storyboard

$2a

Why This Works

• Emotional engagement: Stories create empathy in ways specs can't

• Concrete over abstract: Visual narrative makes vague concepts tangible

• Memorable: People remember stories better than feature lists

• Alignment tool: Stakeholders can react to a story and give feedback

• Low-fidelity: Doesn't require polished design—sketches work great

Anti-Patterns (What This Is NOT)

• Not a user flow diagram: This is emotional storytelling, not process documentation

• Not a feature demo: Focus on user outcomes, not product capabilities

• Not marketing copy: Authentic narrative, not hype

When to Use This

• Pitching a new product or feature to stakeholders

• Aligning teams on user value (product, design, engineering, execs)

• Testing if a product idea resonates emotionally

• Communicating vision at all-hands or investor meetings

• Validating problem/solution fit before building

When NOT to Use This

• For technical implementation details (use architecture diagrams instead)

• When the user problem is trivial or well-understood

• As a replacement for user research (storyboards illustrate insights, don't create them)

Application

Use template.md for the full fill-in structure.

Step 1: Gather Context

Before creating the storyboard, ensure you have:

• Persona clarity: Who is the main character? (reference skills/proto-persona/SKILL.md)

• Problem understanding: What challenge do they face? (reference skills/problem-statement/SKILL.md)

• Solution definition: What product/feature will help? (reference skills/positioning-statement/SKILL.md)

• Desired outcome: What does success look like for the user?

If missing context: Run discovery work first. Don't fabricate personas or problems.

Step 2: Answer the 7 Storyboard Questions

Ask these questions one at a time to develop the narrative:

• Who is the main character experiencing this problem? (Name, age, role, context)

• Describe the problem or challenge the main character is facing.

• Describe the "Oh Crap" moment where the problem creates a major issue.

• How is the solution introduced to the main character?

• Describe the main character using the solution and experiencing an "Aha" moment.

• What is life like for the main character after using the solution?

• Do you have any specific visual style or rendering instructions? (Default: fat-marker sharpie sketches, minimal and monochrome)

Step 3: Write the 6-Frame Narrative

Based on the answers above, draft the narrative:

## Generated 6-Frame Storyline

**Frame 1: Introducing the Main Character**

- [Insert description of the main character, their setting, and context]

- [Example: "Sarah, 35, is a freelance graphic designer juggling 10 client projects from her home office"]

**Frame 2: The Problem Emerges**

- [Describe the main character's challenge and how it affects their life]

- [Example: "She's drowning in invoice tracking—8 hours per month chasing late payments via spreadsheets and email"]

**Frame 3: The 'Oh Crap' Moment**

- [Highlight the escalation of the problem into a major issue]

- [Example: "A major client's payment is 2 weeks overdue. Sarah realizes she forgot to follow up because she was focused on design work. The client has now gone silent, and she's anxious about cash flow."]

**Frame 4: The Solution Appears**

- [Explain how the solution is introduced and the main character's initial reaction]

- [Example: "Sarah discovers SmartInvoice, a tool that automatically sends payment reminders at optimal times. She's skeptical—will it sound too pushy?—but decides to try it."]

**Frame 5: The 'Aha' Moment**

- [Show the main character using the solution and experiencing a breakthrough]

- [Example: "Two days later, Sarah receives a notification: 'Client XYZ just paid!' The AI-timed reminder worked—no awkward follow-up call needed. She feels relieved and in control."]

**Frame 6: Life After the Solution**

- [Describe the resolution and how life improves after overcoming the problem]

- [Example: "Sarah now spends 30 minutes per month on invoicing instead of 8 hours. She's reclaimed her evenings, spending time with family instead of chasing payments. Her cash flow is predictable, and her anxiety is gone."]

**Optional Visual Elements**

- [If no visual style specified: "Use fat-marker, sharpie-style sketches—minimal, monochrome, hand-drawn feel"]

- [If visual elements provided: "Include user-provided images, GIFs, or icons"]

Step 4: Visualize Each Frame

For each frame, create or describe the visual:

Frame 1: Main Character

• Visual: Sarah at her desk, surrounded by sticky notes, laptop open, coffee cup

• Mood: Busy, slightly stressed

• Tools: DALL·E, MidJourney, hand-drawn sketches

Frame 2: The Problem Emerges

• Visual: Sarah staring at a spreadsheet labeled "Overdue Invoices," multiple browser tabs open

• Mood: Overwhelmed

• Details: Clock showing 10pm, to-do list getting longer

Frame 3: The 'Oh Crap' Moment

• Visual: Sarah's phone showing "Day 14: Payment Overdue from Client XYZ" notification. Her face shows worry.

• Mood: Anxious, urgent

• Details: Calendar showing upcoming rent due date

Frame 4: The Solution Appears

• Visual: Sarah's laptop showing the SmartInvoice landing page with headline "Stop Chasing Payments"

• Mood: Curious, hopeful

• Details: Testimonial quote: "Saved me 5 hours/month"

Frame 5: The 'Aha' Moment

• Visual: Sarah's phone showing notification "Client XYZ just paid! $5,000 received." She's smiling, relieved.

• Mood: Joy, relief, empowerment

• Details: Background shows sunset—she's done with work early

Frame 6: Life After the Solution

• Visual: Sarah playing with her kids in the backyard, laptop closed on the patio table

• Mood: Peaceful, balanced

• Details: Clock showing 6pm (not 10pm anymore)

Step 5: Test the Storyboard

Ask these questions:

• Is the main character relatable? Would your target persona recognize themselves?

• Is the problem visceral? Do people feel the frustration in Frame 2-3?

• Is the "Oh Crap" moment real? Does it escalate the problem authentically?

• Is the solution introduction natural? Or does it feel forced/contrived?

• Is the "Aha" moment believable? Can users imagine experiencing this?

• Is the "after" state aspirational? Would users want this outcome?

If any answer is "no," revise.

Examples

See examples/sample.md for full storyboard examples.

Mini example excerpt:

**Frame 1:** Sarah, 35, freelance designer juggling 10 clients\n**Frame 2:** Spends 8 hours/month chasing overdue invoices\n**Frame 3:** $5,000 payment is 2 weeks overdue\n```

---

## Common Pitfalls

### Pitfall 1: Generic Persona

**Symptom:** "Meet User, a busy professional"

**Consequence:** No one identifies with this character.

**Fix:** Get specific: "Meet Sarah, 35, freelance designer, juggling 10 clients, home office, loves design but hates admin."

---

### Pitfall 2: Weak Problem

**Symptom:** "User has a problem with efficiency"

**Consequence:** Problem doesn't resonate emotionally.

**Fix:** Make it visceral: "Sarah spends 8 hours/month chasing overdue invoices, missing family dinners, feeling anxious about cash flow."

---

### Pitfall 3: Forced Solution Introduction

**Symptom:** "User magically discovers our product"

**Consequence:** Feels contrived, not authentic.

**Fix:** Show realistic discovery: "Sarah sees a recommendation in a designer forum" or "Sarah's colleague mentions it."

---

### Pitfall 4: Feature-Centric "Aha" Moment

**Symptom:** "User sees the dashboard and loves the features"

**Consequence:** No emotional payoff.

**Fix:** Focus on outcome: "Sarah gets notification: '$5,000 received!' She's relieved—no awkward call needed."

---

### Pitfall 5: Vague "After" State

**Symptom:** "Life is better now"

**Consequence:** Not aspirational or concrete.

**Fix:** Be specific: "Sarah leaves work at 6pm now, spending evenings with her kids instead of chasing clients. On-time payments jumped from 50% to 80%."

---

## References

### Related Skills

- `skills/proto-persona/SKILL.md` — Defines the main character

- `skills/problem-statement/SKILL.md` — Frames the problem for Frame 2-3

- `skills/positioning-statement/SKILL.md` — Informs the solution introduction in Frame 4

- `skills/jobs-to-be-done/SKILL.md` — Informs the desired outcome in Frame 6

### External Frameworks

- Joseph Campbell, *The Hero's Journey* (1949) — Classic narrative structure

- Pixar's story rules — "Once upon a time... Every day... Until one day..."

- Donald Miller, *Building a StoryBrand* (2017) — Story-driven marketing frameworks

### Dean's Work

- Storyboard Storytelling Prompt (6-Frame Storyline Generator)

### Provenance

- Adapted from `prompts/storyboard-storytelling-prompt.md` in the `https://github.com/deanpeters/product-manager-prompts` repo.

---

**Skill type:** Component

**Suggested filename:** `storyboard.md`

**Suggested placement:** `/skills/components/`

**Dependencies:** References `skills/proto-persona/SKILL.md`, `skills/problem-statement/SKILL.md`, `skills/positioning-statement/SKILL.md`, `skills/jobs-to-be-done/SKILL.md`