A design-thinking workshop presented at the University of Michigan Enriching Scholarship 2016. Combine design thinking strategies and comic creation prototyping tools to help students hurdle past the blank page problem for visual+narrative creative projects. This hands-on workshop will walk you through the real-world experience of working in partnership or small teams to create a rough draft of a short comic on the topic of a public service awareness or public interest topic.

1. Making Comics Fast
PF Anderson, Joyce Lee, Nancy Benovich Gilby
Enriching Scholarship 2016

2. Idea
What if we mashed up DESIGN THINKING and a
simplified COMICS rubric?
Image credit: <https://openclipart.org/detail/181394/radio-announcement>

3. Background 1
DESIGN THINKING is … what?

4. What is design thinking?
<http://dschool.
stanford.edu/dgift/>

5. Background 2
COMICS rubric?

6. What do you mean, “comics rubric”?
Scott McCloud: Understanding
Comics <http://scottmccloud.com/2-
print/1-uc/>
EdX: The Rise of Superheroes and
Their Impact On Pop Culture:
<https://www.edx.org/course/rise-
superheroes-impact-pop-culture-
smithsonianx-popx1-1x-2>
10 things before you start a comic
<http://www.makingcomics.
com/2014/09/24/10-things-start-
comic-graphic-novel/>
How to start your own comic <http:
//www.instructables.com/id/How-to-
Start-Your-Own-Comic-Book/>

7. What’s your contemporary social issue?

8. … or, in other
words, what’s
your purpose?
On Purpose:
<http:
//www.
dungbeetle.
org/>
Make Health:
<http:
//makehealth
.us/>
A tell B (5 min)
B tell A (5 min)

9. Who’s your hero or protagonist?

10. Who’s your
hero?
Character strengths
Character flaws
Origin storyOption 1: Partner & collaborate
(15-20 min)
Option 2: Take turns
A tells B (10 minutes)
B tells A (10 minutes)

11. Who’s your villain or antagonist?

12. Who’s your
villain?
Character strengths
Character flaws
Origin story or
symbolism
Option 1: Partner & collaborate
(15-20 min)
Option 2: Take turns
A tells B (10 minutes)
B tells A (10 minutes)

13. What’s your story or plotline or scene?

14. What’s your
story?
Set the scene
Buildup
Conflict
Resolution
Option 1: Partner & collaborate
(15-20 min)
Option 2: Take turns
A tells B (10 minutes)
B tells A (10 minutes)

15. Pull it all together!

16. Templates
SUPERHERO BLANK TEMPLATES
Heromachine <http://www.heromachine.com/> | <http://www.heromachine.
com/2008/01/27/free-blank-figure-templates/>
JufsAnne: <http://www.jufsanne.
com/kinderboekenweek/2011/kinderboekenweek2011downloads.html>
STORYBOARD BLANK TEMPLATE <https://docs.google.
com/document/d/1a7QS9BEnPxPlNQRlf9YBfnefS0e5PbEz6MZ3vGLYh34/edit?usp=sharing>

17. Storyboard Blank
DESCRIPTION Action in Frame (Hero) Action in Frame (Villain)

18. Storyboard
Example

19. Next steps

20. Alternatives to being an artist
UNESCO: How to create and publish a photonovel
<http://unesdoc.unesco.
org/images/0018/001821/182121E.pdf>
ETechLib: Cheap and Easy Ways to Make Comics or
Cartoons for Digital Storytelling <https://etechlib.
wordpress.com/2013/05/14/cheap-and-easy-
ways-to-make-comics-or-cartoons-for-
digital-storytelling/>

21. Alternatives to being an artist
Apps!

22. Contacts
PF Anderson / @pfanderson / <pfa@umich.edu>
Joyce Lee / @joyclee / <joyclee@med.umich.edu>
Nancy Benovich Gilby / @nabgilby / <nabgilby@umich.edu>