What is instructional design?
At its core, instructional design is the art and science of crafting learning experiences that stick. But it’s so much more than just dumping information on learners and hoping it sinks in (that’s so last century).
At Hungry Minds, we’re the masterminds behind training that doesn’t suck. The learning we create is effective, impactful, and dare we say it – even enjoyable.
By taking a systematic, learner-centred approach, we create programs that are:
- Engaging: We make learning people lean into. Well-designed learning activates minds and sparks curiosity.
- Effective: We ensure that training is focused, practical and aligned with real-world performance needs.
- Efficient: Thoughtful design makes the best use of everyone’s time and energy. No filler, no more wasted hours, no ‘meh’.
- Enjoyable: Great instructional design makes room for creativity, unpredictability and even a little humour.
The end result is training that’s custom-built for the needs of your learners and organisation. No cookie-cutter courses or one-size-fits-all approaches.
And in today’s fast-moving world, where upskilling and reskilling are a constant, that’s more important than ever.
Less ‘house red’, more ‘matched wines’.
Our approach
At Hungry Minds, we’re not just experts in helping humans learn things – we’re also ridiculously good at solving problems. We dig deep to unearth the real challenges, and connect the dots to create learning that drives serious change.
Whether you need to onboard new hires, train teams on new software, develop leadership skills, or anything in between, we’ve got your back. We put on our detective hats and investigate your unique needs, pain points and goals. Then we craft learning solutions that hit the bullseye, every time.
Basically, we make your life easier. We partner with you to craft learning that gets real results. Our not-so-secret weapon is the ADDIE model – a tried-and-true framework that guides our approach.
ADDIE, with extra flavour.
We follow the ADDIE model to guide our work. It is flexible, practical, and helps us deliver learning that is clear, relevant and built for impact.
Analyse
Be curious
First stop, discovery! We’re your learning detectives, mapping out needs.
Design
Be creative
Crafting the blueprint. Think of it as our creative canvas.
Develop
Get pilot-ready
Where magic happens! Merging art with tech for engaging courses.
Implement
Dive in
Ready, set, launch! Seamlessly integrating into your world.
Evaluate
Be reflective
Not just done, we refine and perfect. Tweaking based on your feedback.
With ADDIE as our guide and years of experience under our belts, we’ve helped clients solve all kinds of gnarly learning challenges. The end products vary – from virtual training to bite-sized micro-learning to in-person workshops – but the goal is always the same: to create learning experiences that don’t suck.
Case studies
City of Melton
Hungry Minds designed three accessible eLearning modules on gender equality and family violence for Melton City Council. See the results.
Read article
Food for thought
Bloom’s taxonomy explained: the six levels and what they actually mean at work
Bloom's taxonomy classifies learning by the thinking it demands. We break down the six revised levels, the knowledge dimension and how to apply it at work.
Read articleLearning design turns a business problem into learning that changes behaviour. See what it involves, the process behind it, and how to get it right.
A learning journey spreads learning over time so it actually sticks. See five worked examples, an eight-step design process and what platforms you need.
Cognitive load theory explains why training overwhelms people. The three load types, the effects that matter, and how we apply it to real programs.
Most online courses don't sell, and fewer get finished. Learn how to create an online course with the right design, tech stack, and strategy. Hungry Minds.
AI in learning design speeds up production, but it won't fix poor thinking. See how Hungry Minds deliberately uses AI across every ADDIE model stage.
A high level design blueprints your learning solution before anything gets built. See how Hungry Minds uses HLDs to cut rework and boost outcomes.
A learning needs analysis diagnoses the real performance gap before you build anything. Learn how Hungry Minds runs an LNA – and why it saves you money.
Rise 360 and Storyline 360 are both part of Articulate 360 but built for different things. Find out which tool fits your project, timeline, and learners.
Thinking about becoming an instructional designer? We break down the real differences between a university degree and an industry certificate pathway.