So, you want to be an ID?

What is Instructional Design? Is it a science or an art? Can we define it and quantify it? Probably not, but I am going to try. 

As with anything else, when you start out as a rookie Instructional Designer ( or ID), you wonder if you're doing things right. You want a manual on how to do all kinds of weird things that you never imagined yourself doing. I mean let's face it, did any of us dream of being an ID growing up? I still wonder how I ended up here. But, instructional design let's me do a lot of different things that I love. Like figuring out how things work and then seeing if they can be done better. Or, asking a lot of pesky questions to people who don't always have all the answers. It let's me write on an enormous number of subjects (and pretend to sound like an expert). It let's me experiment with sound and visuals, create cartoons and tell stories. And it gives me a captive audience for all my (not so brilliant) doodling and rambling. And best of all, there is no "right way" in instructional design, so I'm certainly not doing things wrong. 

So, if you're new at this, stick around if you love shades of grey. If you're a black and white kind of person, you'd probably be happier somewhere else. If you do decide that this job is for you, you'll always have the chance to learn and to get better. You'll read about a million theories and models, but take them with a pinch of salt. Nothing is absolute and we all know theories and models get disproved everyday. I have a few time-tested rules that I live by, some of which have been handed down by "gurus" and some that I've come up with on my own. I'll share them with you on this blog and please feel free to share your experiences as well, so I can learn from you.

Let's start by talking about what it takes to be a great ID. Here are some of the things that have held me in good stead:

1. Be curious and eager to learn about everything. You don't have to be a genius, just persistent. 
2. Don't be afraid to ask questions. You will always come across as an idiot initially and most Subject Matter Experts (or SMEs) will treat you like a buffoon. Once, they see how quickly you learn and how thoroughly you do your homework, that condescension will convert into admiration.
3. Do your homework. Never walk into a meeting unprepared. And if you do, keep your mouth shut and do your best to look intelligent. 
4. Always listen to what others have to say before you open you mouth. And don't just keep your mouth shut, keep an open mind.
5. Look at things from the perspective of the SME and the client. They have a problem and you're here to fix it. Don't make up your mind about anything until you've spent a couple of weeks interacting with these people.
6. Once you do make up your mind, be firm. Most SMEs would like to share everything that they know with the learners. Be patient, it's great that these experts are willing to share all their knowledge so freely.
7. Learn to take control. You decide what goes in and what stays out, not them. To be able to do this, you have to have a clear idea of what the solution will look like.
8. Think, ponder. An instructional designer, indeed any designer, should spend more time thinking about the solution and less time creating it. If you haven't thought things through, the end result will be a mess.
9. Once you have come up with a solution, do your best to sell it. Don't just insist that they take it or leave it, you have to show them why it will work. Talk about each characteristic of the solution and link it to a need.
10. Be meticulous about the details, but not an obsessive perfectionist. (I struggled with this for a long time.) Always keep your mind on the big picture and don't waste time and energy on unimportant details.
11. Work in a team. A lot of great IDs I know, prefer to work in isolation and after you've put in a few years, I suppose you'll be able to pull it off too. But, at the beginning of your career, you need to see if the words you've written actually convey the meaning that you want them to and if the illustrations you've come up with work for everyone. 
12. Learn how to write well. This is the most basic skill that you must have if you are to survive.