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 Methods to Start a Lesson
Generate from Instructions (Storyboard)
Start Manually in the Editor
Import a Document
Import an Outline
Import a Video
Generate a Standalone Assessment
Import a SCORM Package
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. 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, allowed tiles, 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. 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. Generate from Instructions (Storyboard)
Best for: Structured courses, collaboration with SMEs, instructional designers working with clear goals and outcomes
The Generate from Instructions path opens your planning space. It gives you a place to shape the structure of your lesson and guide the AI toward building something perfectly aligned with your content strategy.
Inside the generator dialog, you can configure:
Your Topic & Instructions: Provide a detailed prompt describing what the lesson should cover.
Reference Materials: Upload documents (
.pdf,.docx,.pptx,.csv), paste text, or provide webpage URLs for the AI to cite.Objectives & Audience: Click the Objectives button to define what learners should know, and specify your target Learner and Tone.
Writing Style: Upload a custom writing sample to train the AI to match your organization's exact voice.
Advanced Generation Settings: Click Advanced to control page length, interactivity levels, image providers, allowed page types, and specific interaction tiles.
When you click Generate Storyboard, Mindsmith uses everything you've outlined to produce a complete draft.
Conversational AI Agent:
During the generation process, Mindsmith uses an AI Agent to actively research your documents and draft the content. If the AI encounters missing context or needs clarification, it may pause and open a Conversation Panel. You can answer its questions directly to guide the final output. To learn more, see The Mindsmith Agent.
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 > Blank Lesson
You’ll enter the lesson editor with a blank canvas
From there, you can add pages, write content, and insert interaction tiles 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, finalized product documentation, or replicating existing eLearning experiences built in another tool.
3. Import a Document
Best for: Repurposing existing training assets, modernizing legacy content, scaling SME-authored material
Mindsmith supports importing a variety of document 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 (
.docx,.pdf,.txt,.pptx), paste text, or provide a webpage URL.Choose your Document Following strategy using the slider. You can have the AI strictly follow the text, use it as a reference source, or select Plain Import to copy the text exactly as-is without any AI rewriting.
The system 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
Interactive elements (like question tiles or flashcards) may be inserted where appropriate
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, transforming static handbooks, and scaling subject-matter expert content without requiring them to learn a new authoring tool.
4. Import an Outline
Best for: Executing pre-planned curriculums and structured syllabus documents
If you already have a lesson plan mapped out, you can upload it directly. Mindsmith will read your document's hierarchy and generate the content exactly as requested.
How it works:
Click Create > Import Outline
Upload a file in one of the supported formats:
.docx,.pdf,.txt, or.pptx.The AI scans the structure and content, then builds a fully editable storyboard inside the Mindsmith editor.
What gets converted:
The outline is logically segmented into pages using section headers from your outline document.
The bullet points and text under each header are inserted directly as page-level instructions for the AI to follow.
When to use this method:
Use this method when you already have a detailed lesson outline developed and approved. It ensures the AI strictly adheres to your required pacing, topics, and structure without deviating from the plan.
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 breaking them into searchable, interactive lessons.
How it works:
Click Create > From Video
Upload an MP4 video file.
The AI extracts the transcript and reviews the visual and audio track.
A lesson is built with pages aligned to key segments or timestamps from the video.
What you can do afterward:
Add interactive question tiles between video clips
Include supporting text, images, or resources on each page
Adjust the start and end times of the video segments directly in the editor
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 Create Assessment from the Create menu
Provide a topic, upload a document, or paste a URL
Mindsmith generates a quiz with question tiles based on your source
You can:
Set the number and type of questions
Review and edit answers and feedback
Apply grading or completion rules
7. Import a SCORM Package
Best for: Migrating legacy courses into an editable, modern format
If you have old courses exported from legacy authoring tools, you can upload them directly into Mindsmith to unlock and edit their contents.
How it works:
Click Create > Import Document (or drag and drop directly onto the dashboard).
Upload a
.zipfile containing your exported SCORM package.Mindsmith will process the package and automatically rebuild it as a fully editable lesson or course inside your workspace.
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:
The Mindsmith Agent — how the AI agent researches, plans, and builds your lessons
AI Prompting Tips — practical tips for getting better results from the agent
The Lesson Editor — how to refine and customize your generated lesson
Page Types — the different types of lesson content you can build