Design Storytelling: Turn Resistance into Buy-in
4 Weeks
·Cohort-based Course
Learn to create story-driven presentations that persuade stakeholders and unify teams. Adopt a proven workflow to shape your vision.
Design Storytelling: Turn Resistance into Buy-in
4 Weeks
·Cohort-based Course
Learn to create story-driven presentations that persuade stakeholders and unify teams. Adopt a proven workflow to shape your vision.
Previously at
Course overview
Overcome Organizational Resistance & Master Strategic Storytelling
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.
It’s frustrating. But it’s also fixable.
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.
This course is about mastering that skill.
How We’ll Do It
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.
Over four weeks, you’ll roll up your sleeves and build:
- Stakeholder Maps – Identify who really matters, map their concerns, and craft messages that resonate.
- Structured Story Frameworks – Shape raw ideas into compelling narratives that people remember (and rally behind).
- Storyboarding Templates – Test and refine your story before spending hours perfecting slides.
- Live Feedback & 1:1 Coaching – Get real-time guidance on your actual projects, so you leave with presentations that work.
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.
What You’ll Get Beyond the Course
- Resource Bundles & Templates – Reusable frameworks so you’re never starting from scratch.
- Live Workshops & Q&A – Test ideas, get feedback, and refine in real-time.
- Peer Community – Connect with designers tackling the same challenges.
- Ongoing Support – Post-session follow-ups to ensure you’re actually applying what you’ve learned.
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.
Who is this course for
01
You’re ready to get buy-in for your biggest ideas – Learn how to frame your work so it lands with execs, PMs, and engineers.
02
You want to align teams around a clear vision – Break down silos and ensure your work drives real change.
03
You want to overcome resistance and push bold ideas forward – Use storytelling to turn skeptics into champions.
What you’ll get out of this course
Craft a Reusable Narrative Framework
- Develop: A personal storytelling template to turn raw concepts into compelling narratives.
- Apply: Reuse this framework for multiple projects, ensuring consistent, impactful messaging.
Tailor Your Vision to Diverse Stakeholders
- Identify: Map key players and understand their motivations so you can tailor your narrative effectively.
- Adapt: Adjust your story based on your audiences' concerns, ensuring that each group sees the value in your proposal.
Build a Cohesive Storyboard for Structural Clarity
- Process: Use a low-fidelity storyboard to arrange your ideas and structure your presentation.
- Refine: Build a framework that ensures every idea flows logically, and your message is clear before you start working on high-fidelity visuals.
Adopt a Proven Workflow for Story-Based Presentations
- Text & Structure First: Focus on content and structure before jumping to visuals, ensuring your narrative becomes clear through an iterative process.
- Visual Refinement: Start integrating simple graphics that support your story rather than overwhelm it, based on your storyboard.
Overcome Organizational Resistance
- Strategize: Anticipate objections and plan responses.
- Implement: Unite cross-functional teams around a shared vision using your newly developed assets and storytelling approach.
This course includes
9 interactive live sessions
Lifetime access to course materials
11 in-depth lessons
Direct access to instructor
4 projects to apply learnings
Guided feedback & reflection
Private community of peers
Course certificate upon completion
Maven Satisfaction Guarantee
This course is backed by Maven’s guarantee. You can receive a full refund within 14 days after the course ends, provided you meet the completion criteria in our refund policy.
Design Storytelling: Turn Resistance into Buy-in
Course syllabus
Week 1
Mar
5
Foundations of Story-Driven Vision Presentations
Establishing Your Narrative Framework
Mar
7
Design Critique
Week 2
Mar
12
Mapping Stakeholders & Motivations
Audience & Stakeholder Alignment
Mar
14
Design Critique
Week 3
Mar
19
Storyboarding Your Flow
Structuring Your Presentation
Mar
21
Design Critique
Week 4
Mar
26
From Storyboard to Polished Delivery
Visual Refinement & Rhetorical Delivery
Mar
28
Design Critique
Post-course
Apr
2
Optional: Q&A
Bonus
Additional Resources
Join an upcoming cohort
Design Storytelling: Turn Resistance into Buy-in
Cohort 1
$999
Dates
Payment Deadline
Meet your instructor
Chris Abad
Design executive with 20+ years mentoring hundreds of designers worldwide
With 20+ years leading design teams at top companies like Google, Dropbox, Square, and Salesforce, I’ve seen firsthand how a well-structured, story-focused presentation can move ideas from concept to consensus. I’ve helped hundreds of designers move beyond basic “confidence” tips—showing them how a text-first approach, careful narrative structuring, and thoughtful visual design produce presentations that truly persuade. By sharing this proven workflow, I’ll empower you to build presentations that resonate with stakeholders, foster alignment, and elevate your influence as a designer.
Course schedule
4-6 hours per week
Tuesdays & Thursdays
6:00pm - 7:30pm PST
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.
Weekly Projects
2 hours per week
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.
Optional Q&A
Additional live session
After the main cohort ends, join this follow-up session to ask questions, address challenges, and refine your approach.
Learning is better with cohorts
Active hands-on learning
This course builds on live workshops and hands-on projects
Interactive and project-based
You’ll be interacting with other learners through breakout rooms and project teams
Learn with a cohort of peers
Join a community of like-minded people who want to learn and grow alongside you
Frequently Asked Questions
Stay in the loop
Sign up to be the first to know about course updates.
What people are saying
Nisha Desai
Soumya Sahu
Jerry Gordinier
Kevin Tunc
George Baier IV
Paul Hepworth
Join an upcoming cohort
Design Storytelling: Turn Resistance into Buy-in
Cohort 1
$999
Dates
Payment Deadline