I want to show you exactly how I go from a blank document to a finished video asset that is ready to drop into Rise, Storyline, or a slide deck for a live session. Not the ideal version. The actual version I use when I have a real deadline and a stakeholder who needs something polished.
This is the workflow I will walk through in my May 28 ScreenPal webinar. But I want to lay it out here first, because the live session will move fast and this is the kind of thing worth having in writing.
Last week I talked about storyboarding in Canva, and I still love that workflow for visual planning and SME review. But when it comes to the screen recordings, I often reach for ScreenPal instead. Here is why: Canva recently added screen recording to the desktop app, but for a long time it was browser-only, and even now ScreenPal gives me more control, more features, and a faster path from capture to finished file. For screen recordings specifically, it is simply more efficient. For me, it is the right tool for that job.
So, the short version of this workflow is: I use Canva to design and storyboard, and ScreenPal to record and produce. Together they cover the full journey from concept to deployable video, without requiring me to bounce between five different tools.
The Workflow: Four Phases
Everything I am about to describe is built around a real scenario: a healthcare organization that needs to convert a two-hour live Zoom onboarding session into a short pre-work video module. One week. One SME. No video team.
Here is how I would actually do it.
Phase 1: Plan It Storyboard in ScreenPal
Before I record a single second of video, I open ScreenPal and use the storyboard feature to map out the structure. For this project, I plan five frames: an intro that sets context, three content frames covering the ticketing system, the escalation process, and communication norms, and a closing frame with the key takeaway.
The storyboard is where I do my thinking before I do my building. It is where I figure out the flow, the pacing, the on-screen visuals, and the narration points before I invest time in recording anything.
In this scenario, I share the storyboard with the HR director for review. Because she can see the visual structure, not just read a script, the feedback is faster and more useful. She immediately flags that the escalation process has changed since the last training. I catch it on the storyboard, before recording a single second of video.
That is the whole point of planning first. Fix it on paper, not in post.
Phase 2: Record It Capturing in ScreenPal
With the approved storyboard in hand, I move into ScreenPal for recording. For this project I record two types of content: a screen capture walkthrough of the ticketing system, and a narrated slide using a Canva-designed visual as my background.
I also add auto-captions using ScreenPal’s caption tool. This particular client needs them for compliance reasons, and having captions built into the recording rather than added later saves a significant step.
The storyboard approval means there are no surprises in the recording session. I know exactly what I am recording, in what order, and what each frame needs to accomplish. The recording goes faster because the thinking was already done.
This is where ScreenPal earns its place in my toolkit. It is approachable enough to use quickly, capable enough to produce clean professional output, and built around getting from recording to finished file efficiently. The editing tools are functional without being overwhelming.
Phase 3: Design It Bringing Canva Into the Mix
Here is where the two tools start working together. The branded intro card, section dividers, and visual backgrounds I have designed in Canva come into the recording as on-screen visuals. The healthcare organization’s colors, logo placement, and typography are baked in from the start.
The finished video does not look like a screen recording with a generic background. It looks intentionally designed, because it was. The client sees brand consistency. The learner sees something polished. And I did not need a production team to make it happen.
This is the part that matters most for those of us who care about quality but are working inside real constraints. The visual design work is not extra. It is built into the workflow from the start.
Phase 4: Launch It Three paths to delivery
Once the video is produced in ScreenPal, I have three main paths depending on what the project requires.
- Rise: I export and drop the video directly into an Articulate Rise module. No conversion gymnastics. The HR director gets a preview link ( Articulate Review, we go through two rounds of feedback, and the module goes live in the LMS. New hires watch it the Friday before their start date.
- Storyline: I insert the video into Articulate Storyline and set up any triggers or layers the interaction requires. ScreenPal exports in formats that go in cleanly.
- Slide deck for ILT or vILT: I embed the video directly into a PowerPoint or Canva slide deck for use in a live facilitated session. A short video clip works especially well in vILT as a discussion launcher or scenario setup, without requiring me to switch platforms mid-session.
- Standalone video: I save the video as a .mp4 and the client uploads it to their Intranet.
The ScreenPal and Canva workflow is specifically designed to end with something deployable. A polished output that does not integrate cleanly into your authoring tool or LMS is not actually useful. This one does.
Why This Workflow Works for Real L&D Constraints
I have tried a lot of workflows over the years. The ones that stick are the ones that work inside real constraints: limited time, no dedicated design or video team, stakeholders who need things quickly, and an expectation that the output will look professional.
This one fits. It does not require expensive software. It does not require video production expertise. And it produces output I am genuinely proud of, which matters more than I usually say out loud.
See It Live on May 28
If you want to see the full walkthrough, I am covering every phase of this workflow in my ScreenPal webinar on May 28. Live demos, real output, and the exact tools and decisions behind each step. Register here! And if you want the Canva Storyboard Template I use for visual planning, that is available to VIP members inside #IgniteLearning this month. Free 7-day trial available.
Get the Storyboard Template and see the full workflow inside #IgniteLearning.