Beyond the Storyboard: Why I Show Stakeholders the Learning Experience Before I Build It

Written by Dr. Kay Khan Ed.D

Most instructional designers follow a familiar development process. We begin by identifying learning objectives, understanding the business need, developing a storyboard, and outlining the learner experience. That process has served our profession well, and it remains a critical part of how I design learning.

Over the years, however, I've found that traditional storyboards require stakeholders to mentally visualize the finished learning experience—a skill that doesn't come naturally to everyone. While instructional designers can often picture how a course will come together, many internal and external stakeholders cannot. They're asked to imagine layouts, interactions, navigation, and the overall learner experience from written descriptions alone.

Instead of asking stakeholders to imagine the possibilities, I prefer to give them something they can see.

Bringing Ideas to Life Earlier

Before I build a course in Articulate Storyline or Rise, I often create visual concepts in Canva alongside a traditional learning design storyboard in Microsoft Word. These Canva concepts are not finished course screens, nor are they intended to represent the final product. Instead, they communicate the overall direction, look and feel, and learner experience before development begins.

The goal isn't to design the entire course—it's to create visual concepts that replace uncertainty with a shared vision of the learning experience.

Figure 1. Storyboard + Visual Learning Concept: A traditional storyboard documents the instructional strategy, while a visual learning concept helps stakeholders envision the learner experience, design direction, and overall quality before development begins.

These visual concepts help stakeholders understand:

• What the learner experience will feel like.

• What level of quality they can expect.

• How interactive learning might be used to introduce or simplify complex concepts.

• What visual style we're moving toward, particularly when the learning experience calls for a design that differs from standard corporate branding.

• What multimedia elements—such as videos, graphics, animations, or scenarios—will best support the learning objectives.

Rather than relying solely on written descriptions, stakeholders can respond to a visual representation of the proposed learning experience.

Setting Expectations Before Full Development

One of the greatest benefits of this approach is that it establishes a shared vision before significant development begins.

Rather than spending weeks building a course only to discover that stakeholders envisioned something different, I present visual learning concepts early in the process. This gives stakeholders an opportunity to validate the direction, ask questions, and recommend adjustments before substantial development time has been invested.

These visual concepts also become valuable communication tools. Stakeholders can share them with their teams and leadership to gather feedback, build alignment, and secure buy-in before the course is developed.

As a result, development becomes more collaborative, decisions are made with greater confidence, and projects move more efficiently from concept to completion.

Designing the Experience Before Choosing the Tool

Creating visual learning concepts also helps me make more intentional development decisions.

As the learner experience begins to take shape, I naturally evaluate which authoring tool will best support the instructional strategy. Some projects are well suited for Articulate Rise because of its clean, responsive design, while others require the advanced interactions and customization available in Articulate Storyline.

This process also helps me identify opportunities to incorporate scenario-based learning, videos, animations, downloadable resources, job aids, and other multimedia elements that will strengthen the learning experience.

For me, the learner experience always comes first. The technology is simply the vehicle that brings that experience to life.

Adding a Creative Layer to My Design Process

This approach isn't about replacing storyboards or redefining instructional design best practices. I still begin every project with learning objectives, instructional strategy, and a documented storyboard.

What I've added is a creative layer that helps stakeholders visualize the learning experience before development begins.

That seemingly small addition has made a meaningful difference. Stakeholders have a clearer understanding of the vision, feedback becomes more specific, and leadership conversations are easier because everyone has something tangible to review instead of relying solely on written descriptions.

While these visual concepts are never intended to represent the finished course, they establish the quality, direction, and learner experience that will guide development.

For me, visual storyboarding has become more than a design exercise—it's a communication strategy. It bridges the gap between instructional strategy and stakeholder expectations, creating alignment early and helping projects move forward with greater clarity and confidence.

I'd love to hear how other learning professionals approach this stage of the design process. Have you found creative ways to help stakeholders visualize a learning experience before development begins? What approaches have helped your projects move from concept to completion more effectively?