Building a Scalable eLearning Development Process
Stepping into the role of eLearning Manager for the Educator Learning Center presented a challenge: I was not only the first in-house developer; I was also responsible for building our production process from the ground up.
Previously, the organization relied on a fragmented network of freelance developers. The reliance on rigid PowerPoint storyboards and siloed communications resulted in a final product that lacked visual polish and learner engagement. It became clear that producing high-quality, engaging, and interactive learning modules required a fundamentally different approach. We needed to transition from ad-hoc production to a holistic, replicable system.
Streamlining SME Collaboration
One bottleneck was clear: PowerPoint storyboarding was labor-intensive for our Instructional Designers and SMEs, resulting in slow review cycles and limiting how screen design and interactivity could be communicated. Because developers were largely expected to execute what was documented in the storyboard, the format left little room to explore or refine the visual and interactive experience during development.
Once we pulled the process in-house, we transitioned to a customized Word template, which streamlined content generation and enabled developers to provide direct, inline feedback. To further support our SMEs, we established formal documentation—including a core module framework and comprehensive style guides—ensuring that new contributors could integrate seamlessly and meet our quality expectations from day one.
Improving Development Efficiency
To accelerate the development lifecycle, we designed and engineered a comprehensive library of “builder files”. This inventory of pre-configured interactions—ranging from animated treatments to complex self-checks—allowed SMEs to visually map out interactivity within their storyboards. On the development side, these pre-built triggers and layers drastically reduced production time without sacrificing interactivity or compromising creativity.
Building a Visual Library
While master templates established our baseline brand identity, we recognized that true engagement requires visual uniqueness. We elevated our design standards by producing custom graphics via Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop, alongside tailored short-form video segments. By maintaining a centralized, shared graphics library, we empowered our SMEs to leverage high-quality assets efficiently, ensuring brand consistency without sacrificing bespoke design.
Improving Production Operations
Finally, we optimized our backend operations. For instance, by integrating WellSaid for narration, we significantly reduced both the cost and turnaround time associated with live voice talent. Additionally, we moved linked assets (non-LMS required) that would require on-going updates to a web-server. This ensured that we could update linked content without republishing a learning module. This was paired with a formalized lifecycle tracking process, providing clear visibility from initial storyboard through final SCORM deployment.
Conclusion
By identifying and addressing the major points of friction in our workflow, we created a more consistent production process that improved both the quality of our learning modules and the speed at which we could develop them. Drawing on my background in running a bespoke learning enterprise, this transformation reinforced a vital industry truth: a robust, scalable process is rarely just an operational tool. It is the defining factor between organizational struggle and sustainable success.
