DESCRIPTION
The USP of this method is it’s transforming complex business narratives into visually driven, logically sequenced and stakeholder-aligned story journeys. It makes the real story tangible and “touchable”, visualizing an (abstract) strategy, emotionally and compelling. Ideal for C‑suite presentations, strategy decks, marketing campaigns, product launches, investor pitches and any environment demanding decisive, aligned, and visual logic. Enriched with customer/persona data, visual assets, key insights, stakeholder feedback mechanism, this is the perfect tool to “feel” and “see” the story.
Origins:
Adapted from cinematic storyboarding pioneered by Walt Disney in the 1930s, it is now used by most consultancy companies such as McKinsey and consumable companies like Apple for their keynotes.
USED BY
Commonly used in marketing, creative agencies, brand workshops, and internal communication strategy sessions or any environment where teams need to craft compelling business narratives.
Approximately needed time
- Step 1: 2 hours
- Step 2: 3 hours
- Step 3: 2 hours
- Step 4: 4 hours
- Step 5: 3 hours
- TOTAL: 14 hours
METHOD
MATERIAL YOU COULD NEED: Whiteboard or sketchboard, sticky notes, markers, tools like Miro, PowerPoint, Figma.
STAKEHOLDER GOOD TO KNOW: Story architects, consultants, managers, content experts, designers, decision-makers, Strategy leads, marketing, finance, analysts, content creators, Strategy lead, domain experts, peers, Designers, communications, data analysts, Senior leaders, presenters.
STEPS
SCENARIO & PURPOSE: Setting the scene.
Clarify the business challenge, e.g. “secure Series A financing.”. Identify, describe and pin down your audience or customer and how to reach them on an emotional level. Focus on the (call to) action outcome (buy‑in, sign‑off, investment, etc.).
Supporting methods: Persona development, hypothesis framing, consulting pyramid logic.
Example: “Pitch sustainability roadmap to CFO to unlock €10 M investment.”
CRAFTING: Start your design.
Transforms narrative direction into visual frames. Draw frames (ideally on Post-its to resort them), include key scenes, add comments to the frames naming the challenges and introducing the solution, showcasing data driven impact. Add transition and optical focus suggestions.
Supporting methods: Templates in Miro, wireframe, comic‑style panels.
Example: Visual panel 1: customer in pain; panel 2 & 3: how to reach panel 4; panel 4: solution demo, partner success.
LOGIC & FLOW: ensures each scene supports the core argument.
Check logical linkage: does frame 3 support frame 2’s premise? Can the story be told, without being to “stressy” or jumping to much back and forth. Does it go in the direction it’s supposed to? Does it need an additional explanation somewhere? Adjust sequence for maximum emotional and rational impact.
Supporting methods: Line method. Attache the frames to a line (no chance for a “double”-frame) and try to tell the story challenging if it works. Pyramid logic, consult decks, peer walkthroughs.
Example: Frame order: Pain → Consequence → Our Product → Return of Invest → Call‑to‑action.
PROTOTYPE VISUALS: Putting some life into the frames.
Translates sketches into polished, shareable content. Add everything you described and the notes you’ve made. Challenge the sequence again. Build draft slide deck or digital board. Add imagery, icons, charts and everything else your story needs to et this ONE look&feel. Add your frame titles as concise headlines.
Supporting methods: Slide templates, brand style guides, data visualization tools.
Example: Slide 1: “38% process waste,” Slide 5: “€3 M annual savings.”
VALIDATE: Give it the final polish and transfer it
Now, it’s time for another test. Does the impact come through and ensures alignment. Is it fitting to your product and what you want to tell? Preview it with decision makers or other internal stakeholders. Are the narrative clear enoough? Do titles tell THE story? Challenge it with your audience with a sneak preview and some feedback. and if necessary, revise order, visuals and text
Supporting methods: Peer review, small pilot presentation, usability testing.
Example: CFO points out missing cost context, therefor visual ROI slide needs to be designed and the frames potentially a reorder.
ORIGINAL MULTI STEP VERSION (7 steps)
Typical storyboard process:
- Define objective
- Script / scenario
- Template & layout
- Sketch frames
- Annotate
- Review & revise
- Finalize & share
PROMINENT BRANDS USING IT
Apple: Keynotes planned via storyboard + pyramid logic
Airbnb, Uber: UX journey storyboard in campaigns and app redesigns
Kinsey: Internal pitch and strategy alignment
ANECDOTE
Apple’s product launches are fully storyboarded ahead of time: narrative arcs are drawn first, then polished into slides. It’s said the story’s skeleton is approved even before slide design begins, ensuring each demo moment “earns its place.”
