Brittany Horton, PSM, PSPO

Did you know about #6? Go ahead. Raise your hand. Most instructional designers didn’t come from a writing background… but suddenly you’re scripting modules, rewriting SME notes, and trying to make content sound less like a manual and more like a conversation. From slide copy to scenario scripts, clear writing is what makes your learning stick. And lucky for us, there are tried-and-true writing skills from the world of content and media that make a huge difference. So here are 7 writing skills from journalism and copywriting that every instructional designer should keep in their toolkit. 👇 Got one writing tip that always works? Drop it below. #InstructionalDesign #CopywritingTips #CareerChange #IDOLAcademy #LearningAndDevelopment #ContentDesign

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Some hard truths every Instructional Designer eventually accepts…🥲 1. We rarely get to use all the principles of ADDIE or SAM. 2. Client requirements often override our best design intentions. 3. Tight deadlines don’t just test our creativity — they sometimes completely crush it. 4. The “need” that SMEs convey and the actual learning need are usually miles apart. 5. We spend more time aligning expectations than designing learning. 6. Feedback rounds can feel endless — yet somehow, the final version is due “yesterday.” Despite all this, we still manage to create experiences that engage, educate, and inspire learners.😌 Because at the end of the day, we’re not just following a model — we’re solving human learning problems under real-world constraints. What are your thoughts?🫠

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Can I say the quiet part out loud? Here’s it goes: When you only teach or learn the textbook definition of instructional design and the “proper” instructional design process, you’re setting yourself (and others) up for failure. Allow me explain. A few months ago, a new ID scheduled a coaching call with me. After the usual introductions, this person suddenly broke down into a literal ugly cry and confessed how disappointed they were with themselves for having “become an order taker.” After helping them catch their breath, I started asking questions. Pretty quickly, it became clear they were working on…a pretty average L&D team, with pretty average projects. But that’s not how they saw it. They felt like a failure because not every project started with a needs analysis. They felt like a failure because not every project had perfectly crafted learning objectives. They felt like a failure because their eLearning was full of bullet points and legal jargon. They felt like a failure because the only evaluation was a Level 1 survey at the end. I chuckled…not at them, but at the impossible standards we sometimes create for ourselves in this industry. I explained: You haven’t failed. You’re just experiencing the reality of most L&D teams…messy, imperfect, and political. This was news to them. Here’s the thing: Being a good instructional designer (and keeping your sanity) isn’t about strict, dogmatic allegiance to adult learning theories or the five steps of ADDIE. It’s about knowing when to flex between strategic order taker mode and badass instructional designer mode. We don’t talk enough about how corporate politics affects our ability to do the job the “textbook” way. Whether you can push back on a request often depends on who’s asking and how much political leverage they have. And frankly, it’s not the job of individual contributor instructional designers to fix order taking within their L&D team…the buck stops with the leadership team and the culture they’re creating and allowing to exist. In my experience, the most unhappy and frustrated (and often unsuccessful) instructional designers are the ones who cling to process purity at their own expense—ignoring the fact that some strategic order taking can be a necessary evil to build trust, earn influence, and eventually shape better solutions. So yeah…being a good instructional designer means knowing when to be a good order taker, and how to play the game of corporate politics. What do you think? Share your thoughts below (keep it productive and don’t use my post to spam your sh!t 😉). Have a great weekend! 👋 —Tim #eLearning #InstructionalDesign #LearningAndDevelopment

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Curated Instructional Design Resources from Holly Owens This document is designed to share the best resources for those looking to enter Instructional Design, EdTech, and L&D. This includes podcasts, people to follow on LinkedIn, articles, and more. https://lnkd.in/eMhP_mBG

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New instructional design book alert! 📕 I just finished reading Guieswende Rouamba Ph.D.’s new book: The Instructional Designer’s Guide to Project Management. It’s fantastic! It’s a much needed simplified guide of project management strategies and how they complement our ID processes. Project management is one of the most critical parts of our roles, yet it doesn’t get as much attention as it should. Guieswende also heavily emphasized the importance of collaboration between IDs and SMEs. And if you know me, building these relationships are a must for a project to go well. The one extremely unique feature of this book is that a significant portion of the writings follow a realistic scenario of a new leader juggling several responsibilities. The experiences and challenges in the story are so related to any instructional designer. You can find the book on Amazon. I’ll put a link in the comments below. Nicely done, Guieswende Rouamba Ph.D.!

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Are you designing courses to educate or to create impact? When an Instructional Designer starts working on a course, they may receive a task from a client (internal or external) in one of two ways: 1.    "Here’s the material, it needs to be delivered in an engaging, fast, and effective way." 2.    "Here’s the target audience, we need to achieve a change in their behavior." These two approaches can be referred to as the "Content-Centered Approach" and the "Learner-Centered Approach." Key Differences: 🔹 Content-Centered Approach This approach is built around content. We already have all the necessary materials, and the task is to present them in a structured and accessible format. Main question: "What should be included in this course?" ➡ Suitable when completeness of information is crucial, such as in regulatory and technical training. 🔹 Challenge: Making extensive content understandable and easy to study. This requires clear explanations, intuitive navigation, and quick access to key information. 🔹 Example: A company has a standardized sales process that needs to be communicated to new employees so they know how to apply it. ✅ Pros: Expertise is presented in a structured format; course development requires less time if content is already prepared. ❌ Cons: If the content is not well-designed, training effectiveness will be low. Its impact on business results is often formal. 🔹 Learner-Centered Approach. This approach focuses on the end result—changing learners’ behavior. To achieve this, various approaches, materials, concepts, and delivery formats can be used. Main question: "What is the best way to achieve the desired behavior change?" ➡ Suitable when: • There is no existing knowledge base, • Innovative solutions are required, • Business impact is a key priority. 🔹 Challenge: Identifying what knowledge and practices will drive change and selecting the right tools. 🔹 Example: Employees need to improve their ability to handle objections in sales. This requires analyzing current behaviors, studying best practices, and developing new strategies using various learning methods: role-playing, simulations, and case studies. ✅ Pros: Can significantly impact business results.  ❌ Cons: Requires more effort: analysis, testing, and refining methodologies. 💡 Conclusion: At first glance, the choice seems simple: if there is ready-made content, use the first approach; if not, the second. However, in practice, the most effective approach is a combination of both. Always start with the question: What behavioral change do we want to achieve through training? If materials exist, adapt them. If not, analyze the audience and choose the optimal training method. Which of these approaches do you encounter more often in your practice?👇

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June Jumpstart: Tips for New Articulate Designers When I first started working in Storyline, I assumed having the software meant I was ready to build courses. I quickly learned that real instructional design takes more than clicking and dragging. It requires thought, structure, and a strategy. Here are some of the most valuable lessons I've learned along the way: Design before you develop Storyline does not come with built-in design instincts. Before you start building slides, take time to plan the structure of your course. Think through your navigation, learner flow, player settings, feedback layers, and slide masters. Getting clear on these pieces up front will help you avoid frustration later and lead to more polished outcomes. Leave breadcrumbs for yourself and others If you're building a custom or complex interaction, take a moment to document how it works. You can leave a small text box off-screen with a brief note explaining the logic. This helps if you need to update it in the future or if another developer picks up your file later. Clear notes are a small step with big long-term value. Make it great, then duplicate Put effort into building one high-quality version of a slide or interaction. Once you're happy with it, duplicate and reuse it across your course. Storyline’s Team Slides and Media Library features make this easier and more efficient. You’ll save time, ensure consistency, and reduce rework. Test early, test smart Before you go too far into content development, create a short prototype. Include your fonts, colors, layouts, and a few sample interactions. Share this prototype with your stakeholders or clients to confirm it meets their branding and accessibility standards. It is much easier to course-correct early than to revise a full course later. Learn your shortcuts Switching between views in Storyline can slow you down if you are clicking through menus. Instead, use keyboard shortcuts to move faster. Press F3 for Slide View, F4 for Slide Master, and F5 for Feedback Master. These shortcuts, along with others, can dramatically speed up your workflow over time. Whether you are just beginning or looking to sharpen your process, these habits can make your design experience smoother and more effective. What’s one tip you wish you had known earlier in your instructional design journey? #InstructionalDesign #ArticulateStoryline #ElearningDevelopment #LXD #LearningDesign #AccessibilityInLearning #JuneJumpstart #NewToID #IDTips

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🚀 From Text to Interaction in Articulate Storyline In a recent project, I was challenged to turn plain text into something more engaging — an interactive graph that shows how stressors impact Animals growth. 💡 The solution? A creative use of two built-in Articulate Storyline features: the Dial and Slider. When combined, they helped transform static content into a dynamic, learner-driven experience. Love finding ways to make learning more visual and interactive! #InstructionalDesign #ArticulateStoryline #Elearning #UXDesign #elearning #LearningExperience #GrowthMindset #elearningBrewery

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Want to make great training, don’t have the time? ⏱️ Here’s what you might not realize: 👇 Most instructional designers are pouring time into tasks that don’t help. In fact, some of those tasks are outright engagement killers. In my latest video, I share 5 time-wasting habits that you should stop doing today. This video will help you: 🧠 Cut the fluff 🎯 Focus on what matters ⏳Reclaim your time 👉 Watch the video here and get your hours (and your creativity) back: https://lnkd.in/enjZg3iX

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When we design slides or pages for eLearning and presentations, we typically don't have much time to make each one a masterpiece. But we can design templates with aesthetically pleasing compositions and reuse them as needed (though watch for too much repetition, which gets boring). Pleasing compositions for learning refers to consciously arranging and organizing the visual elements so they are easy to perceive and process. We are doing what we can to help the audience get the message. A few guidelines: 1. Create a focal point of the most important element 2. Allow sufficient white space (breathing space) 3. Use relevant graphics 4. Remove distractions [30 days of visual design for learning designers]

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