documents are very different. Those include the objectives-behind-the objectives, source documents revealed during the analysis phase... in other words, the DDD is the sheriff document that keeps everyone within the law, so to speak. Any changes to the DDD means a Change Request document.

The DDD is the parent document, and the storyboard is the child document that focuses solely on the design and develoment of each screen of the course. David's sample doesn't include a space for a screen shot, but we have frequently used a Word storyboard document with screen shots so the clients can visually "see" the course design.

For virtual teams, it's critical to use Word docs for both your DDD and your storyboards. These docs help to keep everyone on the same page, no matter where they're located geographically.

I revised David's sample quickly, put in my comic book image of me with my new iPad as a screen shot example. You can revise it to fit your team's needs, but it's a good representative of what we've used in the past.

Hope this helps!

[DavidAnderson]

Hey rxmeds - for simple projects or template projects based on established standards, I will work mostly, if not entirely, with a Word-based storyboard and then author the course directly in Articulate.

For custom or new projects, I will always work both from a Word document and a visual storyboard.

Visual storyboards, as I define them, include full designs of the course slides. This might include one design for each type of content (content, activity, objectives, etc) or it will include a visual layout of every slide. I would seek sign-off on this prior to animating, syncing and developing.

One thing that I see more with rapid design is for designers to visually layout their slides but hold off on animating and syncing. PowerPoint is really great for this and I'm starting to do more visual layout in PowerPoint. This saves me from exporting graphics from Photoshop or Fireworks and importing into PowerPoint. I do like using Layer Comps in Photoshop for managing various revisions to initial designs.

Here's a sample of what I might include in a visual storyboard. Here I broke out 7 or so slides for various content arrangements and included a quick style guide identifying each of the primary elements of the overall theme.

[Willoughby]

Yeah, the visual boards are key when doing anything out of the norm. The last thing you want to do is build out a course and have your client review for look and feel.

Clients never understand what a course will look like if you just outline:
Heading1: BelzioBold 28pt #313030
Body text: Zurich 16pt #4f5b51

You have to lay it all out for them.

/willoughby

[Willoughby]

David's sample doesn't include a space for a screen shot, but we have frequently used a Word storyboard document with screen shots so the clients can visually "see" the course design.

Cool idea to include a cell for visual design.

How would you manage all the images listed in the "Image Files" column? Would you include all the graphics in your cell or would you add multiple cells to visually show the elements? I ask because I notice in Media Notes there are Fade In, Animate and Fade Out instructions. Would you just show a selected frame from the slide?

/willoughby

[Jenise_RidgeViewMedia.com]

Willowby,

Good questions.

The audience for the multimedia sections of the storyboard are your developers. So, how you would list or not list your media elements are up to you and your development team. They aren't references for the client, per se.

I've worked on virtual teams for almost two years, and the developers are "off shore", either in the US across various states, or in other countries.

The teams have had a multimedia library of elements and their corresponding file names (*.png, *.flv, *.swf, *.wav, etc.)

Typically, we create a template look-and-feel specific to the client's branding, and so don't have to list individual file names for arrows, buttons, etc. Instead, we list the file name of a particular screen in the template library. We also have had a library of screens that the instructional designers use to choose the screen that best conveys the content via adult online learning methods, and... of course... the client approves the choice (or not ).

Does that help answer your question? Keep asking until you get the answers you need.

[Willoughby]

we have frequently used a Word storyboard document with screen shots so the clients can visually "see" the course design.

audience for the multimedia sections of the storyboard are your developers.

So you use the screenshots for the clients or multimedia developers? In your example you added a cell to include a screenshot but I'm interested in how you would communicate a more advanced slide with content that transitions on and off the slide so "clients can visually see the course design."

I ask because unless I'm building single-image slides, I break out slide designs as separate documents: script document and visual design comp documents.

The only other time we work with screenshots posted in storyboards is for technical training so we can track which area of the application syncs with current narration.

Cool thread topic.

[Jenise_RidgeViewMedia.com]

Originally Posted by Willoughby

So you use the screenshots for the clients or multimedia developers? In your example you added a cell to include a screenshot but I'm interested in how you would communicate a more advanced slide with content that transitions on and off the slide so "clients can visually see the course design."

We use a very high tech process called: The client conference call.

And, we'd have 2 screen shots for that one view that the learner sees, so the client could see the content transitions. But, if we only use one screen shot in the storyboard, in the table cells below, we write out the content transitions.

Willowby, have you done a WWW search for storyboard templates? It's always interesting to see what others have used (and share freely).