I consulted with a top-selling associate from the industry as my Subject Matter Expert (SME). We worked together to create an action map that listed observable tasks and behaviors the learners would need to engage in to reach the performance-based business goal.

We carefully evaluated each action by considering which would help contribute most to the performance-based business goal. We narrowed it down to two high-priority actions: actively listening to the customer’s needs and approaching customers with friendly communications.

Once the action map was completed and approved, I started designing the blueprint of the eLearning experience through a text-based storyboard. Although there are several possible situations that a sales associate can encounter with a customer, I framed the scenario around helping the customer find a specific item they want to purchase. I included question prompts with correct choices and realistic distractors as the learner goes through the scenario.  The learner receives feedback for an incorrect choice to help them identify how to manage the situation and prompts the learner to go back to try again. I also included a mentor to assist and stimulate the guidance of actual sales associate leaders. 

After it was fully developed and reviewed, the next step was to design the look and feel of the learning experience.

It was exciting to create the mockups because my learning experience started to become more learner-friendly and visually appealing. My main objective was to include scenes that helped tell the story while maintaining a balance of information. I created a style guide to keep fonts, colors, and spacing consistent. Next, I created a slide for each changing scene in my learning experience. I implemented best practices to make a mentor slide, a slide for a situation, and a consequence slide to ensure the design was visually sound.

Once I was satisfied with the mockups and they were reviewed, I started to add functionality to the learning experience.

I developed the prototype to collect feedback on the functionality of the project before developing the whole project. I included several interactive slides with triggers, states, layers, and sound. The prototype also included the first implementation of the customer’s happiness meter, a visual gauge of the customer’s reactions to the learner’s choices.

Once satisfied with my work, I shared it with the learning and development community. The user testing and suggested feedback on the interactive prototype allowed me to improve the learning experience. My feedback revealed many features the users enjoyed and some suggestions that could help make the experience more immersive for the learner. For example, I added a sound check slide to introduce the sound effects.

After I was fully confident with the look and functionality of my prototype, I started to develop the entire eLearning experience.

The process of creating this eLearning experience has provided me with several takeaways:

• Authoring tools: This project allowed me to incorporate advanced interactions in Articulate Storyline by using states, variables, and conditions, which pushed my skill set and knowledge of the authoring tool. I am excited to utilize and continue to grow my skills and knowledge.

• Sound and video inspiration: Although sound effects were minimal in this project, this experience has inspired me to find new ways to implement sound effects in future projects. I’m also eager to explore other authoring tools to continue to upskill and utilize animations and video recordings.

• Appreciation for the ID process: With my background in education,  I am familiar with the ID process. It consists of many steps, feedback loops, and iterations.  It requires a thoughtful mind, an eye for detail, and patience with technology. Some of the steps were more challenging, but I love bringing my vision of this project to life. I am thrilled to continue my ID journey and create more engaging learning experiences.