ADDIE
A structured framework that moves from analysis through design, development, implementation, and evaluation.
Best fit: projects with clear requirements, deliverables, and checkpoints
My process
A clear process, adapted to each project
I use ADDIE, Learner First, SAM, Agile, or Design Thinking depending on the people, the work, the timeline, and the information available. I may use one approach or combine parts of several.
How I work
Adaptive Design Approach
I choose the design approach based on the needs of the project.
Learner First
Starts with the people doing the work: what they need to accomplish, what may get in the way, and what support will help.
Best fit: performance-focused projects that start with learner needs
SAM
Uses rapid design, prototyping, feedback, and revision to test ideas early rather than waiting until late in development.
Best fit: projects that benefit from fast prototypes and frequent feedback
Agile
Breaks work into smaller cycles so teams can build, review, prioritize, and adjust as needs change.
Best fit: evolving projects with frequent collaboration and changing priorities
Design Thinking
Uses empathy, problem definition, idea generation, prototyping, and testing to explore solutions from the learner or user perspective.
Best fit: unclear or complex problems that need exploration before a solution is chosen
What stays consistent across projects
Four things I keep in mind
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 during planning and development, not added only at the end.
- Captions, transcripts, and descriptive alt text provided where applicable.
- Keyboard access, focus order, and heading structure checked during development.
- Color is not used as the only way to communicate meaning or feedback.
- Plain language used for the widest reasonable audience.
Performance consulting
- Start with the work that needs to change, not just the training request.
- Separate skill gaps from process, tool, and incentive gaps.
- Recommend an intervention that addresses the problem.
- Plan for reinforcement and manager involvement.
- 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 representative example
One way a project might unfold
The order and timing vary. Activities may overlap or repeat as the project develops.
- Week 1
Discovery and alignment
Sponsor interview, success metric defined in writing, audience and task analysis started.
- Week 2
Analysis findings
Root cause summary, recommended intervention set, scope and constraints agreed.
- Weeks 3–4
Design approval
Objective map, assessment plan, storyboards, and a working prototype of one section.
- Weeks 5–8
Development and review
Build with structured SME review rounds, accessibility checks, and tracked decisions.
- Week 9
Pilot and launch
Pilot cohort, rapid fixes, LMS deployment, and manager or facilitator enablement.
- Weeks 10+
Evaluation and iteration
Data collection across evaluation levels, stakeholder debrief, and a revision backlog.
Activities may overlap or repeat as feedback and project needs change.
Get in touch
Have a learning or performance problem to solve?
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.