1. assEMBLING A NARRATIVE
PLAN601E Verbal and visual: Information Graphics (session 5)

2. Is the premise the same?
Are the three acts the same? Are they as well
articulated in both poster and presentation?
What elements get prioritized in the visual hierarchy
for each? How does that inflect the narrative?
What content is harder or easier to engage with in the
different formats? Why?
What stylistic elements are used differently, and why?
comparing presentation and poster

3. elements of a storyboard

4. elements of a storyboard
dialogue
what you see
how this fits in sequence
notes on what you see

5. elements of a storyboard
Storyboards do not have to be well drawn. They only have
to communicate your ideas (and should be more explicit
than this one)

6. Pose a problem: “An outcast patriarch tries to win back
his family’s good graces.”
premise: fundamental concept
that drives the plot

7. Ask a question: “What if you had to live the same day over
and over?”
premise: fundamental concept
that drives the plot

8. Trace a route: “Find 100,000 deutsch marks and get
across town (i.e. the roads not taken).”
premise: fundamental concept
that drives the plot

9. three act story
ACT 1: SET UP – SETTING, CHARACTERS, AND PROBLEM INTRODUCED
Confined to a wheelchair, Jefferies spends the day watching his neighbors. Lisa wants Jefferies,
but he acts distracted.
ACT 2: TURNING POINT – PROBLEM GETS COMPLEX
A neighbor appears to have killed a dog that was digging up the garden; Jefferies thinks the neighbor has murdered his
wife, but his detective friend doesn’t believe him.
ACT 3: DENOUEMENT – CLIMAX HAPPENS AND PROBLEM RESOLVED
Jefferies convinces Lisa to sneak into the neighbor’s apartment to find evidence of the murder, but they both almost get
murdered themselves. Now that she is a co-conspirer, Jefferies agrees to marry Lisa. Lisa is happy.
Organize a presentation with three “acts” or “chapters”: 1) set the characters
and context; 2) detail a problem; 3) resolve the problem. Let story lead your
narrative, not data.

10. ways to tell a story
Organize a presentation with three “acts” or “chapters”: 1) set the characters
and context; 2) detail a problem; 3) resolve the problem. Let story lead your
narrative, not data.
BUILD A CASE
Provide information and argue for a specific
interpretation – reveal a way to look at the world
ACT 1: Background information
ACT 2: Analysis
ACT 3: Findings or proposal

11. ways to tell a story
Organize a presentation with three “acts” or “chapters”: 1) set the characters
and context; 2) detail a problem; 3) resolve the problem. Let story lead your
narrative, not data.
GIVE A SUMMATIVE TOUR
Describe existing conditions in depth and volume that
puts a single phenomenon in context
ACT 1: Individual instances
ACT 2: Explain phenomena
ACT 3: Draw phenomenon into context and draw
conclusions

12. ways to tell a story
Organize a presentation with three “acts” or “chapters”: 1) set the characters
and context; 2) detail a problem; 3) resolve the problem – narrate with stories
not data
EXPLORE A SCENARIO
Explain a problem or condition through the experience
of stakeholders
ACT 1: Describe a character and their issues/concerns
ACT 2: Detail the mechanism that could serve them
ACT 3: Describe how the character is served
by the proposed program or service

13. ways to tell a story
Organize a presentation with three “acts” or “chapters”: 1) set the characters
and context; 2) detail a problem; 3) resolve the problem. Let story lead your
narrative, not data.
Evaluation
Explore the strengths and weaknesses of a given
phenomenon, issue or dimension
ACT 1: Set a baseline: establish existing conditions
and explain them in context
ACT 2: Evaluate conditions or solutions via matrix
comparison, continuum, pros and cons, etc.
ACT 3: Make recommendations

14. ACT 1
MAIN IDEA
ACT 2
MAIN IDEA
ACT 3
MAIN IDEA
1) Make a grid with three acts and write out the main idea
of each act
storyboarding
with index cards

15. 2) Write all of your content onto index cards.storyboarding
with index cards
FACT
FACT
FACT
FACT
FACT
IDEA
IDEA
IDEA
IDEAOBSERVATION
DIAGRAM
GRAPH
GRAPH
GRAPH
GRAPH
MAP / DRAWING
PHOTO
PHOTO
PHOTO
PHOTO
PHOTO
PHOTO

16. ACT 1
MAIN IDEA
ACT 2
MAIN IDEA
ACT 3
MAIN IDEA
3) Place the cards into the grid, grouping content based
on the ideas you want to express.
storyboarding
with index cards
FACT
FACT
FACT
FACT
FACT
FACT
IDEA
IDEA
IDEA
IDEA
IDEA
IDEA
IDEAIDEA
GRAPH
GRAPH
MAP / DRAWING
MAP / DRAWING
MAP / DRAWING
MAP / DRAWING
MAP / DRAWING
MAP / DRAWING
MAP / DRAWING
MAP / DRAWING
MAP / DRAWING
PHOTO PHOTO
PHOTO
PHOTO
PHOTO
PHOTO
PHOTO
PHOTO
PHOTO
PHOTO
DIAGRAM
DIAGRAM
DIAGRAM

17. ACT 1
MAIN IDEA
ACT 2
MAIN IDEA
ACT 3
MAIN IDEA
4) Talk through your presentation – thinking especially about how
you transition from one idea to another. What else do you need?
storyboarding
with index cards
FACT
FACT
FACT
FACT
FACT
FACT
IDEA
IDEA
IDEA
IDEA
IDEA
IDEA
IDEAIDEA
GRAPH
GRAPH
MAP / DRAWING
MAP / DRAWING
MAP / DRAWING
MAP / DRAWING
MAP / DRAWING
MAP / DRAWING
MAP / DRAWING
MAP / DRAWING
MAP / DRAWING
PHOTO PHOTO
PHOTO
PHOTO
PHOTO
PHOTO
PHOTO
PHOTO
PHOTO
PHOTO
DIAGRAM
DIAGRAM
DIAGRAM

18. ACT 1
MAIN IDEA
ACT 2
MAIN IDEA
ACT 3
MAIN IDEA
5) Revise. Re-sequence / re-group cards; re-visit main ideas; edit and
identify gaps in content (ideas / visuals).
storyboarding
with index cards
FACT
FACT
FACT
FACT
FACT
FACT
IDEA
IDEA
IDEA
IDEA
IDEA
IDEA
IDEAIDEA
GRAPH
GRAPH
MAP / DRAWING
MAP / DRAWING
MAP / DRAWING
MAP / DRAWING
MAP / DRAWING
MAP / DRAWING
MAP / DRAWING
MAP / DRAWING
MAP / DRAWING
PHOTO PHOTO
PHOTO
PHOTO
PHOTO
PHOTO
PHOTO
PHOTO
PHOTO
PHOTO
DIAGRAM
DIAGRAM
DIAGRAM

19. 1) Draw grid of boxes, leaving column on right for main and supporting
ideas and background information.
storyboarding
on a blank page/whiteboard
Main Idea
Supporting Ideas
Background /
Clarification /
Contradiction

20. 2) give a title for each box and a message, write main ideas and
background information in right column.
storyboarding
on a blank page/whiteboard
Supporting Ideas
Background /
Clarification /
Contradiction
Main Idea(s)
Title
Message Message Message
Title Title
Title
Message Message Message
Title Title
Title
Message Message Message
Title Title

21. Title
Message Message Message
Title Title
Title
Message Message Message
Title Title
Title
Message Message Message
Title Title
FACT
FACT
FACT
FACT
FACT
FACT
FACT
IDEA IDEA
IDEA
IDEA
IDEA
IDEA
3) Add content to each box, including graphics and visual
documentation to support the message.
storyboarding
on a blank page/whiteboard
Supporting Ideas
Background /
Clarification /
Contradiction
Main Idea(s)

22. Title
Message Message Message
Title Title
Title
Message Message Message
Title Title
Title
Message Message Message
Title Title
FACT
FACT
FACT
FACT
FACT
FACT
FACT
IDEA IDEA
IDEA
IDEA
IDEA
IDEA
4) Talk through your presentation – how do the transitions work? does
the content support the main idea?
storyboarding
on a blank page/whiteboard
Supporting Ideas
Background /
Clarification /
Contradiction
Main Idea(s)

23. Title
Message Message Message
Title Title
Title
Message Message Message
Title Title
Title
Message Message Message
Title Title
FACT
FACT
FACT
FACT
FACT
FACT
FACT
IDEA IDEA
IDEA
IDEA
IDEA
IDEA
5) Revise. Re-sequence / re-group cards; re-visit main ideas; edit and
identify gaps in content (ideas / visuals).
storyboarding
on a blank page/whiteboard
Supporting Ideas
Background /
Clarification /
Contradiction
Main Idea(s)

24. 1) Brain dump. List all main points in the order they occur to me.storyboarding:
hybrid technique
main point A
main point b
main point N
main point X
main point v
main point L

25. 2) List any assumptions or key ideas required to understand or accept
any of these points, build any especially significant ones into the list
storyboarding:
hybrid technique
assumption
key idea
assumptions
key idea
main point A
main point b
main point N
main point X
main point v
main point L

26. 4
7
3) Put your list in sequence.storyboarding:
hybrid technique
assumption
key idea
assumptions
key idea
main point A
main point b
main point N
main point X
main point v
main point L
1
2
3
5 4
5
6

27. {
4
7
4) Recopy the list and identify act/chapter breaks with main ideas.
Evaluate per timing, duration and tonal needs, and readjust.
storyboarding:
hybrid technique
assumption
key idea
assumptions
key idea
main point A
main point b
main point N
main point X
main point v
main point L
1
2
3
5 4
5
6
main point b
main point n
main point a
main point x
main point Q
main point v
main point L
main point M
existing
conditions
analysisproposals
{

28. Message Message Message
Message Message
Message
FACT
FACT
5) Use the blank page/whiteboard method, sketch in ways to visualize
each message. Try not to be limited to only the visual material you
have already made.
storyboarding
hybrid technique
Main Point 1 Main Point 2
Main Point 3
Message
FACT
IDEA
Message Message
FACT
Main Point 4
Main Point 5
Message
Main Point 6
Message
ASSUMPTION
Main Point 7
ASSUMPTION
Message
FACT
IDEA

29. Message Message Message
Message Message
Message
FACT
FACT
6) Revise. Re-sequence; evaluate coherence, timing, pace and story
arc; edit and identify gaps in content (ideas / visuals). Make additions.
storyboarding
hybrid technique
Main Point 1 Main Point 2
Main Point 3
Message
FACT
IDEA
Message Message
FACT
Main Point 4
Main Point 5
Message
Main Point 6
Message
Main Point 7
Message
FACT
IDEA
Message
FACT
IDEA
ASSUMPTION
ASSUMPTION

30. storyboarding exercise
write a premise 10
brainstorm three acts/chapters 10
build your storyboard 20
Start with main ideas/points
group discussion 20

31. assignment 5
Title of your
presentation
Title; 5-10 slide presentation
PDF 1, 7.5”x10”
Intertitle; 1-3 slides storyboard and revisions
Intertitle; sketches, notes, precedents and revisions Including poster sketches!
Storyboard
Sketches, notes,
precedents
and revisions
Headline tells me the
message of this slide
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idenditatia voluptatem
ellab ium quiandus sum
harum volupta vitios par-
cipsuntum qui sit dolupta
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dae rem es quam consedi rempori
eosam in con net de pero velitas dicit utIgnim
idenditatia voluptatem ellab ium quiandus
sum harum volupta vitios parcipsuntum qui sit
dolupta qui ut et et quo et magnimi, net
volorem eveliat ab id maximetusdae rem es
quam consedi rempori beatio doloris solupta-
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pero velitas dicit utIgnim idenditatia
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Presentation board/poster
PDF 2, 24”x36”
Title of
your poster
1
2
3

32. scored out of 20 points
Clarity and coherence
of narrative constructed? (/6)
Thoughtfulness, suitability and/or
creativity in representation? (/5)
Engagement with and evaluation
of different representational strategies
(as evidenced in the slide deck by sketches,
precedents, notes and finished work)? (/5)
Deployment of tools demonstrated
and feedback provided in the course? (/4)
assignment 5
No resubmissions
2 pts for each day late
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