Do You Really Need A Storyboard?

I'm often asked my opinion about the relevance of Storyboards in the e-learning development process, so I thought I would address my opinion here in this post. Let me start by saying that if your company's process requires a Storyboard then you don't have much choice, so this post more applies to those who are lucky enough to have flexibility when it comes to these types of decisions.

In my opinion there are situations where a Storyboard makes sense, and situations where it doesn't, so here's my short & sweet take on Storyboard relevance.

Makes Sense:

• When your course includes audio narrative. Having a storyboard with the audio narrative can be useful as a script for you (or your voice talent).

• When there are multiple developers, or a designer/developer relationship. If more than one person will have a hand in the development of the course it makes sense to have a Storyboard to maintain continuity.

Doesn't Make Sense:

• When developing a standard course with no audio. Some argue with me on this one, but I'm sticking to my guns here. With today's technology and environment of rapid e-Learning development you can build the course in your product(s) with the time it takes to create a Storyboard. Storyboards rarely look like the end-product, require a lot of maintenance and with all the interactivity we put in today's courses, it becomes more and more difficult to accurately represent interaction on a static storyboard. Your finished course can be a Storyboard as far as I'm concerned.

I would love to hear your opinions on Storyboard relevance so leave a comment and let's hear ya.