Storyboard Experience

---
name: storyboard-experience
description: Visualize and sequence any experience, journey, or narrative by mapping it scene-by-scene before building - Walt Disney's methodology for seeing the whole picture, enabling cheap iteration and crea...
license: MIT
metadata:
  version: 1.0.5066
  author: sethmblack
repository: https://github.com/sethmblack/paks-skills
keywords:
- escalation
- storyboard-experience
- storytelling
- transformation
- writing
---

# Storyboard Experience

Visualize and sequence any experience, journey, or narrative by mapping it scene-by-scene before building - Walt Disney's methodology for seeing the whole picture, enabling cheap iteration and creating shared vision.

---

## When to Use

- Designing customer or user journeys
- Planning presentations or pitches
- Creating product experiences
- Developing marketing campaigns
- Designing onboarding flows
- Planning events or physical experiences
- Any sequential experience that needs coherence
- When teams need to see the same vision

---

## Inputs

| Input | Required | Description |
|-------|----------|-------------|
| experience | Yes | The journey, story, or sequence to storyboard |
| audience | No | Who will experience this |
| entry_state | No | How does the audience arrive? What do they bring? |
| desired_end_state | No | How should they feel/act when finished? |
| constraints | No | Duration, touchpoints, or format limitations |

---

## The Storyboarding Philosophy

Disney invented storyboarding in 1928 to plan animations before expensive production. The method works because:

1. **See the whole before building parts** - You can't optimize a scene if you don't know how it fits the story
2. **Iteration is cheap** - Moving a card costs nothing; moving a built set costs everything
3. **Shared vision** - Everyone sees the same picture on the wall
4. **Feel the flow** - Walk through it, sense the rhythm, find the gaps

"The storyboard lets us see the whole picture before we spend a dime on production. We can experiment, rearrange, find the story's heart."

---

## The Storyboard Framework

### Step 1: Define the Journey

Before drawing scenes, establish the arc:

**Entry Point:** Where/how does the audience enter?
- Physical location, mental state, expectations, prior knowledge

**Destination:** Where do we want them to end up?
- Actions, feelings, beliefs, next steps

**Transformation:** What changes between entry and exit?
- The journey is about transformation, not just sequence

### Step 2: Identify Key Moments

List the critical beats - moments that MUST happen for the journey to work:

- **Opening hook** - What captures attention immediately?
- **Key revelations** - What do they need to learn/feel?
- **Peak moment** - The emotional high point
- **Decision point** - Where they commit or convert
- **Resolution** - How it lands and what's next

### Step 3: Sketch the Scenes

For each moment, capture:

| Element | Description |
|---------|-------------|
| Scene # | Sequential number |
| Visual | What does the audience SEE? (Sketch or describe) |
| Audio | What do they HEAR? |
| Action | What HAPPENS? What do they DO? |
| Feeling | What EMOTION should this create? |
| Duration | How long is this moment? |
| Transition | How do we move to next scene? |

### Step 4: Walk Through

"Stand up and experience your storyboard as the audience would."

- Read each scene aloud
- Note pacing - too fast? too slow?
- Feel the emotional arc - does it build properly?
- Identify gaps - where is information missing?
- Check transitions - are they smooth or jarring?

### Step 5: Rearrange and Refine

This is where storyboarding shines - cheap changes:

- Swap scene order
- Add missing scenes
- Remove redundant scenes
- Strengthen weak moments
- Smooth transitions
- Adjust pacing

### Step 6: Validate the Arc

Check the complete storyboard against:

- Does it achieve the transformation?
- Is there a clear emotional arc?
- Are all key moments present?
- Does pacing feel right?
- Would you want to experience this?

---

## Workflow

### Step 1: Gather and Review Inputs

Collect all relevant information:
- Review the provided data and context
- Identify key parameters and constraints
- Clarify any ambiguities or missing information
- Establish success criteria

### Step 2: Analyze the Situation

Perform systematic analysis:
- Identify patterns and relationships
- Evaluate against established frameworks
- Consider multiple perspectives
- Document key findings

### Step 3: Generate Recommendations

Create actionable outputs:
- Synthesize insights from analysis
- Prioritize recommendations by impact
- Ensure recommendations are specific and measurable
- Consider implementation feasibility

## Output Format

```markdown
## Experience Storyboard: [Experience Name]

### Journey Definition

**Entry State:** [How audience arrives - state, expectations, context]
**Desired End State:** [How they should feel/act/believe after]
**Core Transformation:** [What changes - the journey's purpose]

### Key Moments Required

1. [Hook] - [Why essential]
2. [Key beat 2] - [Why essential]
3. [Peak moment] - [Why essential]
4. [Resolution] - [Why essential]

### Scene Sequence

---
**Scene 1: [Scene Name]**
| Element | Description |
|---------|-------------|
| Visual | [What they see] |
| Audio | [What they hear] |
| Action | [What happens / what they do] |
| Feeling | [Target emotion] |
| Duration | [Time] |
| Transition | [To next scene] |

---
**Scene 2: [Scene Name]**
[Same format...]

---
[Continue for all scenes...]

### Emotional Arc

```
[Visual representation of emotional journey]
  ^
  |     Peak
  |    /    \
  | Hook     \  Resolution
  |/          \_______
  +--------------------->
    Scene 1  2  3  4  5
```

### Pacing Notes

| Section | Duration | Pacing | Notes |
|---------|----------|--------|-------|
| Opening | [time] | [fast/medium/slow] | [observations] |
| Build | [time] | [fast/medium/slow] | [observations] |
| Peak | [time] | [fast/medium/slow] | [observations] |
| Resolution | [time] | [fast/medium/slow] | [observations] |

### Walk-Through Notes

- [Observation 1 from walk-through]
- [Observation 2]
- [Gap or issue identified]

### Refinement Recommendations

1. [Change 1] - [Rationale]
2. [Change 2] - [Rationale]
3. [Change 3] - [Rationale]
```

---

## Storyboard Types

### Linear Journey
Traditional sequence - audience moves through in order.
*Examples:* Onboarding flow, sales presentation, museum exhibit

### Branching Journey
Audience choices create different paths.
*Examples:* Interactive experiences, choose-your-own, support flows

### Cyclical Journey
Experience repeats with variation.
*Examples:* Subscription experience, recurring events, habit loops

### Modular Journey
Components can be experienced in different orders.
*Examples:* Trade show booth, website exploration, self-service

---

## Emotional Arc Patterns

### The Mountain
Build steadily to climax, then resolve.
```
        ^
       / \
      /   \
     /     \
    /       \_____
```
*Use for:* Presentations, product reveals, stories

### The Valley
Start high, go through challenge, emerge stronger.
```
    \         /
     \       /
      \     /
       \   /
        \_/
```
*Use for:* Transformation stories, case studies, hero journeys

### The Stairs
Progressive escalation with plateaus.
```
              ___
           __/
        __/
     __/
    /
```
*Use for:* Tutorials, skill building, feature discovery

### The Wave
Multiple peaks of engagement.
```
    /\    /\    /\
   /  \  /  \  /  \_
  /    \/    \/
```
*Use for:* Long experiences, events, campaigns

---

## Constraints

- Every scene must serve the transformation - cut ruthless if it doesn't
- Pacing matters as much as content - too fast overwhelms, too slow loses attention
- Transitions are scenes too - don't ignore the space between moments
- The storyboard is not the experience - it's a tool to design the experience
- Walk through before finalizing - you'll always find something
- Simple sketches are fine - this isn't about art quality

---

## Error Handling

| Situation | Response |
|-----------|----------|
| Too many scenes | Apply "essential moment" test - would journey fail without it? |
| Emotional arc is flat | Identify peak moment and build toward it more dramatically |
| Can't identify transformation | Return to basics - what should be different after? |
| Walk-through feels choppy | Focus on transitions; add bridging scenes |
| Team disagrees on vision | Storyboard multiple versions; test with audience |

---

## Outputs

**Primary Output:** A structured analysis document that identifies and articulates patterns, insights, and actionable recommendations based on the input data.

**Format:**
```markdown
## Analysis: [Topic]

### Key Findings
- [Finding 1]
- [Finding 2]
- [Finding 3]

### Recommendations
1. [Action 1]
2. [Action 2]
3. [Action 3]
```

**Example output:** See the Example section below for a complete demonstration.

## Example

**Input:** "Storyboard a 5-minute product demo for our AI writing assistant."

**Output:**



**Why this works:**

This example demonstrates the key principles of the skill in action. The approach is effective because:
- It follows the systematic workflow outlined above
- It shows concrete application of the framework
- It produces actionable, specific outputs rather than vague generalizations
- The analysis is grounded in observable details
- The recommendations are prioritized and implementable

**Alternative applications:**

This same approach can be applied to:
- Different contexts within the same domain
- Related but distinct problem types
- Scaled up or down depending on scope
- Combined with complementary analytical frameworks


## Experience Storyboard: AI Writing Assistant Demo

### Journey Definition

**Entry State:** Prospect is skeptical but curious. They've tried other tools that overpromised. They have 5 minutes of attention to give.

**Desired End State:** Excited to try it themselves. Believe this is different. Ready to sign up for trial.

**Core Transformation:** From "another AI gimmick" to "this could actually change how I work."

### Key Moments Required

1. [Hook] - Prove value in 30 seconds - skeptics won't wait
2. [Problem resonance] - Show we understand their pain
3. [Magic moment] - The "wow" where it does something surprising
4. [Practical proof] - Ground the magic in real use
5. [Call to action] - Clear, low-risk next step

### Scene Sequence

---
**Scene 1: The Hook (0:00-0:30)**
| Element | Description |
|---------|-------------|
| Visual | Split screen: empty doc on left, finished draft on right |
| Audio | "Watch this" - confident, not salesy |
| Action | Type a single sentence prompt, AI generates full draft in real-time |
| Feeling | Surprised, intrigued - "wait, that actually worked?" |
| Duration | 30 seconds |
| Transition | "But you've seen demos before. Let me show you what's actually different." |

---
**Scene 2: The Problem (0:30-1:15)**
| Element | Description |
|---------|-------------|
| Visual | Montage of frustrated writing moments - cursor blinking, deleted text |
| Audio | "We've all been here. The blank page. The deadline. The draft that sounds like a robot." |
| Action | Acknowledge the failures of current tools - generic, needs heavy editing |
| Feeling | Recognition, validation - "yes, exactly!" |
| Duration | 45 seconds |
| Transition | "Here's what we built instead." |

---
**Scene 3: The Difference (1:15-2:00)**
| Element | Description |
|---------|-------------|
| Visual | Interface showing "voice training" feature |
| Audio | "It learns YOUR voice. Not generic AI voice. Yours." |
| Action | Demo feeding it past writing, showing before/after comparison |
| Feeling | Curiosity shifting to interest - "that's actually clever" |
| Duration | 45 seconds |
| Transition | "Let me show you what that means in practice." |

---
**Scene 4: The Magic Moment (2:00-3:00)**
| Element | Description |
|---------|-------------|
| Visual | Write something complex - email handling difficult situation |
| Audio | "Watch the tone. Watch how it handles the nuance." |
| Action | AI generates something genuinely impressive, with personality and judgment |
| Feeling | "Wow" - this is actually different - the peak moment |
| Duration | 60 seconds |
| Transition | Brief pause to let it land. "And here's the practical part." |

---
**Scene 5: Daily Reality (3:00-4:00)**
| Element | Description |
|---------|-------------|
| Visual | Quick montage - email, report, social post, meeting notes |
| Audio | "Your average day. 20 writing tasks. What if each took half the time?" |
| Action | Show versatility across real work scenarios, speed of generation |
| Feeling | Practical excitement - "I could actually use this" |
| Duration | 60 seconds |
| Transition | "Ready to try it yourself?" |

---
**Scene 6: The Invitation (4:00-5:00)**
| Element | Description |
|---------|-------------|
| Visual | Clean signup screen, trial badge, no credit card messaging |
| Audio | "14 days free. No credit card. Just see if it works for how YOU write." |
| Action | Show the signup taking 10 seconds, first prompt appearing |
| Feeling | Low risk, high potential - ready to act |
| Duration | 60 seconds |
| Transition | End on them typing their first prompt - journey continues |

### Emotional Arc

```
                      Magic!
                       /\
                      /  \
    Skeptic          /    \    "I want this"
    |               /      \        |
    v    Problem   /        \  Daily\_____> Try it
        resonance /          \ reality
         \/------/
    Hook
```

### Pacing Notes

| Section | Duration | Pacing | Notes |
|---------|----------|--------|-------|
| Hook | 0:30 | Fast | Immediately prove value |
| Problem | 0:45 | Medium | Let recognition settle |
| Difference | 0:45 | Medium | Build understanding |
| Magic | 1:00 | Slow | Give the wow moment room |
| Daily | 1:00 | Fast | Montage energy |
| Invite | 1:00 | Medium | Clear and calm |

### Walk-Through Notes

- Hook works but might feel rushed - consider 40 seconds
- Transition from Magic to Daily might be jarring - add breath
- CTA could show real person signing up for social proof
- Missing: brief social proof moment (quote or logo) before CTA

### Refinement Recommendations

1. **Add social proof scene** (15 sec) between Daily and Invite - one powerful testimonial
2. **Extend Magic moment** - this is the peak, give it 75 seconds
3. **Trim Problem** - resonance achieved faster; 30 seconds sufficient
4. **Add "your first prompt" ending** - don't end on signup, end on them creating

---

## Integration

This skill is part of the **Walt Disney** expert persona. Use it when designing any sequential experience. It pairs well with:
- **dreamer-realist-critic** for developing what to storyboard
- **plussing-review** for improving individual scenes
- **weenie-design** for making each scene have magnetic pull