Designing with Love

The fastest way to kill a good learning goal is to blame the format instead of fixing the design. We’re kicking off a new series on myths in instructional design and education by taking on one of the biggest, most stubborn claims out there: online learning is less effective than in-person learning.

We get why this belief sticks. A lot of digital learning has felt disconnected, confusing, passive, or overwhelming, especially when people experienced emergency remote teaching that was rushed and under-supported. But a bad online course doesn’t prove online education fails. It proves the lear...

Accessibility doesn’t have to feel like a mountain you climb alone. Jackie sat down with accessibility advocate Maxwell Ivey to turn big ideas into small, repeatable steps that make your website and content welcoming to every user. Instead of chasing every rule at once, we focus on process over panic: define the user problem, choose the smallest next fix, and build momentum.

We start with the highest‑impact moves. Headings become navigational landmarks for screen readers, so a clean H1 followed by a logical H2/H3 structure instantly improves flow. Then we tackle readability—plain language, short...

AI tools are getting faster, louder, and harder to ignore, but that doesn’t mean your growth has to feel chaotic. We wrap the AI-Ready Designer Series with a clear 90-day plan that turns experimentation into a repeatable practice you can actually defend, document, and share. If you’ve been learning a little here and there but still feel scattered, this roadmap is built to help you move with intention.

We start with the mindset shift: AI readiness isn’t about attending one webinar, collecting prompts, or chasing every new platform. It becomes part of how we analyz...

What if your best presentation didn’t just earn applause—it moved people to act? Jackie sat down with Dr. Danny Brassell to map a clearer path from inspiration to conversion, blending hard-won classroom lessons with decades on the stage to show exactly how to make talks that stick, spread, and sell without feeling salesy.

We start with the only scoreboard that matters: how many listeners take the next step with you. From there, Danny breaks down his Five Cs—clarity, connect, content, call to action, and close—so you can design every moment with intention. You’ll learn w...

AI can make instructional design feel faster overnight, but speed is the easiest thing to celebrate and the easiest thing to misunderstand. When leaders ask whether AI is truly helping learning and development teams, “We used it a lot” is not an answer. In this episode, Jackie walks through how to prove AI impact with credibility using lightweight workflow metrics that tell the real story, including where AI saves time, where it adds risk, and where it quietly creates extra work.

We start by naming the traps that derail AI measurement in L&D: vanity metrics that look...

Ever watch a promising writing class lose steam by midterm? We’ve been there, and we built this conversation to flip that script using the ARCS model—Attention, Relevance, Confidence, Satisfaction—as a practical blueprint for motivated, higher-quality writing across live and online courses. With award-winning author and curriculum developer Ruth A. Douthit, we unpack what actually keeps students engaged, why “busy work” backfires, and how to design assignments that feel purposeful from the first hook to the final draft.

Ruth closes with before-and-after assignment makeovers and shares where to connect with her books and A Writer’s Day podcas...

AI tools can make learning design faster and more creative, but the moment a tool touches prompts, uploads, learner responses, employee information, or system integrations, approvals can feel like a hard stop. We talk through the real shift many instructional designers are living right now: AI tool selection is no longer only a learning design decision. It’s also a technology decision, a security and data privacy decision, and a procurement decision tied to contracts, licensing, and long-term support.

We walk step-by-step through what IT, security, and procurement actually care about, and how to stop showing up la...

Accessibility isn’t a box to tick at launch; it’s the backbone of products people actually trust. Jackie sat down with Maxwell “The Blind Blogger” Ivey—founder of The Accessibility Advantage and longtime advocate for inclusive digital experiences—to unpack how small, thoughtful changes can eliminate friction, reduce support costs, and open doors to more learners and customers.

Max shares four moves you can make this week: highlight the main tasks, simplify design, cut clutter, and build keyboard-first. Along the way, we talk about turning complaints into collaboration, testing with real users, and creating advisory loops with custome...

A bot can sound warm, responsive, and confident, and still teach the wrong thing. That’s the tension we dig into as we explore AI tutors, AI coaches, and practice bots through the lens that matters most to instructional designers: practice design that improves real performance, not just chat transcripts.

Jackie walks through why AI can absolutely help us scale practice, create interactions faster, and give learners more chances to rehearse, reflect, and try again. But Jackie also draws a hard line: a conversation is not automatically learning, and “AI tutor” does not automatically mean “good feedback.” We break d...

Training that doesn’t change behavior is just content, and content alone won’t move a business metric. Jackie sat down with Dr. Steven Linley, a learning strategist and adult learning expert, to unpack how to turn “we need training” into performance that lasts. From the first stakeholder request to the final coaching touchpoint, Steven shows how to investigate like a detective, separate red herrings from root causes, and design solutions that fit the real constraints of work.

If you’re ready to move from order taker to strategic partner, this episode gives you the questions to ask, the l...

AI can generate outlines, scripts, quizzes, scenarios, and slide drafts in minutes. That sounds like freedom, until you realize the real danger is volume: more content, more assets, more “resources” that don’t actually change what learners do. We’re making the case for a different kind of value in the AI era of instructional design and learning experience design: becoming the learning architect who decides what belongs, what gets left out, and what actually supports performance. 

We break down the content factory trap, the pattern where deliverables become the goal and practice gets squeezed out. When everythin...

What if assessment made thinking visible and turned AI into a learning partner instead of a shortcut? Jackie sat down with Hamza Sami to close our series by unpacking practical ways to design for real understanding—where reasoning, judgment, and context take center stage.

We start by reframing purpose: assessment is for learning, not just measurement. That lens leads to formative moves that build trust and invite responsible AI use. Hamza breaks down how to set clear AI norms, teach limits and risks, and require transparent acknowledgment with screenshots, links, and prompt logs. From there, we get ta...

AI can help you generate course content in minutes, but if you’ve ever looked at the output and thought, “This doesn’t sound like me,” you already know the hidden cost: inconsistency. When tone changes, terminology drifts, and structure varies across modules, your work stops feeling recognizable and trustworthy even if the content is technically correct.

We walk through a simple fix that doesn’t require a massive system or 100 documents: an Instructional Design Knowledge Vault. I explain why the real risk isn’t AI, it’s using AI without a home base for your voice, your standards...

Curiosity turns into clarity when a seasoned teacher names the practices that work. Jackie sits down with Caroline Amberson, a K–12 demonstration teacher who completed her M.S. in Instructional Design at Grand Canyon University, to unpack how research transformed instinct into intention. She walks us through the moment Mayer’s multimedia principles gave her a common language, how UDL and cognitive load theory run alongside them, and why the Kirkpatrick model finally made evaluation feel practical across classrooms and PD.

What makes this conversation sing is the translation layer. Caroline shows how she rebuilt project-based learning into...

AI output isn’t mysterious; it’s measurable. When we prompt like we’re chatting, we get content that feels generic and unpredictable. When we prompt like instructional designers, with audience, outcomes, constraints, and a definition of “good,” the same AI tool starts producing drafts you can actually reuse.

In this episode, Jackie walks through a simple mindset shift that changes everything: a prompt is a mini design document. From there, we name the three biggest reasons one-off prompts fail (vague goals, missing context, and no quality target) and replace them with three repeatable prompting patterns you can use ac...

Ever feel like your tools change faster than your lesson plans? Jackie sat down with tech translator and founder Charly Leetham to unpack a calmer, smarter way to work with technology—one that starts with first principles, respects human limits, and favors preparation over firefighting. From story-rich field experience to practical classroom routines, this conversation is a guide to making tech serve the teaching, not the other way around.

If you’re ready to replace panic with process and guesswork with clarity, this conversation is your blueprint. Subscribe for more practical tech strategies, share this episode with a co...

AI can write training content that looks flawless, sounds professional, and still quietly mislead your learners. That’s the problem we tackle today, along with a practical fix you can use immediately: a fast QA scan that keeps AI speed while protecting trust, accuracy, and credibility.

In this episode, Jackie walks through three failure modes that show up again and again in AI-generated eLearning and microlearning drafts: accuracy issues like invented details or wrong policy claims, bias that slips into scenarios through assumptions or stereotypes, and brand drift where the tone turns generic, overly corporate, or inconsistent wi...

What if the clearest path to your calling is simpler than you think? Host Jackie Pelegrin sits down with artist, pastor, author, and motivator Daniel Bernabe for a candid look at how grief, faith, and relentless practice can turn raw potential into enduring impact. From a teenage moment of loss to the steady drumbeat of “seek first,” Daniel charts the habits and heart postures that helped him become a painter, publisher, and encourager who serves from his strengths without burning out.

We dig into the first principle of purpose—be yourself—and why identity precedes strategy. Daniel breaks d...

AI can crank out a draft in minutes, but if the audience is wrong, the tone is off, or the facts don’t match policy, you’ll lose every “saved” hour in rework. In this episode, Jackie breaks down the shift she keeps seeing in instructional design teams: the new bottleneck isn’t creating content, it’s creating trusted content. That’s why human-in-the-loop review isn’t an extra process. It’s the difference between fast and frustrating.

Jackie walks through a simple four-step workflow you can apply to almost any training asset: Draft, Verify, Refine, and Approve (DVRA). We...

What if AI became your most thoughtful co-teacher instead of a shortcut students hide behind? Jackie had an engaging and insightful conversation with John Williamson, lead curriculum developer at Grand Canyon University and founder of Olive and Rose Education, to map out how generative AI can boost creativity, deepen learning, and give teachers precious time back—without losing professional judgment or student agency.

We unpack John’s three-tier framework for responsible adoption: AI-assisted activities that focus on brainstorming and clarity without generating final work, co-creation tasks that let AI help shape outlines or partial drafts, and AI-empowered simu...

Training can look successful on paper and still fail where it counts: on the job. We’re digging into the data literacy instructional designers and educators actually need right now, especially as AI tools speed up decisions and raise new privacy questions. If you’ve ever stared at completions, seat time, or quiz scores and wondered, “So what do I do with this information?”, this conversation is built for you.

We walk through the mindset shift that makes measurement useful: data is evidence, not the mission. You’ll hear the three traps that quietly sabotage learning measurement and traini...

Creativity isn’t extra; it’s how we unlock potential. That’s the heartbeat of this conversation with Austrian‑Californian multimedia artist and creativity awareness educator Michaell Magrusche, whose neurodiversity shaped a human‑centered approach to learning, design, and life. We talk candidly about why people must come before systems, how to balance money, meaning, and voice in design, and the simple habits that make creativity a daily practice instead of a once‑a‑year workshop.

Enjoyed the conversation? Follow the show, share it with a colleague, and leave a review to help others find it. Your support helps...

AI isn’t just a time-saver anymore, it’s a trusted choice. When instructional designers paste the wrong thing into the wrong tool, the risk isn’t abstract: it can touch learner privacy, employee data, internal documents, proprietary processes, and even regulated content. In this episode, Jackie shares a simple way to stop guessing and start using AI with calm, clear guardrails you can actually follow. 

We walk through three practical AI risk tiers with real examples: Tier 1 public and low risk, Tier 2 internal and sensitive, and Tier 3 regulated and personal data. Then we match those tiers to thre...

Ever wondered how a teacher’s instincts translate into real business value? We sit down with Jessica Smith, a former secondary Spanish teacher turned corporate instructional designer at ADP, to unpack the exact moves that make the leap from education to L&D not just possible, but powerful. From scoping with SMEs to beating scope creep, Jessica shows how to define clear performance outcomes, audit existing materials, and pick formats that fit the workflow instead of slowing it down.

If you’re curious about transitioning to corporate instructional design, you will get a concrete seven-day plan: scan job...

AI can generate outlines, quizzes, and scripts in minutes, but that doesn’t mean your learners will do the right thing on Monday. We zoom out to see what AI is really changing in instructional design and what remains stubbornly, beautifully human: context, empathy, trust, and accountability for results.

I walk through the pressure many of us are feeling as stakeholders start to assume “content equals training” and “AI equals instant course.” Then we get honest about the risks of moving fast without guardrails, including confident-sounding content that’s wrong, generic training that misses the real barrier, accessibilit...

Autonomy isn’t about handing learners the wheel and hoping for the best. We explore how freedom becomes fuel—when it’s matched to the stakes, the setting, and the supports. With guest Hamza Sami, we compare college courses where risk is a learning tool and corporate training where performance boundaries are real, then show how to design autonomy that fits both worlds.

We dig into the practical differences that shape outcomes: extrinsic versus intrinsic motivation, facilitator versus coach mindsets, and the cost of errors. From semicircle seating to peer dialogue, we highlight small design choices that shift...

Switching industries shouldn’t feel like starting over. We walk through a Career GPS for instructional designers that turns uncertainty into a plan: define your core strengths, translate your experience into the right industry dialect, pick an environment that fits your energy, and build a bridge portfolio that proves transfer without rebuilding from scratch. Along the way, we unpack the language differences across corporate, higher education, K–12, healthcare, and tech, so your resume and portfolio speak clearly to recruiters and hiring managers.

Ready to map your next move? Grab the ID Career GPS checklist, subscribe for more prac...

What if job hunting could feel more like leveling up than burning out? Jackie sits down with language and mindset coach Jade Arthur to explore how AI and game design thinking can transform ESL learning, portfolios, and interview prep, especially for creatives entering the gaming industry. Jade walks us through a clear, repeatable workflow: define your outcomes, prompt ChatGPT for layered outputs, then move everything into Gamma to create a polished, visual resource your learners and job seekers will actually use.

We compare the traditional “wall of text” experience to a resource-first approach that scales: short and long...

Choosing between freelancing and a full-time role can feel like a high-stakes fork in the road. We take the pressure off with a five–mile marker roadmap that helps you define what matters most right now and match the path to your life, not your LinkedIn headline. Instead of arguing labels, we ask better questions: Do you need stability or flexibility? Variety or consistency? Specialist depth or broad systems thinking? How much risk can you hold in this season—financially, emotionally, and logistically?

Before you hit play, grab a notebook. We’ll guide you to write your top th...

A frontline nurse turned founder changes how we think about “marketing” by treating it like care extended. David Sanchez, RN, shares how clinical empathy, clear language, and the right tools help healthcare organizations and educators reach the people who need them most. We unpack the journey from ER shifts to launching a recovery program and a patient-first agency, then translate that experience into steps any small team can take to grow with integrity.

We go deep on foundations that matter: setting up GA4 and Google Tag Manager so every call, form, and booking is measured; reading customer jour...

What if networking could feel calm, kind, and effective—without the awkward pitch? We walk through five connection moves that help instructional designers and educators build real relationships: a mindset reframe, tiny weekly actions, breadcrumb visibility, simple follow-ups, and a growth circle powered by mentors and peers. The result is a practical, repeatable system that turns small moments into long-term opportunities.

To make it actionable, we close with the Three Connections Challenge: one thoughtful comment, one genuine message, and one reconnection this week. Grab the free interactive flip card toolkit and the recommended networking guide linked in th...

Want a smarter way to work with AI in the classroom without losing what makes learning human? Jackie had an engaging and insightful conversation with academic manager and curriculum designer Hamza Sami to unpack practical ways educators can harness generative AI as a learning partner while strengthening integrity, critical thinking, and authentic assessment.

We start by reframing generative AI with simple language students can use: it’s the confident friend who doesn’t always have the facts right. From there, we outline day-one norms that encourage curiosity and set clear boundaries—what’s green-light brainstorming, where caution applies...

Hiring managers don’t want a gallery of artifacts; they want proof you can solve real performance problems. We walk through a clear, house-style blueprint for building an instructional design portfolio that highlights your judgment, shows measurable impact, and makes it effortless to find your best work.

To help your work get found, we align language across your site, resume, and LinkedIn, weave in job-aligned keywords naturally, and create a light sharing plan. Add your portfolio to LinkedIn’s Featured section, include the link in your email signature, and send targeted notes that point to two relevant proj...

What if the key to tomorrow’s lesson lives in what lit you up at age seven? We bring back Tommy Kilpatrick to turn that early spark into practical, compassionate teaching—linking identity, choice, and classroom design. Together, we unpack a simple ten-minute exercise to replay your earliest memories and name the gift you were eager to share. That clarity becomes a compass for lesson tweaks you can implement this month, aligning activities with purpose and giving students a language for who they are becoming.

We also explore a set of powerful “forks” that shape behavior: whether you see...

What if your course felt less like a checklist and more like a world your learners return to, level up in, and prove real growth? We walk through a practical framework for building a virtual playground that mirrors the work, builds measurable skills, and motivates through clarity rather than gimmicks. 

🔗 Resources and Related Episodes:

If you would like to explore today’s topic further, here are a few resources to check out:

📚 Virtual Playground Resources

Digital Playgrounds: Driving Workforce Performance through Play and Experimentation: In this blog post by J...

What if the fastest route to clarity is the one we usually skip—where are you, when is it, and who are you—before asking what to do next? In this episode, Jackie sat down with Tommy Kilpatrick to explore his book, Human Occidental Owner’s Manual, and translate big human questions into practical habits for teachers, creators, and lifelong learners. Using a crisp computer setup analogy, we reset our defaults: location determines time, identity shapes action, and context beats assumptions.

From there, we unpack communication through vivid sports metaphors that actually change how you host conversations. Conver...

Ready to move beyond one-size-fits-all courses? We explore a practical path to adaptive learning that uses the content and tools you already have—no massive rebuilds, no mystery AI required. By focusing on three simple levers—sequence, pacing, and practice—we demonstrate how to direct learners to the right support at the right time and convert feedback into fuel for mastery.

The goal is simple: design smart checkpoints, not clones, and honor learner differences without inflating complexity. If you’re an instructional designer, educator, or L&D leader looking for higher pass rates, faster time to mastery, and more...

Think AI can do everything? We put that assumption under the microscope with AI engineering leader and author Sairam Sundaresan, and walk away with a playbook that’s practical, ethical, and built for real classrooms and design teams. We break down why narrow, well-scoped tasks are where AI shines, how to turn prompting into a repeatable workflow, and what it looks like to treat a model like a new hire you’re onboarding—clear roles, examples, and tight feedback loops.

We dig into the big wins for educators and instructional designers: personalized learning at scale, faster feedback cycles...

AI can feel like a runaway train in classrooms and training programs—powerful, fast, and a little scary. We take the controls and show how to turn generative tools into true co-pilots: clear roles, simple guardrails, and small pilots that free us to focus on coaching, feedback, and real human connection.

You’ll hear role-based examples across K-12, higher education, and corporate learning: differentiated reading passages and exit tickets, outcome-aligned case prompts and quiz banks, and realistic scenario practice plus microlearning nudges for on-the-job performance.

Want to put this into action? Grab the pilot checklist from...

What if a fifth grader could turn a pile of ideas into a clear, grounded paragraph—every time—without leaning on AI? We bring back dyslexia researcher Russell Van Brocklen for part three of our series to show exactly how: start with a hero, a universal theme, and a villain; distill three good reasons into one-word themes; and anchor everything to a real quote. The result is a body paragraph that’s honest, teachable, and repeatable—plus a writing process students can explain step by step.

We also address integrity in the AI era: students must show their pr...