Using design thinking strategies to help bootstrap developing a comic concept. A workshop presentation by PF Anderson for Enriching Scholarship, 2018, at the University of Michigan.

1. Making Comics Fast
PF Anderson
Enriching Scholarship 2018

2. Idea
What if we mashed up DESIGN THINKING and a
simplified COMICS rubric?
Image credit: <https://openclipart.org/detail/181394/radio-announcement>

3. Background 1
DESIGN THINKING is … what?

4. What is design thinking?
<http://dschool.stanfo
rd.edu/dgift/>

5. Background 2
COMICS rubric?

6. What do you mean, “comics rubric”?
Scott McCloud: Understanding
Comics
<http://scottmccloud.com/2-print/1
-uc/>
EdX: The Rise of Superheroes and
Their Impact On Pop Culture:
<https://www.edx.org/course/rise-s
uperheroes-impact-pop-culture-smit
hsonianx-popx1-1x-2>
10 things before you start a comic
<http://www.makingcomics.com/2014/
09/24/10-things-start-comic-graphi
c-novel/>
How to start your own comic
<http://www.instructables.com/id/H
ow-to-Start-Your-Own-Comic-Book/>

7. What’s your issue?

8. … or, in other
words, what’s
your purpose?
On Purpose:
<http://www
.dungbeetle
.org/>
Make Health:
<http://make
health.us/>
(Partner & collaborate: Form
small groups;
Discuss - 5 min)

9. Who’s your hero or protagonist?

10. Who’s your hero?
Character strengths
Character flaws
Origin storyPartner & collaborate
(10-15 min)

11. Who’s your villain or antagonist?

12. Who’s your
villain?
Character strengths
Character flaws
Origin story or
symbolism
Partner & collaborate
(10-15 min)

13. What’s your story or plotline or scene?

14. What’s your
story?
Set the scene
Buildup
Conflict
Resolution
Partner & collaborate
(10-15 min)

15. Pull it all together!

16. Templates
SUPERHERO BLANK TEMPLATES
Heromachine <http://www.heromachine.com/> |
<http://www.heromachine.com/2008/01/27/free-blank-figure-templates/>
JufsAnne:
<http://www.jufsanne.com/kinderboekenweek/2011/kinderboekenweek2011downloads.html>
STORYBOARD BLANK TEMPLATE
<https://docs.google.com/document/d/1a7QS9BEnPxPlNQRlf9YBfnefS0e5PbEz6MZ3vGLYh34/e
dit?usp=sharing>

17. Storyboard Blank
DESCRIPTION Action in Frame (Hero) Action in Frame (Villain)

18. Storyboard
Example

19. Storyboard to
Comic
(the process changes the
story)
Patricia F. Anderson, PhD, Elise Wescom, BFA, Ruth C. Carlos, MD, MS.
Difficult Doctors, Difficult Patients: Building Empathy. JACR 13(12)Pt
B:1590–1598. <http://www.jacr.org/article/S1546-1440(16)30917-6/pdf>

20. Next steps

21. Alternatives to being an artist
UNESCO: How to create and publish a photonovel
<http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0018/001821
/182121E.pdf>
ETechLib: Cheap and Easy Ways to Make Comics or
Cartoons for Digital Storytelling
<https://etechlib.wordpress.com/2013/05/14/ch
eap-and-easy-ways-to-make-comics-or-carto
ons-for-digital-storytelling/>

22. Alternatives to being an artist
Apps!

23. Contacts
PF Anderson / @pfanderson / <pfa@umich.edu>