Design storyboards

The purpose of Design Storyboards is to eliminate common causes of ineffective meetings by ensuring every session is intentionally structured. This Liberating Structure helps:

Clarify the meeting’s purpose by aligning it with appropriate microstructures.
Identify who needs to be involved for successful outcomes.
Define all key design elements, including invitations, space, materials, participation formats, group configurations, facilitation roles, and time allocations.
Prevent poorly planned meetings, replacing them with thoughtfully designed ones.
Uncover hidden sources of innovation by making tacit knowledge visible through collaborative design.

In short, storyboards turn meeting planning into a creative, purposeful process that leads to better engagement and results.

Time needed
25-70 minutes

Preparation

Offline Format	Online Format
Prepare flip charts	Prepare virtual whiteboard (e.g. in Miro)
Post-its and/or Liberating Structures Playing Cards	Split into smaller groups using 1-2-4-all (in pairs and foursomes)
A blank storyboard (see downloads section)
Split into smaller groups using 1-2-4-all (in pairs and foursomes)

How to start
1. Invite a design team (a representative subset of the group) to create a detailed plan, including visual cues, for how participants will interact to achieve their purpose
2. Clarify the purpose of your work together (use Nine Whys if needed)
Step-by-step and timing
1. For clarifying the purpose of your work together you can use 9 Whys LS (2-5 min)
2. Describe the standard approach or structure you would normally use for this session (including who is normally present) and assess how it succeeds and fails in achieving the stated purpose (5-10 min)
3. Reexamine and strengthen the purpose statement if needed (2-5 min)
4. Reexamine and decide who needs to participate or be involved (2-5 min)
5. Brainstorm alternative structures (both conventional and Liberating Structures) that could achieve the purpose (5-10 min)
6. Determine the best suited structures to achieving the purpose; choose two (2-10 min)
7. Decide the facilitator and participants (2-10 min)
8. Determine the questions and process you will use to evaluate your design (you can use What, So What, Now What?) (2-5 min)
Hints
1. If multiple steps are needed, confer with the design team and arrange a meeting to work on an Advanced Design StoryBoard
2. Work in pairs or small groups to bring better results
3. Always include a design debrief (What 3 debrief)
Examples of use
1. Evoke a purpose that is clear for all
2. Make the work in meetings productive and enjoyable for all
3. Reveal the weaknesses of the current practice and step up from it
4. Experiment to change unproductive meetings
Link with other Liberating Structures
Use together with:
Link to Liberating Structures page
Design storyboards

Design storyboards

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