Erika Moree

Whenever I start a new learning project, I don’t jump into Storyline or any authoring tool right away. I start with clarity. Before any visuals or scripts, I ask myself three questions: 1. What is the real problem we are solving? 2. Who is feeling that problem? 3. How will we know if learning worked? The tools come later, the thinking comes first. Great design doesn’t start with templates. It starts with curiosity. #InstructionalDesign #LearningAndDevelopment #DesignMindset #Elearning #LearningStrategy

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Why eLearning Courses Fail After 16+ years in instructional design, I’ve noticed something consistent. Most failing eLearning courses don’t fail because of the content. They fail because of the learning design. Common problems I see when auditing LMS training programs: - Unclear learning objectives - Long content modules with no interaction - Assessments that test recall instead of understanding - Confusing/limited LMS navigation Tools like Articulate Rise or Storyline don’t fix these problems. Strong instructional design does. Good training isn’t just content, it’s a learning experience. https://lnkd.in/eUDga4gt #InstructionalDesign #Elearning #LMS #LearningAndDevelopment #needsanalysis #learningstrategy

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Most eLearning consultants and agencies are one bad project away from a cash crisis. Not because they're doing bad work. Because of how they price it. Here's the pricing trap I see constantly: Agency wins a $60K deal. Celebrates. Starts delivery. Halfway through, the scope has expanded 30%. Team is stretched. Timeline is slipping. The client is frustrated. They finish the project - technically. But margins are gone. Team is burnt out. And they're already pitching the next one just to cover the gap. The problem isn't the project. It's the model. Most agencies price based on what clients will accept, not based on what delivery actually costs. That gap between what you charge and what it costs to deliver is where most small agencies quietly die. The fix isn't just "charge more." It's: - Scope documentation that captures real delivery complexity, not just deliverables - Pricing that accounts for revision cycles, stakeholder management, and QA time - Clear scope change processes so growth in the project = growth in the invoice We've helped agencies go from 8% project margins to 22% without raising headline rates - just by fixing how they scope and document. The work is the same. The profitability is entirely different. What's your average project margin looking like right now? Most agency owners I ask have never actually calculated it.

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Most eLearning doesn’t fail because the information is wrong... It fails because it’s predictable. Learners already know what’s coming: "Welcome to this training…" Slide… narration… next… repeat. After years of producing learning content, I’ve found that small creative shifts make a huge difference. In this short video I break down 3 techniques I use to make eLearning more engaging: 🎣 1. Create stronger hooks The first few seconds decide whether learners lean in or mentally check out. Start with movement, tension, or curiosity. ✂️ 2. Remove the obvious content If something is painfully obvious, don’t explain it with text. Replace it with a visual gag, a quick moment of humour, or remove it entirely. 🔊 3. Upgrade the sound design Good sound design adds presence. Subtle audio cues, ambience, and timing can make training feel far more immersive. None of this requires huge budgets. Just better creative decisions. Training should capture attention, not compete with it. If you design training content, this video might give you a few ideas to experiment with. RDK LIVE — upgrading training to the modern era #elearning #instructionaldesign #learningdesign #corporatetraining #ld #trainingdesign

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I’ve drafted my big, beautiful BUILD for Instructional Designers: the BIGGEST and BEST! We’re mostly drafting death-by-PowerPoint, endless slide decks that kill engagement and leave behavior change in the dust We treat instructional design like policy paperwork, ticking boxes instead of sparking real action My big beautiful BUILD lays out five pillars to transform this for any program into a performance engine: ***Behavior-Based Objectives Define what learners will actually do on the job, not just what they’ll know ***User-Focused Analysis Partner with SMEs in rapid discovery sessions to surface real challenges and success metrics ***Iterate Fast Prototype a five-minute micro-module, test with a small group, gather feedback, and refine ***Learning Practice Embed realistic scenarios with immediate feedback and peer coaching circles for habit formation ***Data-Driven Refine Track simple metrics—quiz results, task completion, manager observations—and loop back to tweak content Which piece of my big beautiful BUILD are you most excited to try first? Share below #InstructionalDesign #PerformanceChange

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Instructional Design & Learning Experience | Structure & Templates Here's something I used to believe: structure limits creativity. I thought real design meant starting from a blank page. Total freedom. No constraints. I was wrong. What I've learned is this: structure doesn't limit creativity. It protects it. Think about it. When you're building a learning experience from zero, where does your energy go? Into formatting decisions. Into figuring out what goes where. Into solving problems that have already been solved a thousand times. That's exhausting. And it pulls you away from the work that actually matters. Expert-built templates remove all that noise. They handle: • The formatting decisions • The structural guesswork • The reinventing the wheel And that frees you up to focus on what you're actually good at: • Deep insight into what needs to change • Crafting real experiences that land • Creating the conditions for behaviour shift The best Instructional Designers I know don't start from scratch. They start from strong foundations. They build on what works. Freedom without structure? That creates chaos and burnout. Structure creates space. Space for thinking. Space for creativity. Space for impact. So I'm curious: when you're designing, do you create better work with structure to build from—or does total freedom actually serve you better?

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Tired of hearing "it's impossible" when it comes to making drag-and-drop interactions in Articulate Storyline fully accessible? At ID Atlas, we believe in solutions! Our new project tutorial explains a method for building WCAG 2.0 and Section 508 compliant drag-and-drop interactions using a freeform slide with buttons (and LOTS of variables) in Storyline. It includes essential techniques such as enabling keyboard navigation with motion paths, implementing variable-based answer checking, and using effective alt text. We've got a working demo for you to play around with and a FREE .story template (just rename .zip to .story) to download and let you get a look under the hood! A big thank you to Art Del Rosario for his work in helping to develop this accessible interaction project. Full tutorial & download: https://lnkd.in/dVFdGCUJ #InstructionalDesign #eLearning #Accessibility #WCAG #Section508 #Articulate360 #Storlyine #IDAtlas #Freebie

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What does it actually look like to build a successful freelance instructional design career on your own terms? In this candid Q&A masterclass, Kim Tuohy shares the realities of freelancing, the flexibility it’s created in her life, and answers audience questions live to help others start building their own path. Watch the full recording to hear the insights, advice, and behind-the-scenes lessons from nearly a decade of freelance success: https://hubs.li/Q04h4P7B0

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We've all been there. New eLearning project lands on your desk. Within minutes, you're thinking about authoring tools, templates, and animations. You're already knee-deep in Development before you've done any Analysis or Design. And that's exactly where eLearning goes to DIE. Development is seductive; it's fun, it's tangible, you can show stakeholders something concrete. But if you've skipped Analysis and Design, you're building on sand. You'll end up in endless revision cycles, trying to retrofit strategic decisions into a course that's already half-built. Read why jumping to Development kills your eLearning: https://lnkd.in/eUtTQ3VK

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Does this admin overhead resonate with your experience? Conversation with an independent learning designer this week: Her words: "I'm technically proficient with authoring tools. I understand instructional design. But I spend a substantial portion of my time on activities that feel like administrative overhead—reformatting, version control, technical troubleshooting." This isn't a skills gap. It's a structural problem. Traditional authoring tools optimise for production flexibility. But flexibility comes with complexity overhead. The question: What if tools optimised for expertise capture instead of production flexibility? Capture the knowledge. Let AI handle the production complexity. Expert reviews and refines.

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Introducing L&D Launchers 🚀 ~ ATD St. Louis’ New SIG for Instructional Designers Starting April 1st, 2026, (NO JOKE!) 😎 Ready to Think Bigger, Build Smarter, Grow Faster, and Execute Bravely? If you’re an Instructional Designer who’s ready to level up your craft and your career, ATD St. Louis just launched something built exactly for you. Meet L&D Launchers — a brand‑new Special Interest Group blending entrepreneurial mindset with instructional design mastery. And the best part? ATD St. Louis members attend for FREE. If you’re not a member yet… this is the moment to join. https://lnkd.in/gmaWzjyK 🌟 What Makes L&D Launchers Different? This isn’t another “tips and tricks” group. It’s a year‑long professional development arc designed to help new and developing IDs build clarity, capability, and confidence — using a quarterly framework inspired by entrepreneurial classics and aligned to the ATD Talent Development Capability Model. The program moves through four powerful phases: 🔹 Q1 — THINK: Vision, Role Clarity & ID Identity You’ll define the Instructional Designer you’re becoming and craft a Professional Development Aim that guides your decisions all year long. As the document puts it: “Define a clear professional vision as an Instructional Designer… Establish the identity of the ID you are becoming.” 🔹 Q2 — BUILD: Needs Analysis, Assets & ID Leverage Shift from order‑taker to strategist by mapping your workflow, identifying reusable assets, and choosing your next “leverage experiment.” The program reframes ID work through an entrepreneurial lens: “Understand ‘assets vs liabilities’ as reusable ID assets (templates, frameworks, systems).” 🔹 Q3 — GROW: Learner Behavior, Engagement & Experience Design Audit your design habits, reduce cognitive load, and focus on the high‑impact decisions that actually move learners forward. One of the core prompts: “Which design choices help or hinder learner success?” 🔹 Q4 — EXECUTE: Systems, Habits & Your ID Operating System You’ll close the year by building your own Instructional Design Operating System (IDOS) — a personal blueprint for how you design, learn, and lead. The program emphasizes identity‑based habits: “Build identity-based habits that support your Professional Aim.” 🎯 Who Is This For? New and emerging Instructional Designers IDs seeking clarity, confidence, and community L&D pros ready to think like strategists, not order‑takers Anyone who wants to blend an entrepreneurial mindset with instructional design excellence. 🎁 Why Join ATD St. Louis Now? Because L&D Launchers is free for members — and it’s one of the most thoughtfully designed, capability‑building programs we’ve ever offered. If you’re ready to launch your next chapter as an Instructional Designer, this is your runway. https://lnkd.in/gmaWzjyK Association for Talent Development (ATD) - St. Louis Chapter, Association for Talent Development (ATD)

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If building eLearning still takes months, something is broken. It is not your team. It is the way courses are produced. CourseEngine and the Mission Fuel Instructional Design Team has replaced the old production model, with greater speed and quality. Turn any content (PDF's Word, PPT, transcripts from webinars) into real, SCORM ready courses in minutes. Review with SMEs without endless loops. Publish once. Update fast. And choose how you want to work: - Do it yourself (DIY) - Do it with expert designers (DWY) - Or let us do it for you (DFY) That's Mission Fuel. Stop building learning like it is 2010. missionfuel.ai

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"Just make it engaging.” If you’ve ever worked in instructional design, you’ve heard this from a stakeholder. But here’s the problem: *“engaging”* means nothing unless it’s tied to a learning goal. ✨ True engagement isn’t flashy graphics or gamification for the sake of it. It’s relevance. It’s clarity. It’s giving learners what they need, when they need it—so they can do something *better* as a result. That means understanding your audience, mapping learning to real outcomes, and designing with purpose, not just aesthetics. The next time someone asks for “engaging,” ask them this: 👉 *What should the learner be able to do after this?* That’s where the real design begins. #instructionaldesign #learninganddevelopment #elearningdesign #learningstrategy #contentdesign #edtech

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Traditional eLearning methods take months and thousands of dollars. Rapid eLearning development flips the script: ✅ Transform training materials into interactive modules in minutes ✅ Use rapid authoring tools to cut development costs ✅ Deliver training that stays current with every product or team update See how teams use rapid eLearning solutions to launch products faster and onboard employees better. 👉 Read the blog. Link in the comments

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Too many instructional system designers (ISDs) and industrial-organizational psychologists (IOs) are out of work—not because they lack skill, but because HR fundamentally misunderstands their roles. ISDs aren’t subject matter experts; they are experts in learning—crafting clear learning objectives, selecting the right media, and evaluating outcomes. Hiring SMEs to do ISD work is a costly mistake—they often lack these critical instructional skills. Industrial-organizational psychologists also have a distinct role: diagnosing performance gaps and driving organizational improvements—not serving as HR generalists. Expecting ISDs to have extensive field-specific experience or confusing industrial psychology with HR responsibilities only leads to costly hiring mistakes and missed opportunities. It’s time to rethink hiring practices and recognize the unique, specialized expertise these professionals bring.

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Nice summary of the common traditional eLearning development tools in the market. Especially appreciated the thoughtful breakdown of the use cases each is best suited for.

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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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I'm still amazed how often “interactive and engaging” just means “build it in Articulate Storyline.” It’s a slide tool with triggers. Accessibility takes workarounds, updates are clunky, and suddenly we’ve spent weeks producing something that’s hard to revise and easy to outgrow.

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Storyboard_V1.0: “Looks great!” Storyboard_V17.0: “Let’s just add one small thing…” Every instructional designer knows this story. You submit your first storyboard. Clean. Structured. Beautiful. ✨ Then the feedback starts rolling in: 👉 “Can we add this? It’s important.” 👉 “Let’s include one more example.” 👉 “Maybe a quick scenario?” 👉 “Oh… and a short video.” 👉 “And this compliance point.” Seventeen versions later… Your storyboard has officially entered its ✨ expansion era ✨ Welcome to the world of stakeholder feedback, scope stretch, and evolving learning requirements. But here’s the twist — this is where real learning design magic happens. 🧠 Because behind every “small addition” is: ✔ clearer learning objectives ✔ stronger business alignment ✔ better learner relevance ✔ richer instructional strategy Iteration isn’t the enemy. Unstructured additions are. 😅 The real skill? Turning feedback overload into structured, high-impact eLearning design. 🎯 Be honest… What’s the highest version number your storyboard has reached? 👇😂 #instructionaldesign #elearning #learninganddevelopment #storyboarding #corporatetraining #instructionaldesigner

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