Saturday, March 25, 2006

It's all about DESIGN, NOT instructional design

More proof of great graphic design and visual storytelling as a compelling art form and successful learning tool.

 

My daily experiences in corporate eLearning development over the last 10 years have all come down to this one fact…ISD matters to NO ONE!!!

When a customer/client can look at my instructionally sound course, designed and based on all of the most basic learning principals, and say “the test feels to long…cut it in half.”  And “the course feels too thin on content…we need more content”.  That’s when I throw my hands up and say ISD just doesn’t matter.  Keep in mind these statements come after weeks of reviews during the process.  And all elements created around the clients defined objectives.

 

My friend Mark Oehlert reminded me of the scene from Back to School with Rodney Dangerfield when he holds the research paper, that NASA had written for him, in his hand and says, “its not heavy enough, it only feels like a C.  Make it an A.”  Or something to that effect.

 

We are more respected for the tangible delivery of the art, the design elements, the web design, the information design, the animation, the interactivity design than anything else.  I’m hoping that one day it will great game design.

 

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