A Career in Instructional Design

Answer 1

An instructional designer is mainly responsible for the training and development of designers. They will analyze customer product knowledge and identify training needs. They also update and improve existing training solutions.

Answer 2

Instructional designers are needed in many fields these days. These training and education specialists work as independent contractors or as regular employees of the companies that require their services.

What do instructional designers do?

Instructional designers are responsible for creating the content that is used for training or education purposes within an organization. This includes both online and print materials. Typically, instructional designers work closely with subject matter experts, trainers and project managers to ensure that the content they are creating will serve organization’s needs.

What do instructional designers need to know?

Since the content they create is used by an organization’s employees (and sometimes their clients), instructional designers must have an understanding of how adults learn and retain information. They also need to know how to present information in an interesting and accessible way. They must also know how to work with various types of software that can assist them in creating clear, accessible content. Some of the most commonly used types of software include Articulate and Captivate.

What skills do instructional designers need to have?

Instructional designers need to be able to work well (and efficiently) with other people. They need to be organized and adhere to agreed upon deadlines so that the project progresses in a timely manner. Instructional designers must have excellent oral and written communication skills. They must have good analytical thinking and problem-solving skills. Since instructional designers are often responsible for creating or sourcing visual material to accompany text, they need to be creative and resourceful.