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Matthew BoltonInstructional Designer

My process

Structure where it helps. Flexibility where it matters.

ADDIE gives stakeholders a shared map. Inside each phase I borrow from SAM's iteration, backward design's discipline, and performance consulting's skepticism — because the goal is a measurable change in the work, not a completed deliverable.

The workflow

Analyze. Design. Develop. Implement. Evaluate.

Each phase produces something a stakeholder can review and approve, so surprises happen early and cheaply.

  1. Phase 1

    Analyze

    Define the real problem and the intended outcome.

    • Stakeholder conversations
    • Learner and task analysis
    • Root cause and gap analysis
    • Success measures agreed in writing
  2. Phase 2

    Design

    Map objectives, strategy, assessment, and structure before building.

    • Observable learning objectives
    • Instructional strategy selection
    • Assessment and evaluation plan
    • Storyboards and prototypes
  3. Phase 3

    Develop

    Build clear, review-ready learning assets.

    • Rise, Storyline, and media production
    • Plain language and readable structure
    • Subject matter expert review cycles
    • Pilot-ready quality checks
  4. Phase 4

    Implement

    Launch with the support structures that make adoption likely.

    • LMS setup and course deployment
    • Facilitator preparation and communication
    • Performance support in the workflow
    • Pilot group and rapid fixes
  5. Phase 5

    Evaluate

    Measure, report, and improve on a schedule.

    • Reaction, learning, behavior, results
    • Assessment and activity review
    • Stakeholder debrief with recommendations
    • Revision list and reinforcement plan

What runs through every phase

Four commitments that never get skipped.

Adult learning principles

  • Learners bring experience worth building on, not around.
  • Relevance to a real task drives attention more than novelty.
  • Autonomy matters: give choice in pacing, path, and practice.
  • Prioritize practice with feedback when the objective requires learners to develop skill or judgment.
  • Cognitive load is a design budget, and it is easy to overspend.

Accessibility by design

  • Accessibility considered in the storyboard, not added at the end.
  • Captions, transcripts, and descriptive alt text for all media.
  • Full keyboard operability and logical heading structure.
  • Never rely on color alone to convey meaning or feedback.
  • Plain language written for the widest reasonable audience.

Performance consulting

  • Start from the business metric, not the training request.
  • Separate skill gaps from process, tooling, and incentive gaps.
  • Recommend the smallest intervention that moves the metric.
  • Design reinforcement and manager involvement into the plan.
  • Say so when training is not the right answer.

Continuous improvement

  • Pilot before full launch when scope and context allow.
  • Review assessment item performance, not just pass rates.
  • Maintain a revision backlog with owners and dates.
  • Re-check accessibility after every content update.
  • Report honestly, including what did not work.

A typical engagement

What working with me looks like week to week.

Timelines flex with scope, but the sequence and the checkpoints stay consistent.

  1. Week 1

    Discovery and alignment

    Sponsor interview, success metric defined in writing, audience and task analysis started.

  2. Week 2

    Analysis findings

    Root cause summary, recommended intervention set, scope and constraints agreed.

  3. Weeks 3–4

    Design approval

    Objective map, assessment plan, storyboards, and a working prototype of one section.

  4. Weeks 5–8

    Development and review

    Build with structured SME review rounds, accessibility checks, and tracked decisions.

  5. Week 9

    Pilot and launch

    Pilot cohort, rapid fixes, LMS deployment, and manager or facilitator enablement.

  6. Weeks 10+

    Evaluation and iteration

    Data collection across evaluation levels, stakeholder debrief, and a revision backlog.

Get in touch

Bring me a messy problem

The engagements I enjoy most start with a vague request and end with a clear, measurable intervention. If that sounds like your current situation, let's talk.

Contact me View my resume