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Have you been considering becoming an instructional designer?
If so, then you’ve come to the right place! You might be wondering, “what do instructional designers do, actually?”
By now, you likely understand what instructional design is (and if you don’t, read my last blog explaining all you need to know about instructional design).
So do you have what it takes to be an instructional designer?
Let’s find out!
In this post, I’ll answer the question, “what do instructional designers do?” for many different settings. Corporate, Higher Ed, and Freelancer instructional designers all have slightly different jobs. Then, I’ll even walk you through a typical day in the life of an instructional designer! After that, I’ll leave it up to you to decide if you’re an instructional designer. And if so, what instructional design environment suits your work style.
So, What do Instructional Designers do?
The short answer? Instructional designers plan, design, and develop learning experiences. We take a problem and solve it using training! Instructional designers work with internal and external clients, stakeholders, subject matter experts, eLearning developers, graphics designers, and more. Together, that team turns an idea into training.
Additionally, instructional designers help clients and stakeholders identify the needs of the training. We develop learning objectives and outcomes. We analyze the audience who will participate in the training. This allows us to design a course that really delivers on the goals and gives the learner what they need to succeed.
Instructional designers are experts in content organization, regardless of the topic. Topic expertise is what the SMEs are for. I’ve worked on topics ranging from operating a forklift, to software tutorials, to theology courses!
An instructional designer’s duties can vary depending on where they work and what type of instructional designer they are. Instructional designers can often be grouped into three main categories. There are instructional designers working in corporate, higher education, and freelance. I have worked in all three areas.
Now, let’s take an in-depth look at the basic responsibilities of each type of instructional designer.
What do Instructional Designers do in a Corporate Setting?
Corporate instructional designers work for a company. It could be large or small. Larger companies like Amazon and Microsoft have in-house training teams to take care of their employees’ training needs.
In a corporate setting, instructional designers work with internal clients, stakeholders, and subject matter experts. Together, they analyze, design, and develop targeted learning solutions that influence a specific behavior or metric the company is trying to change.
Of course, we don’t just build new learning solutions. We also have to update the old trainings or archive them. We report on training performance and do quality checks and user testing to ensure that everything is working as expected.
I’d like to say that we all follow the same instructional design process, but that’s not true. Some of us use ADDIE (me), some use SAM, some use…well, there are too many process models to list here.
However, all instructional system design models have some threads in common. So, pick the one you like and go with it. If you go to work for an organization that handles instructional design differently, you’ll adapt.
What do Instructional Designers do in an Educational Setting?
Traditionally, in-person university courses are left up to the discretion of the professors who teach them. However, online college classes at the graduate and undergraduate levels have seen huge growth. There are even universities that offer strictly online courses. They don’t have a brick-and-mortar location!
That’s where instructional designers come in. So what do instructional designers do in higher education? Pretty much the same thing they do for corporate, but using very specific guidelines.
For example, I have worked with a couple of universities to develop courses/programs. One of the university clients provides templates for both the content build and the canvas build. There are very specific guidelines that the SME and I must follow to ensure a quality build that gets accepted. Yes, I said accepted. They have a review and approval process, which is so SMART!
What do Instructional Designers do as Freelancers?
Last, but certainly not least, is the freelance instructional designer. When you work as a freelance instructional designer, you’ll do everything corporate and higher ed instructional designers do and more.
Unlike the other instructional designers, these instructional designers must market their business, find clients, manage payments, work with clients across all industries, and the list goes on. They usually have to purchase their tools, too, which can be costly.
There are some services out there like Upwork and Fiverr that reduce the burden of some of these tasks. Still, there is much more work to do when you are an independent contractor.
Don’t get me wrong, it is super nice to be able to select which projects to work on. Earlier today, I was chatting with a woman in a FB group who shared that she was doing laundry and then going to do some captioning.
How awesome is that? Freelancing can provide tremendous value in the area of work-life balance.
Another bonus, the longer you work on your freelance business, the more you can build client relationships, score referrals, and get pickier about what projects you accept. I started my business as a side-hustling freelance instructional designer and eventually built it into a full-time business.
It’s also true that freelancers must be organized and motivated to work. They often manage multiple client projects and have to hustle to find more work as projects close. That is something to keep in mind as you are evaluating which category of instructional designer you are interested in.
What does an instructional designer’s day look like?
It’s never the same from one day to the next, which is one of the many things I love about my job. It also depends on what type of instructional designer you are, which is different than the three categories I mentioned above.
Some instructional designers focus completely on content and engagement. Others are considered full stack instructional designers and eLearning developers, which means they do everything, including eLearning development.
Some of the things that instructional designers do on a day-to-day basis are:
- Needs Analysis
- Writing Learning Objectives / Outcomes
- Meetings with SMEs
- Outlining / Storyboarding / Scripting
- Identifying Engagement Strategies
- Reviewing the Final Product
- Evaluating Performance and Learning
- eLearning Development (full stack ID)
An instructional designer’s role is creative. It requires uninterrupted thinking time to create innovative learning experiences that get results.
Some Common Skills, Knowledge, & Traits of Great IDs
I often get questions about what kind of skills, knowledge, or traits you need to be a successful instructional designer. So below I’ve included a starter list. If you become competent in these areas, then you’ll be off to a great start towards pursuing an instructional design job!
- ADDIE (choose your preference)
- Project Management
- Collaborative
- Analytical
- Creative
- Learning Theory / Strategy
- Andragogy
- Engagement Strategies
- Brain Science Behind Learning
- Life-long Learner
- Design Best Practices
- eLearning Rapid Authoring Tools
- Leadership
Are YOU an Instructional Designer?
You might be a good instructional designer if:
- You’re passionate about learning at all stages of life
- You’re organized and detail-oriented
- You’ve taken an online course and thought, “I know I could make this better!”
- You like to solve problems through learning
- You’re reading this right now!
So, knowing what instructional designers do in corporate, university, and freelance settings, which one do you see yourself in? Drop a comment below and let me know where you think you’d fit in!
With this in mind, what are your next steps in becoming an instructional designer or landing your dream instructional design job?
Are you ready to dive in and become a full-stack Instructional Designer and eLearning Developer, without getting another degree? Check out my immersive program: Instructional Design & Tech Accelerator Certificate Program.
The Testimonials are In:
Client
Shola Richards
Working with Shanwtay and Katie at the Instructional Design Company was a dream come true. Their creativity, expertise, and professionalism throughout the entire process was beyond top notch. I engaged them to help turn my first book into a training course, and I could not be happier with how the final product turned out. If you have an instructional design project and you’re considering which company to work with, you can stop your search and thank me later. They are truly the best in the business.
Shola Richards
Student
Graphic Designer
I joined the Instructional Design & Tech Accelerator Certificate Program because I struggled to find jobs in instructional design beyond the development phase. I’ve done a couple of training programs with lots of random projects, but I was overwhelmed, not connecting the dots, and not good at structuring my writing to hit learning objectives. I was looking for motivation and direction at beginning a better Instructional Designer.
After taking the Instructional Design & Tech Certificate program and joining my fantastic team for support, I found the structure and approach to be what I need to take my next steps, evening improving my skills in the development stage.
Gayle Bower
Student
Teacher, Future Instructional Designer
I love how this course let’s you work at your own pace. I got great tips and learned many things. The ongoing support for multiple people and groups is what I love the best. You are never alone in this process. I have been able to adjust my resume and began creating a portfolio of work I’ve completed to add when applying for jobs. I use many of the PowerPoint skills in my lessons and trainings. I would highly recommend this for anyone wanting to become an instructional designer.
Laurie Henderson
Student
Teacher, Future Instructional Designer
I have searched for the last few years to find some suitable career change where I wouldn’t have to earn another degree and where I could use the talents and skills I already have as a teacher. When I came across the Instructional Design Accelerator course, I loved the fact that Shawntay was a former teacher and could relate to a teacher’s need to transition from the classroom. This was what sold the course for me. Her experiences are invaluable especially when translating teacher duties to instructional designer duties. I would (and have) recommended this program to other teachers I know who are looking to transition out of the classroom. I do appreciate ALL of her feedback on my projects!
Wendy McMillian
Student
L&D Project Manager
The Instructional Design & Tech Accelerator certificate program is one of the most comprehensive ID programs out there for beginners. If you’re looking to grow your schools in ID and development then I highly recommend this program. Not only will this program give you an overview of theory, but you will receive a thorough walkthrough of how to apply what you have learned. Although I had already secured a position in Learning & Development when I bought this course, it helped me to move up into a new position as a Learning & Development Project Manager!
Gabby Grimaldo
Student
Future Instructional Designer
If you have any interest in ID, sign up for this program NOW! Shawntay and her team are top notch! The course content exceeded my expectations in a big way and the encouragement and support continues to be so valuable. You will not feel alone going through this course, you will learn so much, you’ll have many cheerleaders, and you will have fun!
Shanna Howe
Student
Future Instructional Designer
I am really enjoying this program! It’s prerfect for someone who is thinking about a career shift to Instructional Design and does not have a lot of experience. This is my first real introduction to Instructional Design and it’s been the perfect beginner course to help me get my feet wet. The modules are broken down well and it’s great to go at your own pace and at your own time. The modules themselves are very comprehensive and you learn a lot from all of them. I really like how each one build upon each other and you’re working towards the bigger project of designing your first training course from scratch. I’m learning so much from going through this course! I was provided great feedback from Katie and Shawntay through the process via Trello Boards, comments on the Google documents, and Facebook group. This course has been well worth the time and effort and I appreciate the fact that I will always have the resources available to me after I complete the training (just in case I’m not quite ready to transition yet).
Aviva Berkowitz
Student
Future Instructional Designer
I can’t say enough great things about the Instructional Design & Tech Accelerator Certificate Program! The length of the program is perfect; it doesn’t feel rushed and there’s just the right amount of structure to give you the accountability you need. There are so many opportunities to get live answers to any questions you have related to the course content or anything ID-related! This program gave me the support and structure I needed to both feel affirmed in the relevant skills I already had coming in and to fill in the gaps I had as a career-changer going into ID. Shawntay, Katie, and all the coaches are super helpful and supportive. I now feel confident that I have the tools and access to resources I need to apply for ID jobs without wondering if there’s something I’m “missing” in the preparation process. I’d highly recommend this program to anyone wanting to transition into ID or who just wants to brush up on their skills in the field.
Krista Johnson Awomoyi
Student
Freelance Instructional Designer
I’d highly recommend the Instructional Design & Tech Accelerator Certificate Program. I’m blown away by how much I learned in just 12 weeks. I had ID experience prior to taking this course and was just looking to get a better understanding of applying adult learning principles. This course well exceeded my expectations! Not only did I gain a clear understanding of adult learning principles, I was also able to apply those principles by creating assets for your portfolio using PowerPoint, Adobe Premiere Pro and Storyline. The hands on support that we received was top notch.
Darlene Dalgleish
Student
Instructional Designer
This program is one of the most robust yet fulfilling L&D programs I’ve seen. I learned so much about the industry and about the limitlessness of my own capabilities. I am so appreciative of Shawntay and all of the trainers who took part in the program. They went above and beyond with not only guiding, but communicating live and working one on one or in small groups. If you are on the fence, I say take the leap and you will not regret it! There’s so much to learn, not only from the trainers, but also the learners in your group. Everyone comes in with their own skills and can be additional support and guidance for you. Thank you for creating this program!
Shawnice Edge
Student
Instructional Designer Training Facilitator
Shawntay is an amazing individual. She is very knowledgeable in all aspects of ID and eLearning. She is also very compassionate and loves to help and see everyone around her grow and prosper. Shawntay has been a great mentor to me and she has helped me mature as an instructional designer and eLearning developer. She has provided me with opportunities when others have overlooked me. I am very grateful to have met and built a lifelong relationship with Shawntay.
I recently got hired into my first instructional design / training position and Shawntay was one of the first people to congratulate me!
Brian Hightower
Student
Freelance Instructional Designer
My teacher-to-instructional-designer journey began two years ago when I left my teaching comfort zone and started my first freelance ID job. Now, I’m stepping out of the classroom and taking my freelance work full-time, so I’m thrilled to be joining the Tech Accelerator program. Adding technologies like Articulate 360 and Adobe Premiere Pro to my qualifications will help me take my courses to the next level and attract more clients!
Sarah Smith
Student
Teacher Transitioning into Instructional Design
I am genuinely grateful for this course. I wanted a real-world perspective and feel like I got it. I’m teaching now, but nearing retirement age but can see myself working as an instructional designer well into my retirement years. My other goal is to take as many courses in statistics as possible in hopes of bringing some mathematical precision to the ROI question. Like you say, getting accurate metrics to measure ROI can be a challenge, but I intend to work on that part. That’s unimportant right now, what is important is the fact that I feel like this course was well worth every penny I spent and I would to it again in a heartbeat. I have too much going on right now, but as soon as I get some time freed up I intend to take your course in project management.
Lee R
Client
Turns Your Written Thoughts Into a Masterpiece!
Shawntay Skjoldager can turn your written thoughts into a masterpiece. She is great to work with and the most organized person I know!
Sheryl Rhoades
President and CEO, The Creative EntreprenuerClient
Shawntay has been incredible!
Shawntay has been incredible and her team is responsive and effective in translating my training programs into professional presentations. Don’t hesitate to contact her for your project.
Beth B. De Lima, MBA, SPHR-CA, SHRM-SCP
President and Principal of HRM Consulting, Inc.Client
IDC is My Secret Weapon to Soar Above My Competition!
The IDC team has been my secret and special weapon of success. They have delivered above and beyond with every single project out in front of them. They have met and beat timelines. They have been Uber responsive every step of the way. I keep them on speed dial and have and continue to recommend them to friends and clients. If you are in need of instructional design and plenty more, this is THE ALL-STAR team that will more than deliver and help make you and your project soar above the competition.
LT. COL. Jason O. Harris
U.S. Air Force Officer, Special Operations Pilot, U.S.A.F. Academy Instructor, Motivational SpeakerClient
A Tremendous Asset to the Project Team!
Working with Shawntay and the Instructional Design Company has allowed our university to meet the growing demands of our programs. Shawntay’s expertise allowed for the course development to be completed on time and met all of the university requirements. Shawntay’s project management skills were phenomenal and allowed my team to work on other areas while she completed this project for us. Her work is of high quality and her professionalism and willingness to help made her a tremendous asset to the project team.
Amanda Buckley
Academic Quality Assurance Specialist, Abilene Christian UniversityClient
Creative & Highly Talented!
Shawntay is a creative and highly talented instructional designer. She brought a wealth of knowledge, expertise, and leadership that enabled her to own the design and creation of a full scale facilitator curriculum and train-the-trainer program. It was a pleasure to partner with Shawntay, her project management and communication skills ensured the project was on time and on budget.
Susan Gatti
President, IMMIXIDClient
Breaks Down Mammoth Projects
“Shawntay is quick study and carefully synthesizes information for presentations that are clear, concise and captivating. Her personality draws the audience in and her content mastery is excellent. A team player and organizer, Shawntay has the ability to break down mammoth projects, keep everybody on time and on task.”
Rick Miller
Author, Speaker, Strengths CoachClient
eLearning Development
“I have had many opportunities to work with Shawntay—mainly in the support of implementing new eLearning initiatives. I have been very impressed by her ability to quickly learn how to use rapid eLearning development tools and effectively use them to create multiple courses within a short timeframe. Shawntay’s enthusiastic nature, attention to detail, and dedication to her work make her a pleasure to work with and a great asset to both Texas A&M University-Commerce and the broader training community within the Texas A&M University System.”
Ashley Christian
Director of Learning Strategy, Caveo LearningClient
Top Notch Professional
Working with Shawntay has been an immense pleasure. She is atop notch professional who brings enthusiasm and extensiveexpertise to professional curriculum development and execution. Her knowledge of tried and true techniques to maximize the effectiveness of presentations is invaluable.
Nancy Drapeau, PRC
Vice President of Research, CEIR - Center for Exhibition Industry ResearchClient
Fortunate to Find Shawntay!
“I was fortunate to find Shawntay when our organization was looking to expand and update our educational offerings. Shawntay proved herself to be an educational and personal development expert who immediately made an impact with our clients throughout Europe. Everyone who came into contact with Shawntay was immediately impressed by her level of expertise and willingness to share her knowledge with those around her. I would not hesitate to recommend Shawntay to anyone looking for an education subject matter expert.”
Jonathan Burt
Director of Qualifications and NSD Services, Mary Kay Inc.Client
Short Turn Around. On Time. Under Budget!
“We hired Shawntay to develop a training facilitator’s guide and PowerPoint slide deck for an operations manual heavy with technical content. The project was made more challenging by a very short turn around, 5 business days, and the fact that the operations manual wasn’t complete and was being updated simultaneously with the facilitator’s guide and slide deck. Despite these challenges, Shawntay delivered as promised. On time and under budget.”
Dave Beeman, CPP
Vice President, Andy Frain ServicesClient
Need an Expert Who Consistently Delivers?
“Working with Shawntay you will immediately notice her professional presence and poise, but over time her tenacious pursuit of excellence and her skills in instructional development and adult learning will really impress you. I worked with her at Mary Kay, and was able to experience firsthand her great rapport with regional partners in Europe, understanding their unique sales force training needs. In addition, Shawntay consistently exhibited grace under pressure, made executive decisions to move business forward. If you are looking for an expert who consistently delivers and goes the extra mile to get things done, contact Shawntay!”
Mellora Moore
Marketing Director, Academic PartnershipsClient
Quality Products & Solutions!
“I had had the pleasure of knowing and working with Shawntay on more than a few occasions. I found her to be a very good business partner and very committed to delivering a quality product or solution in a timely manner. I have always had a positive experience in partnering with Shawntay and would recommend that you consider leveraging her talent.”
Judy Owen, CPC
Transformational Leadership CoachClient
“Invest in yourself and take your skills to the next NEXT level!”
Get yourself signed up for Shawntay Skjoldager’s Instructional Design & Tech Accelerator Certificate Program today and be on your way to success! Within the first week of taking her course, you will experience growth! Be sure to plug into her Facebook Q&A sessions for personalized help, too. This is THE course to take if you are new to instructional design or have landed on the training team and need help getting started.
Patrick Hodges
Managing Partner, PHiGClient
“Her enthusiasm for adult learning is contagious!”
Shawntay has exceptional knowledge and experience with all aspects of creating and implementing effective, performance based training for adults. She is exceptional at needs analysis – identifying target audiences and collaborating with business owners to keep training focused on business needs. And she is great to work with – always providing great support to get projects done on-time and on-target. She is always on the look-out for new and more effective ways to engage learners. Her enthusiasm for adult learning is contagious!
Mike Stubblefield
eLearning Developer/Instructional Designer, Vivos TherapeuticsClient
“Spot on”
I have known and worked with Shawntay as a education program director and use the expertise of ShawntayMichelle for the development of my presentations. The service has always been “spot on” with professionalism, care and attention. Shawntay’s recommendations to my ideas make me look good to my clients.
Al Lomas CMP, CEM, CMM, CFE
Owner, Certified Consulting ServicesClient
“Shawntay Skjoldager reached in and made my training life so much easier!”
I am new to the training design and development world and I was SO excited to get in there, but I really lacked the real-world knowledge that would set me apart from my peers. And, then Shawntay Skjoldager walked into my life with an outstretched hand and a seemingly endless list of ways to knock every training out of the park. From the Training Analysis Form to the Tay Tay tips, this course made my life so much easier and even ironed out the review process that I had been struggling with for months.
Take time to invest in your own learning and make sure to put Shawntay Michelle at the top of your personal development list!
Katie Carter
Training Specialist, LegalShield