Storyboarding is a critical part of the instructional design process, serving as a visual blueprint for training programs or e-learning courses. It helps ensure that the flow of content is organized, engaging, and aligned with the learning objectives. Reviewing storyboards effectively is essential for ensuring that the final training product is coherent, effective, and meets the needs of both learners and stakeholders.

In this article, we’ll walk through the key aspects to focus on when reviewing a storyboard and offer a structured approach to ensure the storyboard fulfills its purpose. Storyboard reviews can be carried out collaboratively with various stakeholders, including subject matter experts (SMEs), developers, graphic designers, and project managers. Each group will likely have a different perspective and focus during the review process.

---

What is a Storyboard?

A storyboard in instructional design is a detailed visual outline that represents the sequence of learning content, interactions, multimedia elements, assessments, and navigation flow for an e-learning module or training program. It is essentially a blueprint for the course, providing a detailed view of what the learner will experience, frame by frame.

Storyboards often include:

• Screen-by-screen layout (including text, images, and animations).
• Descriptions of interactions and multimedia (audio, video, animations).
• Navigation instructions (how learners will progress through the course).
• Key learning points and content summaries.

---

Why is Storyboard Review Important?

The review of storyboards is an essential step in the instructional design process for several reasons:

• Ensuring alignment with learning objectives: The storyboard must reflect the learning goals outlined in the initial design phase.
• Improving content clarity: Reviewing helps catch ambiguities or unclear instructions in the content before development begins.
• User experience (UX) evaluation: It’s crucial to ensure the flow and layout are intuitive and learner-friendly.
• Multimedia integration: Reviewing ensures that all multimedia components (images, videos, audio, etc.) work together cohesively and serve the learning objectives.

By conducting a thorough review, instructional designers can identify issues early, saving time and resources in the later stages of development.

---

Key Areas to Focus on During a Storyboard Review

When reviewing a storyboard, it’s important to focus on several key elements. Here’s a breakdown of what to review and why it matters:

1. Learning Objectives and Content Alignment

Focus: Ensure that the storyboard aligns with the learning objectives outlined in the project’s planning phase. Every part of the storyboard should directly support one or more objectives.

• Checklist:
  • Do all the slides or frames tie back to the core learning objectives?
  • Is the content structured in a way that helps learners progressively build knowledge or skills?
  • Are key concepts and terms clearly defined or explained?

Why it’s important: The content must be focused on meeting the learning goals. If a storyboard deviates from the objectives, the course may lack focus, and learners may struggle to gain the necessary skills or knowledge.

2. Content Clarity and Accuracy

Focus: Ensure the content is clear, accurate, and appropriate for the target audience.

• Checklist:
  • Is the language clear, simple, and accessible to the target audience? Avoid jargon unless necessary.
  • Are any facts, figures, or concepts accurate and correctly referenced?
  • Are there any confusing or ambiguous instructions that could cause misunderstanding?

Why it’s important: Clarity is key to an effective learning experience. Reviewers should check for any areas where learners could be confused or misled.

3. Navigation and Flow

Focus: Review the flow of the course to ensure it is logical, intuitive, and easy to navigate.

• Checklist:
  • Is the sequence of content organized logically, with a clear beginning, middle, and end?
  • Are the transitions between topics or sections smooth?
  • Does the learner know how to move through the course (e.g., “next,” “previous,” “submit”)?

Why it’s important: A well-structured flow helps learners stay engaged and reduces cognitive overload. It also prevents learners from getting lost or frustrated while trying to navigate the content.

4. Visual and Design Elements

Focus: Ensure that visual elements (graphics, fonts, colors, etc.) are designed in a way that is both aesthetically pleasing and functional for learning.

• Checklist:
  • Are visuals and images relevant to the content and appropriate for the learners?
  • Are the design and layout consistent throughout the storyboard?
  • Is there a balance between text, visuals, and interactive elements (e.g., buttons, quizzes)?
  • Is the color scheme easy to read and visually comfortable?

Why it’s important: Effective visuals help learners absorb and retain information better. Poor design or inconsistent visuals can distract learners, making the learning process harder or less engaging.

5. Multimedia Integration

Focus: Check that any multimedia elements, such as audio, video, or animations, are effectively integrated and enhance the learning experience.

• Checklist:
  • Are multimedia elements used purposefully to clarify, reinforce, or elaborate on key points?
  • Are instructions provided for the use of multimedia (e.g., “play video,” “click here for more information”)?
  • Are the audio, video, and visual components in harmony, or do they conflict with each other?

Why it’s important: Well-integrated multimedia can make the learning experience more interactive and engaging. However, poorly designed or mismatched multimedia can detract from the message or even confuse learners.

6. Interactivity and Engagement

Focus: Ensure that the storyboard includes appropriate levels of interactivity, such as quizzes, assessments, decision points, or drag-and-drop activities.

• Checklist:
  • Are there interactive elements to engage learners actively?
  • Are assessment questions or activities aligned with learning objectives and properly spaced throughout the course?
  • Is there an opportunity for learners to reflect on their progress (e.g., immediate feedback, review of mistakes)?

Why it’s important: Interactivity promotes active learning, which is known to enhance knowledge retention and application. It also helps keep learners engaged throughout the course.

7. Tone and Instructional Voice

Focus: The tone and style of writing should be appropriate for the audience and support the overall learning environment.

• Checklist:
  • Does the tone match the intended audience (e.g., formal for corporate training, informal for younger learners)?
  • Is the voice consistent throughout the storyboard?
  • Are instructions, prompts, and feedback clear and constructive?

Why it’s important: The tone of the course influences the learning atmosphere and can affect engagement. It’s essential that the tone is consistent and suitable for the context.

---

Steps for Reviewing a Storyboard

Now that we know the key areas to focus on, here’s a step-by-step approach to review the storyboard effectively:

1	Review with Learning Objectives in Mind: Begin by revisiting the initial learning objectives. Ensure the content and structure are designed to meet these goals. Every screen or segment should serve a purpose in achieving these objectives.
2	Assess Content Accuracy and Clarity: Read through the content carefully to ensure that it is clear, accurate, and free of jargon. Look for any terms that may require additional explanation or definitions.
3	Check Flow and Navigation: Follow the course as a learner would, ensuring that the navigation is intuitive and the flow is logical. Are the transitions between topics smooth? Can learners easily move from one section to the next?
4	Evaluate Visual and Interactive Design: Examine the visuals, layout, and overall design. Are the visuals aligned with the content and easy to understand? Are the interactive elements intuitive and engaging?
5	Incorporate Stakeholder Feedback: Collaborate with other stakeholders (SMEs, graphic designers, developers, etc.) to gather their feedback. This could involve discussing content accuracy, media requirements, and technical feasibility.
6	Test the Interactivity: Review any interactive components, such as quizzes, drag-and-drop activities, or simulations. Make sure they function correctly and are meaningful in the context of the learning objectives.
7	Provide Constructive Feedback: Provide feedback that is both specific and actionable. For example, instead of just saying “The layout is confusing,” offer suggestions for improvement, such as “Consider placing the navigation bar at the top to improve accessibility.”

---

Conclusion

Reviewing storyboards is a crucial step in the instructional design process that ensures the effectiveness and coherence of training content before it enters the development phase. A thorough review helps identify any issues related to content, flow, design, interactivity, and multimedia integration. By focusing on the learning objectives, content clarity, visual design, and user experience, instructional designers can refine the storyboard and ensure that the final product will deliver a meaningful and engaging learning experience for the target audience.

A good review process also encourages collaboration among different team members, helping to spot potential issues early and make the necessary adjustments to create a more effective and efficient training program.