Chris Abad

Cohort 2

Cohort 1

Learn to create story-driven presentations that persuade stakeholders and unify teams. Adopt a proven workflow to shape your vision.


Design executive with 20+ years mentoring hundreds of designers worldwide

Design Storytelling: Turn Resistance into Buy-in

Product Designer

Senior UX/UI Designer

I’ve been there. Presenting designs that felt like breakthroughs—only to watch them fizzle out in a sea of competing priorities. Seeing stakeholders nod along but never fully commit. Trying to push a bold vision forward, only to face hesitation, skepticism, or indifference.&nbsp; It’s frustrating. But it’s also fixable.&nbsp; The designers who make the biggest impact aren’t just great at design—they’re great at getting buy-in. They know how to frame their work in a way that resonates with executives, engineers, and PMs. They tell stories that make their ideas impossible to ignore.&nbsp; This course is about mastering that skill.&nbsp; How We’ll Do It&nbsp; Design Storytelling isn’t about vague theory—it’s a hands-on program designed to help you communicate your ideas in a way that sparks action.&nbsp; Over four weeks, you’ll roll up your sleeves and build:&nbsp; - Stakeholder Maps – Identify who really matters, map their concerns, and craft messages that resonate.&nbsp;- Structured Story Frameworks – Shape raw ideas into compelling narratives that people remember (and rally behind).&nbsp;- Storyboarding Templates – Test and refine your story before spending hours perfecting slides.&nbsp;- Live Feedback &amp; 1:1 Coaching – Get real-time guidance on your actual projects, so you leave with presentations that work.&nbsp; By the end of the course, you’ll have a repeatable framework for crafting story-driven presentations that influence decisions and move projects forward—without endless back-and-forth.&nbsp; What You’ll Get Beyond the Course&nbsp; - Resource Bundles &amp; Templates – Reusable frameworks so you’re never starting from scratch.&nbsp;- Live Workshops &amp; Q&amp;A – Test ideas, get feedback, and refine in real-time.&nbsp;- Peer Community – Connect with designers tackling the same challenges.&nbsp;- Ongoing Support – Post-session follow-ups to ensure you’re actually applying what you’ve learned.&nbsp; Your work deserves to be seen, understood, and championed. If you’re ready to master the skill that separates great designers from impactful designers, I’d love to see you in this cohort.&nbsp;

Overcome Organizational Resistance & Master Strategic Storytelling


Course syllabus

All live sessions happen twice a week for four weeks. You'll work through interactive lessons, hands-on exercises, and peer critiques to build your storytelling framework.

Tuesdays & Thursdays

Each week, you'll apply the concepts from class to your own work. Expect guided projects like stakeholder mapping, storyboarding, and refining your presentation flow.

Weekly Projects


After the main cohort ends, join this follow-up session to ask questions, address challenges, and refine your approach.

Optional Q&A


Course schedule

You’re ready to get buy-in for your biggest ideas&nbsp;– Learn how to frame your work so it lands with execs, PMs, and engineers.&nbsp;&nbsp;

You want to align teams around a clear vision&nbsp;– Break down silos and ensure your work drives real change.&nbsp;&nbsp;

You want to overcome resistance and push bold ideas forward&nbsp;– Use storytelling to turn skeptics into champions.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Who is this course for

What you’ll get out of this course

<ul><li>Develop:&nbsp;A personal storytelling template to turn raw concepts into compelling narratives.</li><li>Apply: Reuse this framework for multiple projects, ensuring consistent, impactful messaging.</li></ul>

Craft a Reusable Narrative Framework


<ul><li>Identify: Map key players and understand their motivations so you can tailor your narrative effectively.</li><li>Adapt: Adjust your story based on your audiences' concerns, ensuring that each group sees the value in your proposal.</li></ul>

Tailor Your Vision to Diverse Stakeholders


<ul><li>Process: Use a low-fidelity storyboard to arrange your ideas and structure your presentation.</li><li>Refine: Build a framework that ensures every idea flows logically, and your message is clear before you start working on high-fidelity visuals.</li></ul>

Build a Cohesive Storyboard for Structural Clarity


<ul><li>Text &amp; Structure First: Focus on content and structure before jumping to visuals, ensuring your narrative becomes clear through an iterative process.</li><li>Visual Refinement: Start integrating simple graphics that support your story rather than overwhelm it, based on your storyboard.</li></ul>

Adopt a Proven Workflow for Story-Based Presentations


<ul><li>Strategize: Anticipate objections and plan responses.</li><li>Implement: Unite cross-functional teams around a shared vision using your newly developed assets and storytelling approach.</li></ul>

Overcome Organizational Resistance


How to Map Your Product Story with a Simple Storyboard

Former Design Director for top design teams including Google, Dropbox, & Square

Learn a simple method to structure your main points into a logical sequence before adding high-fidelity

Define your presentation’s core flow

Use rough sketches to visualize each segment of your narrative, ensuring clarity before committing to design details.

Sketch low-fidelity storyboards

Iterate your storyboard to align teams, preempt confusion, and deliver a coherent, audience-friendly presentation

Learn directly from Chris Abad

Chris Abad

Courses

Design Storytelling: Turn Resistance into Buy-in

Lightning Lessons

How to Map Your Product Story with a Simple Storyboard