Storyboard Tips from Dave


REQUIREMENTS:

• Clear strong title
• Large introduction panel with details of the components the user uses.
• Brief overall description, 3-5 sentences
• Well spaced clearly identified panels that show cause and effect, i.e.:
  • The user does something, toy responds by...
  • The toy does something, the user should respond by...
  • The toy responds to its environment by...
  • The toy does a random action...
• Describe EVERYTHING that the toy can do.
  • If they play games, say what games, how the games are initiated, what are the general rules to the games, are there different levels of difficulty etc.
• Have a good organization of your panels showing some flow from when the user first gets the toy to when the user is finished playing with it.
• Post it on-line at assgn6.html and I recommend that when you scan the image you save it as a .gif or .jpg file.
• Don't forget to FTP your files onto your gateway account. For more info on FTP click here.

TIPS:

• Make a soft copy: This will allow you to make changes to your idea easily after you have received your peer evaluation results.
• Typed print also looks real nice.
• In general, do as much as you can on the computer first and do any items by hand last.
• Add color to add to the overall appearance or to help a detail stand out.
• You may want to include an initial spec list of the special components for your toy. This will help you with the feasibility of the idea and help you make more descriptive panels.
• It may be a good idea to start general and then work out specific toy functions, i.e.:
  • Give a group of panels that show the toy's list of responses, i.e. what does the toy do exactly to show the user that its happy, sad etc.
  • Then when you make your more specific panels, you can do so more concisely because it will already be clear as to what certain toy responses are, happy, sad, etc.
  • A description of the special components in the beginning may also for the same reason. For example, if you are patting the toy's tummy, the reader will know that the toy can respond because there is a pressure sensor there.
• Use as many sheets as you need, create appendixes if warranted i.e.:
  • If there is a series of different events triggered from the same user action an appendix of the different possible responses may be a good way to present it.
• Do not make your toy dependent on the need to secure expensive copyright deals i.e. a superman, pokemon, or star wars toy. Instead you can create a more generic version of the toy, i.e. a superhero, and let the toy designers decide if its worth the extra cost.