Icon of a storyboard canvas

Storyboard templates

What is it?

Presentation storyboard templates are visual planning tools that help bridge the gap between idea and execution. They're typically used at two critical points in the presentation development process: the content development stage and the design development stage. 

During content development, they offer a comprehensive, bird's-eye view of the story, enabling you to grasp the entire flow of the presentation in a single glance. This visualization process helps you arrange the sequence of slides, transitions, and the logical progression from one topic or point to the next. This helps you make sure that the presentation is well-structured and engaging, catering to the specific needs and expectations of the audience.

In the design development stage, presentation storyboard templates work to translate conceptual ideas into final slides. They provide a framework for specifying the layout of each slide, the placement of visuals, animations, color schemes, fonts, and other design elements. Serving as both a blueprint and a communication tool, they enable efficient collaboration among developers, designers, and subject matter experts, ensuring a shared, clear vision of the final product.

When to use it

  1. To align a presentation with a clear storyline or narrative arc.
  2. In educational and training contexts, especially when designing eLearning modules, workshops, or courses.
  3. If a presentation involves complex information, a lot of data, or intricate visual elements, a storyboard can help you plan how to present this content effectively.

Remember to

  1. Make sure to organize and arrange your information carefully on each section or slide. Put the most important stuff front and center, and make sure everything makes sense as you go from one point to the next.
  2. Maintain a consistent visual style—use the same fonts, colors, and branding elements to ensure cohesion.

Step-by-step: How to set-up a presentation storyboard template

1

Decide what you need to storyboard

Decide where in the process you need to storyboard. Consider two points: In the early stages, create a high-level storyboard to shape the overall structure, flow, and key messages. Alternatively, if you already have a solid concept or story, you're ready to create a detailed storyboard to guide the actual development of materials. This includes specific content, visuals, multimedia elements and interactive components, and speaker notes.

2

Brainstorm elements

Brainstorm the essential components you want to include in the template. For the concept stage that may be structure, key slides and sections, visualization ideas, and notes. For the development state that may include slide title, slide number, slide content, graphic assets, animation sequences, and notes for developers.

3

Choose a format

Templates can be physical or digital. For digital templates you can use Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Google Slides, InDesign or specialized storyboard software. Test a few options and select the format that suits your preferences, process, and project needs.

4

Create a basic structure

Design a simple structure for your storyboard templates. Divide it into sections and label each one based on your list of elements.

5

Test your template

Before using the template for a project, conduct a test run to ensure it fulfills your requirements and facilitates an efficient planning process.

6

Finalize and save the template

After you've designed and tested the storyboard template, make any necessary final adjustments. Once you're satisfied with the template, save it for future use. 

Guide coming soon