Multimedia Storyboarding

What is Multimedia Storyboarding?

Multimedia storyboarding is a tool to communicate your idea or scenario of use. A multimedia storyboard can include elements of video, sketch, text, audio, photos, & even physical prototypes to illustrate the story, be it linear or non-linear storyline.

Why use Multimedia Storyboarding?

Multimedia storyboarding can serve many purposes. When used in the Discover phase it can allow you to better understand current situations. In the Define Phase, it can allow you to hone in on key aspects of your design to iterate on. While in the Develop phase it can allow you to quickly and effectively communicate your ideas and concepts.

Process Phase

Deliver

Time

1 hour

Materials

Pens, Paper, Markers, Video/Audio Recording Devices, Multimedia Storyboarding Template

Template_Outlined - Multimedia Storyboar

Method Card Reference

DI Method Cards_Compiled Deck_Version 2.

Procedure

Identify your target user

what are your user's key characteristics?
Eg: A busy business woman

Story's key focus

Eg: User accidentally leaves their wallet in the AV

Story's Context

Where does this story take place?
Example: backseat of the AV, user was rushing for a business meeting.

"Key Actors"

What are the key touchpoints in the story?
They could be inanimate objects
Eg. User's Wallet, AV, Phone Application (used to contact the AV)

Flow of events

What is the sequence/order of events?
Discuss it with your team
Use thumbnail sketches to quickly ideate and visualise some possible flows.

Appropriate Media Choice

Pick a media most suitable to pitch your idea.
Example: A service industry scenario with lots of human touchpoints might be better playacted, rather than drawn out as a storyboard
Example: A scenario with a significant backend process could have a system diagram accompany a storyboard such that users can follow the process.

Build It!

Turn your ideas into something tangible.
It is much easier for others to visualise your idea when they are able to see something tangible.

Pitch it & Gather feedback

Depending on your target audience, you will either seek to convince/persuade through your pitch (eg. to Clients), or to simply gather feedback from users to fuel further design iterations.

Common FAQ

A. When should you use playacting instead of a storyboard?

A question you can ask yourself is:

Are there a lot of human interaction touchpoints in this story? If so, perhaps it may make more sense to playact it out.

B. How high-fidelity should your storyboard be?

This will depend on the target audience you intend to pitch it to. Should your target audience be clients that you are seeking to convince/persuade with your storyboard, then by all means polish it up and make it sleek and presentable! For instance, you may choose to swap out the hand drawn images with photographs instead.

Alternatively, you may be pitching your storyboard instead to users in hopes of gathering their feedback. In this second case, time is of the essence, so prototype out the simplest version you can that still enables you to carry your intended message and experience across.

C. What would warrant the drawing/recording of an event on a frame?

Each change in touchpoints/scenes/actions of the user ought to be its own frame.

Demo Video

This video gives you a walk-through on how you might conduct Multimedia Storyboarding, with helping examples relating to an Autonomous Vehicle Design Challenge.