This app just became my favorite storyboarding tool
Yes, it’s free. And no, no one paid me to write this.
I wasn’t searching for a storyboarding tool at the time. I just wanted a replacement for the old, faithful sticky notes app I used on my Windows OS. However, the replacement I discovered ended up quickly blossoming into a playground for my own imagination, and it made me realize…
This was the storyboarding tool my little fiction-writing heart has yearned for over the years.
The tool is called Note Board, and it’s a free-to-download app for your Chrome browser.
What’s so great about it?
While this extension has a few pay-to-play features, the free platform has more than enough free customizable tools to feed the visual thinker’s appetite, including:
- Color codable sticky notes. These sticky notes have robust capabilities:
- Formatting options (headlines, lists, etc).
- A gradiant color palette offering limitless color coding options
- The ability to attach files and images to individual notes
- A linking feature that groups separate notes together using linking arrows (see “Acts” notes in screenshot below)
- A pop-up feature you can add to individual notes
- Scheduled reminders/deadlines
2. Multiple tabs so you can organize separate boards for individual projects.
3. Customizable backgrounds that can help set your storyboard’s mood.
4. A share feature so you can get feedback from friends and collaborators.
5. A search button to easily find the note you’re looking for.
6. Stickers to optimize visual ideation.
7. The ability to upload photos directly to your board.
Below is a screenshot of one of my storyboarding tabs (certain details have been redacted to preserve current works-in-progress), which demonstrates a bare-bones illustration of some of these capabilities, including the tabs, color-coded sticky notes, and a photo of one of my character sketches.
For me, this has proven to be the perfect tool; a one-stop-shop for my character sheets, synopsis, book outline, cut scenes, character references and sketches, and more.
Are you going to give it a try? If so, let me know what you think of it!
Have a storyboarding tool you already use and love? Tell me about it!
