Every profession codifies a short-hand for the complex things it does. Sometimes these short-hand phrases break the confines of the profession. At times, this serves to educate, and in others, it oversimplifies valuable work to the point that it disrespects the profession.
In the Learning & Development (L&D) field, an example of the latter is each time instructional designers say they will “make it pretty,” referring to a course. Even worse, when this phrase is asked of us because we are seen as course beauticians rather than experience creators and insight facilitators. We must stop putting ourselves down and cease blazing a trail for others to view us in this inadequate light.
Pretty Enough
Industry sentiment is mixed about the degree of importance beautiful presentations play in learning engagement and effectiveness. According to Train Like a Champion, “1 out of 3 employees say that ‘uninspiring content’ is a barrier to learning.” The absence of a pleasant design leaves learners bored, frustrated and disengaged. If the visuals are painful enough, learners will simply drop off and abandon learning. If the content requires too much mental energy to view and grasp, how can one attempt to learn? L&D professionals do not want anyone to jump through hoops to learn. We want to present content in as polished and streamlined way as possible so that an end-user can “get in, (have fun,) get out and move on” to applying what they learn.
With this said, I must underscore that gorgeous content made by niche and expensive tools is not necessary. A well-designed PowerPoint or a focused use of the core functions available in course authoring tools is sufficient. Perfection is the enemy of good. Consider the rise of novice-made DIY videos posted to YouTube. The lighting may be off, the camera unsteady or the audio imperfect, yet if the core concepts can be readily understood, then it’s effective. Anyone can teach someone something. Cinematographers, professional animators and voice actors are not needed. Instructional designers build upon the foundational tenets of good presentation design all professionals should use to convey knowledge, engage learners and motivate practice.
A careful balance is needed to be “pretty enough.” Draw learners in, make it easy to learn but do not fret if every course is not reminiscent of a Pixar short.
There’s That Word Again….
Pretty, pretty, pretty….is it out of my system yet?? After many attempts, I simply cannot shake this phrase! I have searched for a similarly succinct means of expressing the need to have visuals that draw learners in and engage them in their development; however, I have come up empty. The frustrating “make it pretty” nomenclature continues to roll off my tongue. Each time, I reduce my professional worth….madness!
Then, it hit me – rather than adopt an unnatural expression, I am going to reclaim and redefine the perceived meaning of “make it pretty.” In the development of the following acronym, what stood out to me was that this was the true L&D meaning of “pretty” to begin with. A homecoming, a hard look in the mirror and a greater sense of self… Instead of running from the word “pretty,” I am now going to lean into it. I hope my fellow L&D professionals will as well.
Don’t Reinvent the Wheel, Take Hold of It….& Make It Pretty
If you hear an L&D professional say, “make it pretty,” what we really mean is we are working to make courses and programs:
P – Polished
R – Retention-focused
E – Engaging
T – Timely
T – Time-efficient
Y – Yield results
Polished: While much can be gleamed from “quick and dirty” real-time lessons in the trenches, out of respect for you, we strive to give our best. We wish to rise to the occasion (and often venue) and remove any barriers from you heeding the insights.
Retention-focused: The Forgetting Curve (insert) is daunting. L&D professionals know that a sizable percentage of what we do will be immediately forgotten. However, what keeps us motivated is the drive to beat the odds and if we “shoot for the moon but land among the stars,” at the very least, we have shown ourselves to be a valuable resource for learning to which we hope you will return. Teaching someone how to fish gives us infinitely more thrill than feeding someone once.
Engaging: We like to have fun and know you do as well. Beyond fun, we know that learning is more effective and higher retention is achieved when learners interact with the content with colleagues. The goofy things we have you do and the seemingly impossible or awkward discussion questions we pose have purpose.
Timely: Relevance and sustainability are critical because our time is limited and extending the overall life of a course enables us to spend more time building additional courses rather than revisiting the same one. Visuals that feel dated can bias the learner into thinking the content is dated and inaccurate. Finally, we are mindful that courses should be as diverse as the learners who will engage with them. We want our visuals and case studies to feel approachable and inclusive.
Time-efficient: Every organization can and should calculate the average cost per hour for an employee to spend time learning and then, work to ensure that each minute spent learning has a return on investment. As the saying goes, time is money. Learners hate feeling like their time is being misused or abused. Brevity is needed. If each course is efficient, then one’s precious training time can be spent covering additional subjects, multiplying the learnings and ultimate results.
Yield-results: In a business context, learning for the sake of learning falls flat. There must be purpose, outcome and benefit. While measuring results can be a challenge, it is a needed and worthwhile pursuit. The industry is shifting away from “butts in seats” measurements in favor of competency development, promotion readiness, employee retention and culture and engagement gains. When L&D professionals can prove the worth of their programs, we are seen as strategic value-adds to the business that are trustworthy with additional time, resource and funding allocations. When organizations invest in learning, everyone wins – employees, leaders, executives and customers.
To the Point
Thanks for speaking my language! Pretty instructional design makes all the difference. Do not settle for less. Your learners and organization deserve authentic, well-constructed beauty. The strategic core will be seen and experienced on its “pretty” face.
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