Cover Story Mock-up template

A way to describe the successful future state of an idea, project, or strategy

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Cover Story Mock-up

Cover Story Mock-up template FAQs

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Use this framework to imagine what the future might be like if your team is so successful that your work is featured in a magazine. This is a great way to promote a shared vision, gain support from decision-makers, and inspire your team.

A cover story mock-up serves as a visual representation or prototype of the cover story that the team aims to create. It typically includes elements such as the title, featured images, headlines, and a summary of the story.

The cover story mock-up template helps you:

Brainstorm what success looks like with your team
Inspire your team to think strategically and long-term
Get broad alignment on mission and goals

How to use the cover story mock-up template

To use Mural’s cover story mock-up template, follow the steps outlined below.

Step 1: Brainstorm ideas for a cover story about your team

Use the template to imagine how the front cover of a magazine featuring your company might describe your success. You can use images, drawings, sticky notes to create a collage or just capture the overall sentiment you want to showcase.

Step 2: Ideate about what company or team success looks like

In the second section, have your team combine their ideas to capture what a success story would look like for your company. You can include a brief description, and use sticky notes to work through six (or more) reasons behind your success.

Step 3: Imagine the ideal customer stories and quotes

Use the third section of the template to outline what would be your ideal customer quotes and stories that express the value of your product or offering.

Step 4: Suggest which team members might be involved in specific areas of success

Finally, brainstorm which team members might have a role to play in particular areas of success or customer outcomes. This can help with roles and responsibilities down the road and can also build empathy across your team through understanding how each role affects overall team success.

Tips for running a cover story mock-up template exercise

To run a successful cover story mock-up workshop, you should:

Encourage your team to think visually and add images, drawings, or even GIFs to express what they feel success would look like for your organization
Use Mural’s private mode to avoid groupthink while adding your thoughts or ideas to the mural (this can also help identify areas of misalignment or gaps in understanding)
Keep your visual document for future reference as your team (and your goals) evolve, so you can see how far you’ve come!

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Cover Story Mock-up template FAQs

What is the purpose of a cover story mock-up for a team?

A cover story mock-up for a team serves as a visual representation or prototype of the cover story that the team aims to create. It typically includes elements such as the title, featured images, headlines, and a summary of the story. The purpose of a cover story mock-up is multi-fold:

Conceptualizing and communicating: It allows the team to visualize and communicate their ideas and vision for the cover story in a tangible and accessible manner. By creating a mock-up, the team can effectively convey their design concepts, layout, and content arrangements to all stakeholders involved, including writers, editors, and designers.
Gathering feedback: The cover story mock-up serves as a tool to collect feedback from various team members and stakeholders. By presenting a visual representation, team members can provide input and suggestions, allowing for iterative improvements and refinements before the actual cover story production begins.
Ensuring Consistency: The mock-up helps establish a shared understanding and visual consistency among the team members. It provides a reference point for design elements, typography, color schemes, and overall aesthetics, ensuring that everyone is aligned on the visual direction and brand guidelines for the cover story.
Planning and Coordination: The mock-up aids in the planning and coordination of efforts among team members. It helps establish timelines, identify required resources, and allocate tasks by providing a clear visual representation of the cover story's structure and content requirements.

How does a cover story mock-up help with team alignment?

A cover story mock-up plays a crucial role in fostering team alignment by:

Providing a shared vision: By visualizing the cover story through a mock-up, team members can collectively align themselves with the overall direction, purpose, and tone of the story. It ensures that everyone involved has a clear understanding of the narrative and the visual representation that needs to be achieved.
Facilitating discussion and collaboration: The mock-up serves as a tangible reference point during team discussions. It encourages active participation and collaboration as team members can provide input, ask questions, and propose improvements based on the visual representation. This collaborative approach helps align the team's perspectives and ideas, resulting in a more refined and cohesive cover story.
Resolving differences and clarifying expectations: Sometimes, team members may have different interpretations or expectations regarding the cover story. By using a mock-up, these differences can be identified and addressed early on, ensuring that everyone is aligned on the story's purpose, design, and overall objectives.
Streamlining production workflow: A cover story mock-up acts as a guide for the production process. It enables team members to understand the structure, layout, and content requirements in advance. This understanding streamlines the workflow, reduces miscommunication, and minimizes the chances of errors or misunderstandings during the production phase.