storyboard

Purpose

Create a 6-frame visual narrative that tells the story of a user's journey from problem to solution, using the classic storytelling arc to build empathy, illustrate value, and make abstract product concepts concrete. Use this to align stakeholders, pitch features, communicate vision, or test if your solution resonates emotionally before building it.

This is not a UI mockup—it's a storytelling tool that brings the human side of your product to life.

Key Concepts

The 6-Frame Storyboard Structure

Based on classic narrative arcs, the 6-frame format follows this pattern:

Frame 1: Main Character — Introduce the persona and their context
Frame 2: The Problem Emerges — Show the challenge or obstacle they face
Frame 3: The "Oh Crap" Moment — Escalate the problem to create urgency
Frame 4: The Solution Appears — Introduce your product/feature
Frame 5: The "Aha" Moment — Show the user experiencing the breakthrough
Frame 6: Life After the Solution — Illustrate the improved state

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:

markdown

## 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: