Planning with AI: outlines and storyboards

Planning with AI: outlines and storyboards

Why it matters: Planning outputs reduce blank-page time and keep writing structured.

Goals

• Generate an outline with sections.
• Write a storyboard for a doc or slide deck.
• Add acceptance criteria.

Key definitions

• Outline: A structured plan of headings and bullet points.
• Storyboard: A sequence of sections/slides with key messages and supporting points.
• Acceptance criteria: What the final deliverable must include to be “done”.

Workflow (step-by-step)

1. State deliverable type (doc, memo, slides) + audience.
2. List 3–7 required sections (problem, approach, risks, next steps).
3. Generate a section-by-section outline with key bullets.
4. Add 1 example per section (what would go there).
5. Define acceptance criteria and run QA.

Example (good vs bad)

✅ Good: An outline that guides drafting and includes criteria and examples.

❌ Bad: A list of vague headings with no content guidance.

Checklist

• Audience specified.
• Sections include purpose.
• Examples included.
• Acceptance criteria defined.

Metrics / criteria

• Drafting time reduced; fewer structural rewrites.
• Measurable: You can say whether the output is correct/complete (pass/fail or a score).
• Effort: You can produce the result in 15–30 minutes using the workflow.
• Clarity: Another person can run your prompt and get a similar outcome.

Common mistakes + fixes

• Pitfall: Outline too detailed or too vague. Fix: Aim for 6–10 bullets per section maximum.
• Pitfall: Vague instructions. Fix: Add constraints, examples, and a success checklist.
• Pitfall: One-shot prompting. Fix: Iterate: draft → critique → revise → verify.
• Pitfall: No validation. Fix: Add QA steps, tests, and explicit “what counts as done”.

Student tasks

1. Apply the workflow to one real work task related to planning with ai: outlines and storyboards.
2. Create a small artifact: prompt, checklist, rubric, table, draft, or decision note.
3. Run one quality check and record what changed after the check.
4. Write a 3-sentence reflection: what worked, what failed, and what you will reuse.

Useful external sources

• OpenAI prompt engineering guide: https://platform.openai.com/docs/guides/prompt-engineering — Prompt structure, iteration, constraints, and evaluation habits.
• NIST AI Risk Management Framework: https://www.nist.gov/itl/ai-risk-management-framework — Risk framing, governance language, and verification mindset.
• OWASP Top 10 for Large Language Model Applications: https://owasp.org/www-project-top-10-for-large-language-model-applications/ — Practical AI safety risks such as prompt injection, leakage, and insecure output handling.
• Google People + AI Guidebook: https://pair.withgoogle.com/guidebook/ — Human-centered AI design, user control, feedback, and failure modes.

Bibliography

• OpenAI prompt engineering guide. https://platform.openai.com/docs/guides/prompt-engineering
• NIST AI Risk Management Framework. https://www.nist.gov/itl/ai-risk-management-framework
• OWASP Top 10 for Large Language Model Applications. https://owasp.org/www-project-top-10-for-large-language-model-applications/
• Google People + AI Guidebook. https://pair.withgoogle.com/guidebook/