The storyboarding process actually started with Leonardo da
Vinci but was revitalized and developed at the Walt Disney Studios in 1929 with the
creation of Steamboat
Willie. Since that time it has grown in popularity in movie and animation
studios and has also moved into mainstream business.
Walt Disney World itself was planned exclusively via storyboarding
in about 10 days. Walt Disney and Mike Vance saw that
storyboarding could be adapted effectively for business planning in a mode they
termed “displayed thinking.”
Displayed thinking can be used for group problem-solving and strategic
planning, such as in:
·
Decision Making
·
Strategic Planning
·
Decision Execution
·
Building Consensus and Buy-in
·
Processing Large Amounts of Information
·
Making the Plan Visible While it is Executed
There are 13 basic steps to the typical storyboarding
process. You can just as easily go through this yourself for an individual
project as you can with a group for a larger project. This is outlined well by
the Iowa
State University Extension:
1. State the Problem.
Be specific and concise.
2. Brainstorm and Post all Ideas.
Each idea is written in large letters on a separate card or
piece of paper.
3. Share Ideas.
Participants talk about what they have written on the cards.
4. Review Each Card for Meaning.
Ask for clarification.
5. Sorting By Content.
In silence, participants begin sorting and grouping the
items of similar content.
6. “Header Cards” Added.
Participants are given several “header cards” that are
larger (and a different color) than the idea cards previously used.
7. Total Group Discusses the Groupings.
There may be a need to break some of the topics into smaller
sub-topics.
8. “Symptoms” vs. “Causes.”
The focus should be on the root causes of the problem, not
causes.
9. Vote for Consensus.
The group identifies the top three or four ideas.
10. Restate Header Cards Using A Verb.
Replace a noun with a verb.
11. Subtier Actions.
If subtier actions are necessary, post them under the header
cards.
12. Assign Completion Date.
Assign a completion date to each item.
13. Post Dates and Name of Person Responsible.
Post dates and the name of the person responsible for each
action item.
“Tell” instructions and half of them will be forgotten –
tell a story and it will remembered.
