The strategic instructional designer development program
Develop the Judgment Behind Great Instructional Design.
A one-on-one development experience for new and early-career instructional designers ready to strengthen the strategic thinking, judgment, and decision-making skills that real-world instructional design requires.
BEYOND THE PROCESS
Real instructional design rarely comes with a clear answer.
You may know ADDIE. You may know how to write learning objectives, develop content, and build learning experiences. But knowing the instructional design process doesn’t always prepare you for the decisions that come before the design.
In real work, the request may be unclear. A stakeholder may already have a solution in mind. The evidence may point in several directions. And sometimes, training isn’t the answer at all.
That’s where strategic judgment matters.
THE PROBLEM ISN'T ALWAYS CLEAR
Learn to look beyond the initial request and determine what really needs to be solved.
TRAINING ISN'T ALWAYS THE ANSWER
Consider what’s affecting performance before deciding what kind of solution is needed.
RECOMMEND WITH REASON
Learn to use evidence and sound reasoning to support what you recommend and explain why.
WHAT YOU’LL DEVELOP
Build the Skills Behind Strategic Instructional Design
Strategic instructional design isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about knowing how to ask better questions, make sense of what you learn, consider the right options, and make decisions you can support.
Throughout the program, you’ll strengthen the capabilities that help you move beyond simply responding to requests and begin contributing as a strategic instructional designer.
01
ANALYZE BEFORE YOU DESIGN
Look beyond the initial request.
Learn to clarify the problem, examine what may be affecting performance, and determine what you need to understand before deciding what to build.
02
NAVIGATE STAKEHOLDER CONVERSATIONS
Ask questions that move the work forward.
Practice gathering information, clarifying expectations, challenging assumptions thoughtfully, and working through different stakeholder perspectives.
03
RECOMMEND WITH PURPOSE
Consider the solution before defaulting to training.
Learn to weigh possible interventions, determine when learning is part of the solution, and make recommendations based on the evidence available.
04
EXPLAIN YOUR THINKING
Make your reasoning visible.
Strengthen your ability to communicate what you recommend, why you recommend it, and the evidence and reasoning behind your decisions.
THE PRACTICE EXPERIENCE
Welcome to the Strategic Case Lab™
There isn't a right answer waiting for you at the end.
The Strategic Case Lab™ places you inside a realistic business challenge where the problem isn’t neatly defined and the solution hasn’t already been decided.
As the case unfolds, you’ll gather information, engage with stakeholders, examine evidence, question assumptions, and make decisions about what should happen next.
You won’t be given a step-by-step path to follow. You’ll use the Strategic Instructional Designer Framework™ and practical decision tools to guide your thinking while you determine how to move the work forward.
AN EVOLVING BUSINESS CHALLENGE
how the experience works
Practice. Reflect. Grow.
Strategic judgment develops through experience. You’ll work through realistic challenges, reflect on your decisions with one-on-one guidance, and use what you learn to strengthen how you approach the next challenge.
01
PRACTICE
Make the decisions.
Work through the Strategic Case Lab™, examine information as it becomes available, engage with stakeholders, and decide how the work should move forward.
02
REFLECT
Examine your thinking.
Use one-on-one guidance to talk through your reasoning, challenge assumptions, consider other perspectives, and identify where your thinking can become stronger.
03
GROW
Strengthen your judgment.
Carry what you learn forward as the case evolves, building greater confidence in how you analyze problems, make recommendations, and explain your decisions.
THE PROGRAM
What's Included
The Strategic Instructional Designer Development Program combines realistic practice, practical tools, individual guidance, and feedback to help you strengthen your strategic thinking and decision-making.
01
STRATEGIC CASE LAB™
A realistic environment for making decisions.
Work through an evolving business challenge where you’ll gather information, engage with stakeholders, examine evidence, and decide how the work should move forward.
02
ONE-ON-ONE MENTORING
Individual guidance focused on your thinking.
Meet one-on-one with your mentor to talk through your decisions, challenge assumptions, consider other perspectives, and receive feedback that helps strengthen your strategic judgment.
03
STRATEGIC DECISION TOOLS
Practical tools to support your decisions.
Use structured tools throughout the experience to guide discovery, analyze performance, consider possible interventions, plan solutions, evaluate recommendations, and communicate your thinking.
04
STRATEGIC ID FRAMEWORK™
A structure for navigating complex decisions.
Use the Strategic Instructional Designer Framework™ to guide your thinking from the initial request through analysis, recommendation, learning design, evaluation, and stakeholder communication.
WHO THIS IS FOR
For Instructional Designers Who Want to Think More Strategically
This program is designed for instructional designers who want to strengthen the thinking behind their work, not simply learn another process or development tool.
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YOU KNOW THE BASICS
You understand instructional design fundamentals, but want more practice analyzing ambiguous problems and deciding what should happen before design begins.
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YOU WANT TO MOVE BEYOND ORDER-TAKING
Use one-on-one guidance to talk through your reasoning, challenge assumptions, consider other perspectives, and identify where your thinking can become stronger.
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YOU WANT TO TRUST YOUR JUDGMENT
You want greater confidence making decisions when the information is incomplete, there isn’t one obvious answer, and you need to explain the reasoning behind your recommendation.
NEXT STEP
Ready to Grow as a Strategic Instructional Designer?
If you’re ready to strengthen your strategic thinking, build confidence in your decisions, and approach instructional design with greater purpose, go ahead and take the next step.
