Planning with AI: outlines and storyboards
Day 11 of 30 · 30 Days of AI
Use the model to structure work before writing
Learning goal
- Create a 2-level outline for a deliverable.
- Turn it into a simple storyboard or section plan.
Why it matters
- Planning reduces rewrites and missing sections.
- Storyboards clarify flow before drafting.
Explanation
- Prompt for outline with constraints: audience, purpose, length, sections.
- Add “check for gaps/assumptions” before accepting.
- Storyboard: title + purpose + bullet notes per section.
Examples
- Prompt: “Outline a 5-section guide for beginners on X. Include 3 bullets per section, flag missing data.”
- Weak: “Make an outline.”
Guided exercise (10–15 min)
- Pick a deliverable (guide/report/presentation).
- Generate a 2-level outline with gaps noted.
- Add a short storyboard note per section (purpose + key points).
Independent exercise (5–10 min)
Ask the model to suggest missing data/sources for your outline and note them.
Self-check
- Outline has sections and bullets.
- Gaps/assumptions listed.
- Storyboard notes per section.
Optional deepening
- Planning prompts: https://platform.openai.com/docs/guides/prompt-engineering