Design Considerations
Requirements Gathering
Envisionment Methods
Evaluation
Other
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Storyboards
What is a Storyboard?
Technique from film-making:
- series of scenes/frames from the user experience point of view
- communicate the feel of the ‘flow’ of the design
- usually based on scenarios
- storyboards normally contain
- a sketch of the visual elements
- descriptions of animations
- descriptions of interactions (e.g. dialog boxes)
- descriptions of sounds
- descriptions of any other media
Types of storyboards:
- traditional - frames with a sketch of what is on screen sometimes with
some text underneath.
- scored - Style applicable to multi-media presentations / dynamic designs.
Uses notation that tells you what motion effects, sounds, animations are
occurring.
- text only: what images/text/other media are on screen, what’s
happening – but using text only.
Why Use it?
The storyboard can be used in two ways:
- It can consist of mock-ups of the screens with the various elements
moveable around each screen. Blu-tack can be used to hold the final structure
in place
- It can be used to trace progression from one part of the screen to
another and to check understanding of the various commands, dialogues
etc. to confirm previous task analysis
Participants Needed
The designer is the only participant needed for the actual creation of
the storyboard.
Conditions required
- Need paper, pens, colouring pencils to sketch initial concepts
- Is first draft of actual design so inspiration is needed - moodboards,
magazines, tactile and visual materials
- Need list of requirements from requirements analysis
- May need navigation chart - which pages link to each other, how many
'types' of pages / screen are there?
Task List
- View source material - moodboards,
requirements,
navigation map
- Quickly sketch on paper several initial concepts
- Select some of these sketches and check that they meet the requirements
and navigation map
- Refine these to meet requirements and
navigation map criteria if they
do not already
- In some situations, clients may like to view an image of the final piece,
so it may be necessary to mock up a digital version using image editing
tools - experienced designers occasionally go straight to this stage but
it can constrain creativity as it is very time intensive
Examples
- intro, results & detail screens
GI unit PDA
- Storyboard for Checking Drug Compatibility
Scenario
- Storyboard for Complete Process
Scenario from Login to Print Bill
Other
Limitations Of method
- Can be time consuming
- If analysis stage is incomplete, storyboards may not accurately reflect
actual process to be implemented
- Some individuals can be overwhelmed by the 'drawing' process
Exercise
You have been commissioned to design the interface for an on-line phone
messaging management system. In this system, messages which are recorded
in a phone inbox or message minder system are converted to text and stored
on-line on a system similar to email. Since this is an original system
it is your job to explore and experiment with the types of facilities a
user may require. Examples include saving, deletion, message management,
number blocking and direct to inbox for certain numbers. Feel free to come
up wtith new and innovative features which may attract users. Use brainstorming, scenarios and task
analysis for this phase. Finally, create a series of storyboards
which visually explore a particular scenario..
Reading
- How to do
storyboards in Director
- Screen
Layout – Part I: General Considerations
- Understanding Screen Layout
- big, Stark & Chunky