This document discusses different programming strategies that can be used in Articulate Storyline to present information to learners. It will provide examples of using layers, state changes, and new slides to preview steps in a process. Attendees will vote on which strategies they typically prefer for different common Storyline situations. The topics that will be discussed and voted on include locking the next button, using layers or state changes for rollovers, using individual pictures or hotspots for multipart graphics, displaying progress bars, reviewing steps in a process, and character pose changes. Pros and cons of each approach will be discussed based on the survey results.

1. To Use a Layer, State Change, or New Slide,
that is the Question: A Daily Storyline Drama
Kris Felstehausen, MS, MM
Jim Wallace
Hudson/Mastech

2. At the end of this session, you will be able to:
• Discuss the pros and cons of using different programming strategies in
Articulate Storyline to preview, and review in detail, a number of steps in a
process, guidelines to follow, FAQs, or parts of some concept.
• Discuss the pros and cons of using layers in Articulate Storyline.
• Learn the percentage of session attendees that prefer using specific types
of programming strategies (layers vs. state changes vs. multiple slides) in
Articulate Storyline.

3. Session Process and Voting
• Introduce a typical Storyline situation
• Show you examples of common ways we’ve seen it programmed
• Ask you to vote on which way you typically program it
– A QR code will display on each “voting” screen – use your smartphone QR
code reader to quickly access the SurveyMonkey
• You can download a free (or cheap) QR Reader from your App Store
– A URL will also be given – type the URL into your browser to access the
SurveyMonkey
– Be sure to “Submit” each survey you complete
• Ask for volunteers to “defend/explain” their choice
• Discuss pros and cons of choices

4. Topics to Discuss
1. Locking down the “Next” button
2. Rollovers/click-ons: layers or state changes?
3. Multi-part graphic: individual pics or hotspots?
4. Progress bars
5. Multi-step process: layers, close buttons, or new slides?
6. Animation: base slide timeline or separate layers?
7. Slide/info available throughout course
8. Multi-step learner actions and instructions
9. Character pose changes

5. LOCKING THE “NEXT” BUTTON

6. Next Button Locked
When you want to lock down the Next button so that the learner
cannot advance until all interactions have been completed, do you:
A. Use navigational buttons in the player, but uncheck them for slides
you want locked down. Create buttons for only these slides?
B. Turn off navigational buttons in player for entire course and create
your own buttons for each slide?
C. Other?
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/P9RSH8C
Survey Results
Responses = 29
A = 69%
B = 24%
C = 7%

7. Pros/Cons
Option Pros Cons
Turn off player nav
buttons in entire course
and create your own
nav buttons
• Buttons on all slides are consistent • Need triggers on each slide for all
buttons; more to maintain; adds to file
size; can be confusing for
troubleshooting
• Have to pay attention to the position of
buttons on each slide to keep them
consistent from slide to slide – adds work
and requires attention to detail
• If SME decides later to change look of
buttons, have to change them in entire
course
Use nav buttons in
player, but disable for
slides you want locked
down; create your own
button for only these
slides
• Easiest for developer to do – less
work overall
• Easier to maintain
• Reduces file size as you don’t need
all the extra triggers on each slide
• Less control over what nav buttons look
like (especially if SMEs want a particular
look)

8. ROLLOVERS/CLICK-ONS: LAYERS OR
STATE CHANGES?

9. Rollovers/Click-ons: Layers or State Changes
When you have a graphic and you want the learner to roll
mouse over (or click on) part of the graphic to see text that pops
open (or audio that launches), do you:
A. Use layers to show text? [example 3]
B. Use state changes to show text? [example 2]
C. Use markers to show text?
D. Other?
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PD3C5WX
Survey Results
Responses = 23
A = 52%
B = 39%
C = 9%
D = 0%

10. Pros/Cons
Option Pros Cons
Use layers to show text • Allows use of very
easy trigger: “Show
layer X when user
hovers mouse over”
• If printing out “Word” storyboard, each layer shows up
as a different slide – can be very confusing for SMEs.
Use state changes to
show text
• Allows use of very
easy trigger: “Change
state of X to normal
when user hovers
mouse over”
• Text is often stacked on top of each other & is difficult to
edit. Have to turn on text boxes to see each and
remember to turn back on.
• If printing out “Word” storyboard, SME cannot read and
edit text in each text box.
Use markers to show
text
• Markers open and
close easily
• Learner has to click on marker – much smaller area to hit
than a part of a larger graphic; is more difficult to
instruct them to click on markers than on larger parts of
a graphic
• Text in markers do not show up at all when printing out
“Word” storyboard. If you want SMEs to be able to edit,
you have to remember to copy the text from the
markers into the Notes section so SMEs can edit it.

11. MULTI-PART GRAPHIC: INDIVIDUAL
PICS OR HOTSPOTS

12. Multi-part Graphic: Individual Pics or Hotspots
When you have a multi-part graphic (like a pie chart) and you want
learners to be able to click on each part/segment to make
something appear (either using layers or state changes), do you:
A. Bring the different segments of the graphic in as separate pics;
create different states for each segment; and use triggers to show
text or layers for each segment? [example 8]
B. Bring the graphic in as 1 pic; draw hotspots on top of each segment
of the graphic; and use triggers to show text or layers? [example 10]
C. Other?
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PTD5BTT
Survey Results
Responses = 25
A = 52%
B = 48%
C = 0%

13. Pros/Cons
Option Pros Cons
Bring the different segments
of the graphic in as separate
pics; create different states
for each segment; and use
triggers to show text or
layers for each segment
• Can change the state of each
piece of the graphic – like graying
out each segment once learners
have clicked on it
• Can easily add triggers to each
segment of a graphic
• Can add text labels or other
animations/triggers to the
individual pics
• Piecing together smaller segments of a
larger graphic can be very frustrating!
• Lots of triggers can be confusing for
developer when troubleshooting or
performing maintenance
Bring the graphic in as 1 pic;
draw hotspots on top of each
segment of the graphic; and
use triggers to show text or
layers
• Simplest for developer to do • Cannot change the state of each piece
of the graphic (or add triggers) – like
graying out each segment once
learners have clicked on it; learners
won’t know what they’ve clicked on

14. PROGRESS BARS

15. Progress Bars
When you want to display progress bars on slides, do you:
A. Create separate pics of progressively full progress bars and just
place them on slides? [example 4 – without state changes]
B. Create 1 progress bar with multiple states (each state with pic of
progressively full bar), then choose applicable “initial” state for
each slide? [example 4]
C. Use variables (on the master) to create incrementing/
decrementing slide counter that automatically generates an
appropriately full/empty progress bar on each slide? [example 5]
D. Add Slider control to master, and use variables on each slide to
calculate slider value? [Scene 2]
E. Other?
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PSQD3MY
Survey Results
Responses = 16
A = 19%
B = 31%
C = 13%
D = 31%
E = 6%

16. Pros/Cons
Option Pros Cons
Create separate pics and place on
screens
• Simple, easy to do • Have to wait til very end of project to
add bars
• Have to remember to adjust when
slides are added or deleted
• Very manual
Create 1 progress bar with multiple
states; choose “initial” state
• Simple, easy do do
• Can create 1 base pic and
create all states; then copy
from slide to slide
• Have to wait til very end of project to
set initial state for each slide
• Have to remember to adjust when
slides are added or deleted
• Takes a little time to set up
Use variables to create
incrementing/ decrementing slide
counter
• Once working, will
automatically generate
progress bars with no
further intervention
• Do not need to remember
to adjust when slides are
added/ deleted
• Complex – hard to set up
• Adds triggers to each slide which can
add confusion
• Adds size to file
• One more thing to break
• Not good for non-linear courses
Add Slider control to master, and
use triggers on each slide to
calculate slider value
• Works well for non-linear
courses
• Same as 1st 4 bullets above

17. MULTI-STEP PROCESS GRAPHIC
WITH STEP DETAILS

18. Multi-step Process Graphic with Step Details
You have a multi-step process illustrated by a multi-part graphic.
You want to review each step of the process in more detail - and
the detail needs 1 whole slide per step. Do you:
A. Ask learner to click on each part of graphic to review detail; have 1
layer per step and provide “Return/Close" button on each layer to
hide layer (i.e. learner returns to base slide each time to see next
step)? [example 8]
B. Use layers - 1 for each step. Provide both “Return/Close" and
“Next Step” button so learner can either return to base slide to
access next layer or advance to next layer? [example 9]
C. Use separate slides for the overview graphic and each step?
D. Other?
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PYXW722
Survey Results
Responses = 15
A = 54%
B = 13%
C = 33%
D = 0%

19. Pros/Cons
Option Pros Cons
Learner clicks on each
part of graphic to
review each step (on
separate layers); each
layer has
“Return/Close" button
• Builds learner
context by forcing
learner to connect
sub-steps with the
larger process
• Layers print out as
separate slides in
“Word” storyboard
• Previewing layers can be frustrating as you have to run through
the base slide to preview the layer
• Have to build triggers to show and hide layers
• In Storyline there is only 1 ‘Notes’ section – for the base slide
only. If you are using the ‘Notes’ section for audio, the audio
for all layer is listed on the base slide only. When printing out a
“Word” storyboard, you have to remember to cut/paste the
audio to move under each layer.
• There is no separate audio progression bar for layers.
Therefore, you have to remember to extend the timeline for
the base layer to include the audio time of the layers (and
maintain if layer audio times change). If you don’t, it may be
confusing for learners.
• Might be annoying for learner – adds more clicks
Use layers, but provide
both “Return" and
“Next Step” button
• Learners might like
better; can choose
to build context or
move on
• Ditto on 1st 4 bullets above
Use separate slides for
the overview graphic
and each step
• Easy to preview
and edit
• Fails to build learner context with larger process

20. ANIMATION: BASE SLIDE TIMELINE
OR SEPARATE LAYERS

21. Animated Audio Sequence
When you want to show animation to accompany a longer audio
passage (to illustrate what is being said with pictures and words),
do you:
A. Put all the graphics and text onto 1 slide and just position
everything on the timeline? [example 6]
B. Break the graphics/animation and audio into smaller segments;
create layers for each segment; use triggers to automatically
flow from layer to layer? [example 7]
C. Other?
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PRSYTRV
Survey Results
Responses = 3
A = 67%
B = 33%
C = 0%

22. Pros/Cons
Option Pros Cons
Put all the graphics and
text onto 1 slide and
just position everything
on the timeline
• Everything is on 1 slide
– don’t have to cut up
the audio
• Editing can be very confusing – must label all
graphics/text and keep them very organized when
bringing onto timeline
• Have to turn objects on and off to see when editing –
and remember to turn back on
• If you produce a “Word” storyboard, the screenshot of
the slide looks very messy; it’s hard for the SME to see
the graphics and text
Break the graphics/
animation and audio
into smaller segments;
create layers for each
segment; use triggers
to automatically flow
from layer to layer
• If you produce a
“Word” storyboard,
the layers print out as
separate slides; SMEs
will be able to see the
graphics and text for
editing
• Easier to edit and
make changes
• Previewing layers can be frustrating as you have to run
through the base slide to see the layers
• If you produce a “Word” storyboard, you have to
remember to cut/paste the audio script for each layer
from the base slide “Notes” to under each layer slide
• Need triggers to show/hide layers
• There is no separate audio progression bar for layers.
Therefore, you have to remember to extend the
timeline for the base layer to include the audio time of
the layers (and maintain if layer audio times change). If
you don’t, it may be confusing for learners.

23. SLIDE/INFO AVAILABLE
THROUGHOUT COURSE

24. Slide/Info Available throughout Course
When you want to have a reference slide (or info) available to
learners throughout the course, do you:
A. Put info in pdf and attach it to player as "resource"?
B. Put info in lightbox and add link to player to open lightbox?
C. Put icon on every slide and add trigger to icon to open content
in lightbox? [example 5]
D. Other?
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PM9NFF7
Survey Results
Responses = 3
A = 33%
B = 67%
C = 0%
D = 0%

25. Pros/Cons
Option Pros Cons
Put info in pdf and
attach it to player
as "resource"
• Learners can download the
resource and/or print
• Easy for developer to do
• A little harder to edit or maintain as you have to edit
attachment and then re-attach
• Potential problems when you deploy the course as
you have to make sure attachment is in zip file
• Potential problems with learners not being able to
open resource once loaded onto client’s LMS
Put info in lightbox,
and add link to
player to open
lightbox
• Easiest for developer
• Clean and neat – does not
take up screen real estate
• No extra triggers on each
slide
• Learners cannot download or print info
Put icon on every
slide, and add
trigger to icon to
open content in
lightbox
• May fit better into a client’s
“template” or preferred look
• Icon takes up screen real estate
• Extra triggers on each slide – adds complexity and
file size – one more thing to break
• If client changes their mind about look or function
of icon, you have to change it on every slide!
• Learners cannot download or print info

26. MULTI-STEP LEARNER ACTIONS &
INSTRUCTIONS

27. Multi-Step Learner Actions & Instructions
When you have a slide with multiple learner actions, do you:
A. Put all actions on 1 slide, but show them one at a time; show
only the instructions learner needs to take for each action? [Ex 11]
– Position instructions on timeline so they appear only when learner
needs to take each action. Once learner has taken action, use triggers to
show next action and change state of instructions.
B. Put all actions on 1 slide and give learner all instructions at once?
[Ex 12]
C. Use multiple slides with only 1 learner action on each slide.
When learner completes action, either have them click Next or
automatically advance to next slide?
D. Other?
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PXVFF69
Survey Results
Responses = 3
A 67%
B = 33%
C = 0%
D = 0%

28. Pros/Cons
Option Pros Cons
Put all actions on 1 slide, but
show them one at a time;
show only the instructions
learner needs to take for each
action
• Best for learners;
they see 1 action at
a time and
instructions that go
with it
• Everything is on 1
slide for ease of
content changes and
future maintenance
• Have to create a state for each set of instructions
• Have to “edit state” of instructions text box to see
all sets of instructions – these will not show up on
slide if you produce a “Word” storyboard
• Have to add triggers to change state of objects to
visited so you can have a trigger to change the
state of the instructions once learner action is
complete
• Lots of triggers can be confusing for developer
when editing and troubleshooting
Put all actions on 1 slide and
give learner all instructions at
once
• Easiest for
developer and for
maintenance
• Confusing for learners!
Use multiple slides with only 1
learner action on each slide;
when learner completes
action, either have them click
Next or automatically advance
to next slide
• Provides 1 learner
action and
instruction at a time
with no need for lots
of triggers
• If you have multiple copies of same slide, you will
have to make any content changes on all copies
(not smart for editing or maintenance!)
• If you produce a “Word” storyboard, each slide
will print out as a separate slide – confusing for
SMEs!

29. CHARACTER POSE CHANGE

30. Character Pose Change
When you want to add pose changes to a character, do you:
A. Use a series of separate screenshots stacked on top of each
other and position each screenshot on timeline? [Example 5]
B. Create different states for character (each state with a different
pose); add cue points where you want pose changes; use
triggers to “change state of X when timeline reaches cue point
Y”? [Example 4, 6, 7]
C. Other?
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PXBJ5X7
Survey Results
Responses = 3
A = 0%
B = 67%
C = 33%

31. Pros/Cons
Option Pros Cons
Use a series of separate
screenshots stacked on top
of each other; position each
screenshot on timeline
• Simple; easy to do – no triggers
or cue points needed
• Easiest to add animation to
individual pics (fade in/out –
entrance/exit)
• Character looks weird when producing
“Word” storyboard
• Have to insert pics of characters on each
slide (or copy from slide to slide)
• Hard to get all pics aligned so pose
changes look smooth – easy to mess up
during editing
• Hard to see the poses when editing (have
to hide poses and remember to turn back
on)
Create different states for
the character, add cue
points, and use triggers to
“change the state of X when
the timeline reaches cue
point Y”
• Can create base slides with
character positioned on
right/middle/left; create
multiple states with lots of
poses; add triggers to change
states; copy character from
slide to slide; just add cue
points and select poses as
desired
• Cannot see pose changes initially on slide
– have to “edit states” to see all potential
pose changes
• Takes time to initially set-up series of
states and triggers
• Can still add animation – but have to add
to each state

32. Next Steps:
With the conference materials for this presentation we will post:
• The PowerPoint presentation
• The story file containing the examples
• The survey results
We would like you to complete the survey questions that we didn’t get to,
then we will update the survey results in the presentation materials.

33. SUMMARY

34. Session Evaluation & ID Skills Self-Assessment
• Please complete the Evaluation using the app. If you don’t have your phone,
ask your session monitor for a paper evaluation.
-------------------------------
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• For FREE feedback on 150+ ID & PM skills, take our Skills Self-Assessment at:
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• Upon submitting your assessment, you will receive a detailed personal report that provides:
– A summary of how you scored on each skill compared to others
– Your top areas of strength and opportunities for development
– Suggestions for developing each skill area
– A template for a development plan that you can create to further enhance your ID/PM skills
• To thank you for your participation, you will also receive a 30% discount coupon for the purchase of the
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