The value of storyboards in the product design process

In the realm of product design, communication between designer, client, design team and future users is of great importance. Throughout the design process, ideas and concepts are generated and must be conveyed to these people to evoke comments, judgement or acceptance, depending on the process phase. Storyboards are a valuable aid to the designer in this task by providing a common visual language that people from different backgrounds can ‘read’ and understand. However, the visualisation style of the storyboards influences the reactions. Where open and sketchy storyboards are inviting comments, sleek and detailed presentations can be overwhelming. Storyboards not only help the product designer to get a grip on target groups, context, product use and timing, but also in communicating about these aspects with all people involved. This paper is part of the 3AD design colloquium Creative connections [1].