Understanding the Problem Before Designing Instruction

One great thing about being an 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗲𝗿 is that you start to see learning differently. You stop looking at information the way most people do. Instead of asking, What should I teach? You begin to ask something deeper. And you start using phrases like, “𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗲𝗲…” “𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄…” Because at that point, you are no longer just thinking about content. You are thinking about 𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗘𝗥𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗡𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚. You see, instructional design slowly teaches you that learning is not really about how much information you present. It is about what people can actually take away and use. And once you start seeing learning this way, you can never unsee it. #InstructionalDesign #LearningDesign #EdTech #LearningAndDevelopment #DigitalLearning

As Instructional Designers there are things we are talking about that sound relevant but they aren’t as crucial as it seems and distract us from a laser like focus on outcomes. Here’s a short list to help sharpen focus: Content —> Usefulness Learning —> Doing Engagement —> Transformation Prize —> Continuous Improvement

Is Instructional Design Right for You? Ask yourself: Do you enjoy solving performance problems, not just delivering content? Do you think in systems, structure, and measurable outcomes? Are you comfortable aligning learning with business goals? Instructional design is not about building courses. It is about designing solutions that improve performance. If you are analytical, structured, and solutions-focused, this is not a random pivot. It is a strategic progression. The right move is not the loudest one. It is the one aligned with how you think, solve, and execute. Let's connect at www.TheTrainingLounge.com! #instructionaldesign #TheTrainingLounge #coursecreation #portfolio #careertransition

One habit that has improved my instructional design work is starting with questions before content. It's tempting to jump straight into building slides, writing scripts, or opening an authoring tool. But the most valuable work often happens before any development begins. Before designing anything, I try to understand the situation first: 📝What performance problem are we actually trying to solve? 📝 What should learners be able to do differently after the training? 📝 What barriers are preventing that behavior right now? 📝 How will we know the learning solution actually worked? Taking time to answer these questions helps shift the focus from content delivery to performance improvement. It also helps prevent a common challenge in L&D: building training that looks polished but doesn't actually change outcomes. Th tools and visuals matter -- but the thinking behind the design matters even more. For other instructional designers: what's the first question you ask before starting a project? #InstructionalDesign #IDPortfolio #eLearning #LearningDesign #AdultLearning #InstructionalDesigner #LXD #LearningandDevelopment

Many instructional designers skip analysis. They rush straight to content creation, instead. That’s a big problem for everyone. It’s easy to understand why this happens. Analysis can be painstakingly slow. Creation is exciting and productive. But analysis isn’t just a preliminary step. It’s not some box we have to check. It’s the most strategic process we have. Analysis prevents expensive mistakes. It's where we build alignment. It’s where we reduce risk. It’s the source of our value. When we skip or rush analysis: - Training is misaligned - Performance gaps remain - Business results stagnate That means: - We waste resources - We lose credibility - We bring no value To be strategic, we should ask: - What business outcome is at risk? - What performance behavior is missing? - Is this even a learning problem? If you fail to diagnose the problem, the best design won’t save you. So, before you jump to create your next solution, ask: - Have I truly analyzed the business need? - Am I creating just to look and feel useful? - How valuable will I really be if nothing improves? That difference defines the shift from instructional to strategic.

The #1 mistake new instructional designers make: They open their authoring tool before they have a plan. SME sends you content. You get excited. You start dragging blocks into Rise or building slides in Storyline. No needs analysis. No performance objectives. No structure. The result? A 45-minute course that should’ve been 10 minutes. Content dumps disguised as “modules.” Zero behavior change. I’ve done this. Most IDs have. Here’s the 10-minute fix I use on every project now: → Ask: what should learners DO differently after this? → Write 3 performance objectives. Not learning objectives. Performance. → Cut everything that doesn’t directly support those 3 goals. That’s it. Before vs After: Before: 12 modules, 45 min, info dump, “learners will understand,” quiz at the end. After: 4 modules, 12 min, scenario-driven, “learners will identify,” practice throughout. The best course isn’t the longest one. It’s the one that changes what people do on Monday morning. Swipe through the carousel for the visual breakdown. Day 3 tomorrow: ADDIE is dead. Here’s what replaced it. #InstructionalDesign #eLearning #LearningAndDevelopment #CourseCreation #CorporateTraining

Stop "Dumping" Content. Start "Designing" Experiences: We’ve all been there. You’re assigned a "mandatory" training module. You click through 60 slides of dense text, mute the robotic voiceover, and guess your way through a quiz just to get the certificate. Did you actually learn anything? Probably not. As an Instructional Designer, I’ve realized our industry has a "content-dumping" problem. We often focus so much on what to say that we forget how humans actually learn. Instructional Design isn’t about making PowerPoint look pretty. It’s about: Psychology: Understanding how the brain holds onto info. Strategy: Finding the shortest path to a skill. Empathy: Respecting the learner's limited time. The "Scrambled Egg" Principle: 🍳 Think about learning to cook. You don't learn by reading an 800-page encyclopedia of spices. You learn by cracking an egg and heat-managing a pan. You learn by doing. Over the next year, I’m starting a bi-weekly series to pull back the curtain on how we can create learning that actually sticks—using real-life examples, not just academic jargon. Whether you're an L&D pro, a manager, or just someone who hates bad training, I’d love to have you along for the ride. What’s the worst "mandatory training" you’ve ever had to take? Let’s vent (and learn) in the comments. 👇 #InstructionalDesign #LearningAndDevelopment #LAndD #AdultLearning #ExperienceDesign #TrainingAndDevelopment #HumanCenteredDesign

The most underrated skill in instructional design isn't knowing your authoring tool but knowing when to put it down. I've watched hour-long eLearning modules get built for content that could have been a job aid and a sticky note. Fully animated Storyline courses for audiences who needed a checklist and a coffee. The tool isn't the solution, it's how you should execute the solution after you've figured out what the actual problem is. Before you open Storyline, ask yourself: what does this person need to DO differently? Is this even a training problem? That last question ruins a lot of project kick-off meetings. It also saves a lot of learners from unnecessary quizzes. Build less. Think more. #InstructionalDesign #eLearning #LearningAndDevelopment #LXD #ArticulateStoryline #TrainingAndDevelopment #AdultLearning #WorkplaceLearning #L&D #TalentDevelopment