Mindsmith gives you multiple ways to start building interactive lessons. Whether you’re generating with AI or building manually, this article walks you through the two core tools — the Storyboard and the Editor — and the different ways to begin lesson creation.
By the end of this guide, you’ll understand:
The difference between the Storyboard and the Editor
When and why to use the Storyboard
The various starting paths for building your lesson
Where to configure key AI generation and content settings
Jump to Answers- Methods to Start a Lesson
Start from the Storyboard
Start Manually in the Editor
Import a Document
Import an Outline
Import a Video
Generate a Standalone Assessment
Storyboard vs. Editor: Where to Start and Why It Matters
When you create a lesson in Mindsmith, you have two core tools available: the Storyboard and the Editor. Each serves a different role in the creation process, and understanding how they work together will help you move faster and build better content.
The Storyboard
The storyboard helps you plan your lesson before jumping into full production. It’s where you can:
Outline the structure of your lesson (pages, sections, flow)
Define learning objectives
Describe the target learner and their needs
Set the writing style or tone
Choose content settings like interactivity, image preferences, and language
Apply branding elements like logos, fonts, and colors
If you’re using AI to generate a draft lesson, the storyboard is your best tool. The more context you provide here, the better the AI can tailor the lesson to your goals. Think of it as setting the foundation — the AI takes it from there and builds the first draft.
You’re not locked into what you build in the storyboard! Once the lesson is generated, you can customize everything in the editor.
The Editor
The editor is where your lesson comes to life. You can:
Review and refine AI-generated content
Add or remove pages
Insert interaction tiles, images, or media
Edit text, layout, and formatting
Manually build lessons from scratch
If you already know what you want to say and don’t need help from the AI, you can skip the storyboard and go straight to the editor. It works just as well for manual content creation.
Ways to Start a Lesson in Mindsmith
There’s no one way to start building in Mindsmith — and that’s by design. Different users, teams, and content types require different entry points. This section walks through the available build paths, what each is best suited for, and what to expect when you choose that method.
1. Start from the Storyboard
Best for: Structured courses, collaboration with SMEs, instructional designers working with clear goals and outcomes
The Storyboard is your planning space. It gives you a place to shape the structure of your lesson before the editor ever opens. You can map out the flow, define what each section will cover, and guide the AI toward building something aligned with your content strategy.
Inside the storyboard, you’ll find tools for:
Organizing your lesson structure
Add and name sections and pages to control the overall sequence and pacing.Setting clear objectives
Define what learners should know or be able to do by the end of the lesson.Describing your learners
Provide information about who the content is for. This helps the AI adjust tone, complexity, and examples.Choosing a writing style
Select a voice and tone for the content. You can use presets or upload a custom style based on your organization’s approach or audience needs.Adjusting generation settings
Control interactivity levels, image sources, language, page types, and more. These settings influence how the AI structures the lesson and what types of content it includes.Branding your lesson
Upload a logo, set fonts and colors, and apply a visual theme that matches your organization’s identity.
Once your storyboard is ready, it becomes the foundation for your full lesson. When you click Generate Lesson, Mindsmith uses everything you've outlined — structure, objectives, learner profile, tone, and branding — to produce a complete draft. This step brings your plan to life, transforming your inputs into an interactive, editable lesson inside the editor.
After generation, you move into the editor where everything is customizable. You can refine the AI’s draft, add new sections, or restructure the lesson entirely.
When to use this method:
The storyboard is the right starting point if you’re working with clear learning objectives, instructional standards, or a planned course outline. It’s especially useful for instructional designers, L&D teams, or SMEs who already know what they want the lesson to cover and how it should flow.
It’s also the most effective way to generate the bulk of your content with AI. Instead of starting from a blank slate, you can shape the lesson before generation and let the AI handle the heavy lifting. That frees you up to focus your time on what matters most — refining examples, polishing tone, adjusting interactions, and making the experience your own.
Use this method when you want a strong first draft that’s already aligned with your goals, so you can skip the structural work and move straight into fine-tuning.
2. Start Manually in the Editor
Best for: Regulatory content, finalized scripts, full creative control
Starting manually in the editor gives you complete authorship over your content. No AI inputs are used unless you choose to call them in later.
How it works:
Click Create > New Lesson > Start from Scratch
You’ll enter the lesson editor with a blank canvas
From there, you can add pages, write content, and insert interactive elements as needed
What you can do in the editor:
Add or remove pages, reorder them, or organize into sections
Choose from a wide range of interaction tiles (e.g., multiple choice, matching, fill-in-the-blank)
Upload visuals, audio, or documents
Apply themes and branding settings manually
When to use this method:
This method is best when the content has already been approved or when strict requirements mean AI suggestions are out of scope. Typical use cases include:
Legal or compliance training that must follow exact language
Product documentation that is already finalized
Replicating existing eLearning experiences built in another tool
Manual building offers control, accuracy, and predictability.
3. Import a Document
Best for: Repurposing existing training assets, modernizing legacy content, scaling SME-authored material
Mindsmith supports importing a variety of document and slide formats. This functionality allows you to breathe new life into static content by transforming it into engaging, interactive lessons.
How it works:
Click Create > Import Document
Upload a file in one of the supported formats:
.docx,.pdf,.txt,.pptx, or exported Google SlidesThe AI scans the structure and content, then builds a fully editable lesson inside the Mindsmith editor
What gets converted:
Slide decks and documents are split into logical pages
Section headers, bullets, and paragraphs become structured lesson content
Visuals and text are reformatted for interactive delivery
Interactive elements (like quizzes or knowledge checks) may be inserted where appropriate
What you can do afterward:
Adjust lesson flow, tone, or voice
Enhance pages with additional tiles, media, or assessments
Add new interactions or remove auto-generated ones
Apply your brand theme and fine-tune formatting
When to use this method:
Use this method when you already have content developed in other tools or formats and want to quickly make it interactive and scalable. Ideal scenarios include:
Uploading instructor-led training decks and converting them into self-paced courses
Transforming static PDFs or handbooks into engaging onboarding materials
Scaling subject-matter expert content without requiring them to learn a new authoring tool
Quickly adapting long-form reference material into concise microlearning modules
This path is perfect for teams that want to reduce redundancy, improve accessibility, and upgrade old formats without starting from zero.
4. Import an Outline
Best for: Repurposing existing training assets, modernizing legacy content, scaling SME-authored material
Mindsmith supports importing a variety of document and slide formats. This functionality allows you to breathe new life into static content by transforming it into engaging, interactive lessons.
How it works:
Click Create > Import Outline
Upload a file in one of the supported formats:
.docx,.pdf,.txt,.pptx, or exported Google SlidesThe AI scans the structure and content, then builds a fully editable storyboard inside the Mindsmith editor
What gets converted:
Outline is logically segmented into pages using section headers from your outline document. The outline is then inserted as page instructions.
What you can do afterward:
Adjust lesson flow, tone, or voice
Enhance pages with additional tiles, media, or assessments
Add new interactions or remove auto-generated ones
Apply your brand theme and fine-tune formatting
When to use this method:
Use this method when you already have a lesson outline developed in other tools or formats and want to quickly make it interactive and scalable. Ideal scenarios include:
Transforming static outlines into engaging onboarding materials
This path is perfect for teams that want to reduce redundancy, improve accessibility, and upgrade old formats without starting from zero.
5. Import a Video
Best for: Creating interactive content from recordings
Video import lets you turn recorded content into structured learning experiences. You can extend the value of webinars, demos, or training sessions by adding questions, takeaways, and summaries.
How it works:
Upload a video file (MP4, MOV)
AI reviews the visual and audio track
A lesson is built with pages aligned to key segments or timestamps
What you can do afterward:
Break long videos into smaller, digestible segments
Add interactive questions between clips
Include supporting text, images, or resources on each page
When to use this method:
Use this when you want to reuse existing training sessions or demos as scalable learning. Strong use cases include:
Instructor-led trainings captured on video
Product demonstrations or internal walkthroughs
Recorded customer education sessions
This method supports blended learning and helps you extract more value from your video library.
6. Generate a Standalone Assessment
Best for: Knowledge checks, certification readiness, quick evaluations
This path creates a quiz or test without needing a full lesson structure. It’s useful when your primary goal is to measure retention or validate understanding.
How it works:
Choose Generate Assessment from the Create menu
Provide a topic, upload a document, or paste a URL
Mindsmith generates a quiz with questions based on your source
You can:
Set the number and type of questions
Review and edit answers and feedback
Apply grading or completion rules
When to use this method:
Choose this when your learning experience ends with validation or when you need a standalone test. Ideal for:
Pre-course diagnostics
End-of-course certification
Periodic employee knowledge checks
What’s Next?
Once you’ve chosen a method and created your first lesson, you’ll move into the editor — the core workspace where all content is refined, expanded, and finalized.
To learn more about what’s possible in the editor and how to get the most from your AI-generated draft, check out these recommended reads:
Getting the Most from AI Features
Tiles 101: Types of Lesson Content
Your Secret Weapon: the AI Assistant