What is Instructional Design?
When you’re new to the world of instructional design, eLearning development, or learning and development in general, it can be overwhelming trying to navigate all of the conflicting definitions, opinions, and hot takes to get a clear understanding of this industry. And so, if you happen to be new to instructional design or exploring the industry for the first time, you’re likely asking yourself some fundamental—but surprisingly complex—questions:
What exactly is instructional design?
What does it mean to be an instructional designer?
What does an instructional designer do?
What purpose does instructional design serve?
What skills are needed to be an instructional designer?
While these questions might seem interchangeable, the reality is far more nuanced. And if you’re like most folks in this industry who fell into instructional design by accident, just like I did 15+ years ago, it’s easy to let all of the conflicting answers and opinions make your head spin.
The truth is, if you were to ask ten different instructional designers what instructional design is and what instructional designers do, you’d end up with eleventy different answers! And this is because very few things are standardized in our industry. As you’ll quickly discover, instructional design is contextual to the organization you work for, the learners you’re serving, and the types of training experiences you’re designing and developing.
So, whether you’re completely brand new to instructional design or exploring it as a potential career path, this guide will walk you through instructional design from multiple angles, provide real-world examples and practical insights, and offer additional resources for further exploration.
Table of Contents
Defining Instructional Design
Instructional design is a field with many interpretations. When I first entered the industry over 15 years ago as a “training coordinator,” I discovered that much of my work was, in essence, instructional design and eLearning development. However, one of the things I’ve noticed during my time working in this industry is that we love to overcomplicate things. And, if you’re new, this is where your head starts to spin.
So, let’s cut straight to the chase on this one! What is instructional design?
Instructional design is the application of evidence-based learning theories, methodologies, models, modalities, processes, and tools to design and develop effective, engaging, and measurable performance-based training experiences or resources.
That’s a pretty straightforward definition, but there’s a lot packed into it and a lot of nuance we need to dig into. And so, in order for us to come to a common understanding of what instructional design is, we have to all be on the same page as to what angle we’re looking at it from.
To fully understand instructional design, we need to look at it from a couple of different perspectives:
Instructional design as a job
Instructional design as practice
Instructional design as a function
Instructional design as a skillset
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Instructional Design as a Job: What Do Instructional Designers Do?
When people first explore a career in instructional design, one of the most common questions they ask is: What do instructional designers actually do?
At first glance, you might expect a simple answer—but in reality, the work of an instructional designer can vary dramatically depending on the organization, the structure of the team, and even the specific learning needs of the audience.
To really understand what instructional designers do, we need to start by looking at where they work, how their teams are organized, and how their responsibilities can change based on their role.
Where Instructional Designers Work
Instructional design is one of those roles that stretches across nearly every industry.
While many instructional designers work within learning and development (L&D) teams focused on employee training, you’ll also find them in higher education, supporting faculty with course design, or even on marketing teams, creating customer education content like product tutorials and how-to guides.
Regardless of the industry, the common thread is the same: instructional designers help create effective learning experiences that help people perform better, learn new skills, or adopt new behaviors.
For the purpose of this article, though, we’ll focus primarily on instructional design within workplace learning—the kind that happens inside organizations to support employee performance and business goals.
How Learning and Development Teams are Structured
Now that you know where instructional designers often work, the next piece to understand is how learning and development teams are structured—because the way a team is set up often determines what instructional designers actually do.
Generally, L&D teams are structured in one of two ways:
Centralized Teams: A single L&D team serves the entire organization, typically sitting within Human Resources. These teams often work on a wide range of initiatives, from onboarding to leadership development to compliance training.
Decentralized Teams: Smaller, specialized L&D teams are embedded within different departments (like sales, customer service, or product teams) and focus on training specific to that function.
Here’s what that looks like in practice:
When I worked as the Director of Instructional Design at GoDaddy, our L&D team was centralized. We were responsible for designing and delivering training across the entire company—supporting new hire onboarding, leadership development programs, engineering training, and more.
However, when I first started my career at Kohl’s Department Stores, things were a little different. There was a centralized team under HR that managed company-wide initiatives like compliance training. But there were also decentralized teams—like the Loss Prevention Training Team and the New Store and Remodel Training Team—focused on very specific business needs.
Each organization structures their teams a little differently, and that structure heavily influences the scope of work an instructional designer might have.
Generalist vs. Specialist Instructional Designers
Because learning and development teams are structured in different ways, instructional designers themselves also tend to fall into two broad categories: generalists and specialists.
Generalists are responsible for managing a wide range of tasks across the entire instructional design process, while specialists typically focus on one specific area, like eLearning development or instructional writing.
To help make this distinction a little clearer, let’s meet two instructional designers: Marc and Siobhan.
Marc: The Generalist Instructional Designer
Marc works on a smaller L&D team. When he’s assigned a new project, he does it all—from conducting the initial needs analysis to designing the training solution, developing materials like eLearning courses or workshops, and even implementing and evaluating the training.
He wears many hats, and his skills are broad and versatile. One day he might be uploading an eLearning course into the LMS, and the next, he’s facilitating a live onboarding session for new employees.
Siobhan: The Specialist Instructional Designer
Siobhan, on the other hand, works on a larger, more specialized team. When a project kicks off, a learning program manager handles the needs analysis and high-level design. Siobhan’s job is to focus on what she does best: developing the actual training materials.
She writes scripts, creates storyboards, and builds digital learning experiences using tools like Articulate Storyline. Once her work is complete, she hands it off to LMS admins or facilitators for deployment.
Even though Marc and Siobhan both have the same title—Instructional Designer—their day-to-day work, responsibilities, and necessary skill sets look very different.
And this leads to an important realization about the instructional design field.
Instructional Design Job Titles Don’t Tell the Full Story
One of the biggest challenges for newcomers to instructional design is understanding that job titles in this industry aren’t standardized. Two people with the same title—Instructional Designer—could have completely different responsibilities depending on the organization they work for and the structure of the learning and development team.
That’s why when we talk about instructional design, it’s not enough to focus only on a title. You have to dig deeper—look at the scope of the work, the team structure, and the type of learning experiences being created.
Ultimately, instructional design isn’t just a job title. It’s about applying learning theories, methodologies, models, modalities, processes, and tools to create effective learning experiences—regardless of what title is printed on your employee HR file.
Because instructional design roles can vary so much from one organization to another, you’ll see a wide variety of job titles in the field. Here are some of the most common examples you might come across:
Instructional Designer: Designs, develops, and implements training programs and learning experiences based on instructional theories and models.
Learning Experience Designer (LXD): Focuses on creating engaging, user-centered learning experiences, often blending instructional design with UX design principles.
eLearning Developer: Specializes in designing and developing interactive digital courses using tools like Articulate Storyline, Rise, or Camtasia.
Training Specialist: Delivers and facilitates training programs, often with a focus on classroom or virtual instruction.
Curriculum Developer: Develops curricula for educational programs, including course structures, content outlines, and learning objectives.
Instructional Technologist: Integrates learning technologies and manages tools like learning management systems (LMS), virtual classrooms, and authoring tools.
Learning Consultant: Advises organizations on learning strategy and helps design high-level learning solutions aligned with business goals.
Learning Architect: Designs the overall structure of a learning program or ecosystem, aligning learning pathways with organizational needs.
Training Coordinator: Manages the logistics and administration of training programs, ensuring courses are scheduled, tracked, and evaluated.
Education Specialist: Typically found in industries like healthcare or nonprofits, focusing on designing educational content for specific audiences.
Content Developer: Creates instructional materials, articles, tutorials, or training guides, often for product education or customer support teams.
As you can see, our industry is full of countless different job titles, most of which are just different words for the same thing. At the end of the day, don’t get too caught up in the exact job title. Focus on reading the job description carefully to understand the actual responsibilities, projects, and skills required. Titles can vary widely across organizations.
So, now that you have a better understanding of what instructional designers do—and how varied their roles can be—it’s time to zoom out even further.
Instructional design isn’t just a job title or a set of responsibilities. It’s a professional practice, built on evidence-based theories, models, methodologies, modalities, and tools that guide how effective learning experiences are created.
Instructional Design as Practice: Theories, Methodologies & Tools Explained
Okie dokie! So now that we’ve explored instructional design as a job, it’s time to shift gears—and look at instructional design as a professional practice. And this is where things get even more important. Remember earlier when we defined instructional design as:
The application of evidence-based learning theories, methodologies, models, modalities, processes, and tools to design and develop effective, engaging, and measurable performance-based training experiences or resources.
That’s a mouthful, I know. But don’t worry—we’re going to break it down into simple, practical pieces. Because while the definition sounds complicated, the concepts behind it are totally learnable.
Let’s start from the top and work our way down.
The Theories: The Foundation of Instructional Design
At the heart of instructional design are learning theories—the big ideas that help us understand how people learn. These theories guide everything we do as instructional designers.
Some of the most important ones you’ll encounter include:
Behaviorism, Cognitivism, and Constructivism: Classic theories that explain how people process information, form memories, and build knowledge.
Andragogy vs. Pedagogy: The difference between teaching adults versus teaching children—and why it matters for how we design training.
Cognitive Load Theory: Helps us design experiences that don’t overwhelm learners and actually support long-term retention.
If that sounds like a lot already, hang tight. Theories are just the starting point. Next comes the bridge between theory and real-world application.
The Methodologies: Turning Theory into Action
If theories are the “why” behind learning, methodologies are the “how.” Methodologies give us practical strategies for applying learning theories to real instructional design projects.
Some of the most important methodologies you’ll learn about include:
Mayer’s Principles of Multimedia Learning
Each of these methodologies offers tools for designing training that’s effective, measurable, and focused on real behavior change—not just information delivery.
The Modalities: Delivering the Learning Experience
Once you understand the theories and methodologies, you’ll need to think about modalities—in other words, how you’re going to deliver the learning experience.
Modalities include everything from:
Instructor-led training workshops
Asynchronous eLearning courses
Virtual instructor-led training (vILT) sessions
Videos, podcasts, and webinars
Job aids and quick reference guides
Coaching and mentoring programs
This is also where strategies like blended learning, microlearning, gamification, role-playing, and scenario-based learning come into play. And, of course, the modality you choose depends on your audience, the content, the project, and the learning outcomes you’re trying to achieve.
The Models: Providing a Project Roadmap
As an instructional designer, you don’t have to invent the wheel every time you start a new project. And that’s where instructional design models come in. Models provide a structured, repeatable process for designing training.
Some of the most widely used models include:
ADDIE (Analyze, Design, Develop, Implement, Evaluate)
SAM (Successive Approximation Model)
Dick and Carey Systems Approach
For example, the ADDIE model outlines the big phases you’ll go through on any training project—from analyzing needs to designing the solution, developing materials, implementing the training, and evaluating the results.
Models keep your projects on track, organized, and consistent.
The Processes: The Day-to-Day Work of Instructional Design
If models are the roadmap, processes are the actual day-to-day work you do as an instructional designer.
Processes include tasks like:
Conducting kickoff meetings with stakeholders and subject matter experts
Building out final deliverables like courses or workshops
Gathering feedback and implementing edits.
Different projects (and different organizations) will emphasize different processes, but these tasks form the backbone of what instructional designers do on a day-to-day basis.
The Tools: Bringing It All to Life
Finally, we have tools—the software and technology you use to actually design and develop learning experiences.
Depending on the type of training you’re creating, you might use:
Microsoft PowerPoint and Word: for instructor-led training materials.
Articulate Storyline or Rise: for interactive eLearning development.
Camtasia: for recording and editing how-to videos.
Learning Management Systems (LMS): like Workday, Cornerstone, or Moodle to host, deliver, and track training.
Project management tools: like Asana, Trello, or Monday.com to manage tasks and timelines.
The tools you use will vary depending on the organization, the project, and the training modality.
And remember: learning new tools is a constant part of working in instructional design. The tech is always evolving—but the foundations of good instructional design stay the same.
Instructional Design as a Function: What Purpose Does It Serve?
Up to this point, we’ve talked about instructional design as a job (the role you might have) and a practice (the combination of theories, models, and tools you apply). Now, it’s time to look at instructional design from another important angle: instructional design as a function inside an organization.
When we talk about function, we’re answering the question:
What purpose does instructional design serve within the organization it operates?
And just like everything else we’ve discussed so far, the function of instructional design can vary depending on the type of organization, the learners it serves, and the kind of training content being created.
The Function of Instructional Design Changes Based on Context
Instructional design isn’t a one-size-fits-all process. The purpose it serves can shift depending on the environment.
For example:
In a higher education setting, instructional designers often work with professors to design and develop educational content that helps students learn the curriculum and progress toward their academic goals.
In a workplace setting, the focus is different. Instructional designers create training experiences that help employees do their jobs better—and ultimately drive better results for the business.
Both environments might use the same tools, models, and learning theories we discussed earlier, but the function they serve is slightly different.
The Two Core Goals of Workplace Instructional Design
When it comes to workplace learning, instructional design serves two main goals:
Meet the needs of your learners: Help them develop the skills, knowledge, and behaviors they need to succeed in their roles.
Meet the needs of your organization and stakeholders: Help the business achieve its goals through improved employee performance.
Sounds simple enough, right? Well, here’s the catch: The needs of your learners and the wants of your stakeholders don’t always align.
Balancing Learner Needs & Stakeholder Wants
One of the biggest challenges new instructional designers face is balancing these two forces.
Stakeholders—whether they’re managers, subject matter experts, or executives—often believe that learners need to know everything about a topic. They might be deeply passionate about their subject area and want to transfer that same level of passion and expertise to every learner.
But most employees don’t need to become subject matter experts to do their jobs well. They simply need the essential skills and knowledge required to perform their role at the desired level of competence.
Let me give you an example: Imagine you’re creating training for new part-time workers at a coffee shop. The stakeholders you’re working with might be experts in coffee. They might know everything about the history of coffee, how it’s harvested, processed, roasted, and brewed.
But do your part-time workers need to know all of that to operate the espresso machine and pour a latte? Probably not. Your job as an instructional designer is to cut through the noise and focus on what employees truly need to know to succeed—and nothing more.
Instructional Design Is About Behavior Change
When I first got started in instructional design, I thought my job was to simply take the information my stakeholders gave me, polish it up, and repackage it as training.
And honestly, that’s a mistake a lot of new instructional designers make. Because while creating content is part of the job, content alone doesn’t create meaningful training.
The true function of instructional design is to drive behavior change. It’s about designing experiences that actually help people do their jobs better—and in turn, help the organization move forward.
If we reduce instructional design to just delivering content, we miss the bigger goal. Content isn’t king. Behavior change is.
And so, instructional design in a workplace setting is about finding the balance between what learners need to succeed and what the organization needs to achieve. It’s not training for training’s sake. It’s about creating learning experiences that close performance gaps, build skills, change behaviors, and ultimately impact business outcomes.
Keeping that bigger picture in mind is what separates a content creator from a true instructional designer.
Instructional Design as a Skillset: What You Need to Succeed?
Over the last few sections, we’ve explored instructional design as a job, a practice, and a function. Now, there’s one last angle to consider—and it’s an important one:
Instructional design as a skillset.
One of the most common questions I hear from people who are new to the field is:
What skills do I need to be an instructional designer?
And honestly? There’s no simple, one-size-fits-all answer. Let me explain why.
Why It’s Hard to List “The Skills” of an Instructional Designer
If you’ve been following along, you already know that nothing in this industry is standardized—not job titles, not team structures, and not even the types of projects instructional designers work on.
Remember how we talked about:
How your role can vary depending on whether you’re a generalist or specialist?
How the practice of instructional design involves different theories, methodologies, models, and tools?
How the function of instructional design shifts based on the needs of the organization?
All of those variables shape the skillset you’ll need.
That’s why asking “What skills do I need to be an instructional designer?” is a bit like asking “What skills do I need to be a photographer?”
Well, what kind of photographer are you talking about? A wedding photographer needs very different skills compared to a landscape photographer—even though they both use a camera.
It’s exactly the same in instructional design. There are core skills that most instructional designers share—but the specifics depend heavily on the type of projects you’re working on and the needs of your organization.
Core Skills Every Instructional Designer Needs
No matter where you work or what kind of training you create, there are some fundamental skills you’ll likely need as an instructional designer:
Communication skills: Working with stakeholders, SMEs, and learners.
Analytical skills: Conducting needs assessments and solving performance problems.
Design skills: Creating effective, engaging learning experiences.
Project management skills: Managing timelines, deliverables, and collaboration.
Technology skills: Using authoring tools, LMSs, and other digital platforms.
Learning theory skills: Understanding how people learn and applying that to training design.
But beyond that, the specific skills you’ll need depend on your role. So, to understand that, let’s revisit the two instructional designers we met earlier: Marc and Siobhan.
Marc (the Generalist): Marc owns projects from start to finish. He needs a broad skillset that covers everything from needs analysis, design, and development to project management, stakeholder communication, and even LMS administration.
Siobhan (the Specialist): Siobhan focuses primarily on eLearning development. She needs deep expertise in writing storyboards, visual design, multimedia development, and technical skills for building eLearning courses.
Both Marc and Siobhan need strong instructional design foundations—but the day-to-day skills they use are very different based on their specialization.
Your Skillset Will Evolve Based on Your Path
Here’s the biggest takeaway I want you to remember:
Because every instructional design job is different, the skills you need will always be contextual to the role, the team, and the types of learning experiences you’re creating.
Some roles will require you to be a jack-of-all-trades. And others will ask you to go deep in a specialized area like eLearning development, facilitation, or learning strategy. Because whether you use every piece in your next job or not, having a broad understanding of the full landscape will set you up for long-term success.
Recommended Instructional Design Books
So, now that you have a solid understanding of what instructional design is, how we define instructional design, and what instructional designers do, reading some of the best books on instructional design can help you solidify your foundation even more. Here are a few recommended instructional design books to get you started:
Design for How People Learn by Julie Dirksen
A beginner-friendly guide that explains how to create learning experiences that actually work. Highly readable and packed with practical advice.
Map It: The Hands-On Guide to Strategic Training Design by Cathy Moore
Learn how to design training that solves real business problems (not just delivers information). Cathy Moore’s Action Mapping approach is a must-know for workplace instructional designers.
eLearning and the Science of Instruction by Ruth Clark and Richard Mayer
A research-backed guide to designing effective digital learning. Essential if you’re interested in eLearning development.
The Accidental Instructional Designer by Cammy Bean
A relatable and down-to-earth book for those who find themselves “accidentally” working in instructional design. A great real-world perspective.
Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning by Peter Brown, Henry Roediger, and Mark McDaniel
Not specifically about instructional design, but an excellent resource on how people truly learn—and how you can design training that sticks.
What’s Next?
Now that you have a clear understanding of what instructional design is and why it’s so important, what’s next? Mastering instructional design is about more than just understanding the definition—it’s about building the skills, knowledge, and practical experience you need to design learning solutions that drive real results. The best place to start is by exploring the fundamental theories, models, and methodologies that shape how we design and deliver effective training.
Here are more resources to help you continue your journey into the world of instructional design:
Instructional Design Methodologies:
Instructional Design Models:
The Bottom Line
If you’re still here and reading, congrats—you’ve just taken a huge step toward understanding what instructional design really is! Whether you’re exploring a new career path or building on the skills you already have, the world of instructional design is full of exciting opportunities to help people learn, grow, and succeed.
The best part? You don’t need to have it all figured out today. Keep learning, keep practicing, and remember: every great instructional designer started exactly where you are right now.
Frequently Asked Questions About Instructional Design
Is instructional design a good career?
Yes! Instructional design is a fast-growing and rewarding field, offering opportunities across industries like corporate training, education, healthcare, nonprofits, and tech. Instructional designers use creativity, problem-solving, and learning science to help people grow their skills and organizations achieve their goals.
Do you need a degree to become an instructional designer?
Not necessarily. While some jobs require a degree, many employers prioritize hands-on skills, real-world experience, and portfolio projects over formal education. Many successful instructional designers come from backgrounds like teaching, training, or communications…and even from catching shoplifters, like myself!
What skills do instructional designers need?
Core skills include communication, project management, instructional design theory, writing, visual design, and technology skills (like authoring tools and LMS platforms). The specific skills you need will depend on the type of role you pursue.
What tools do instructional designers use?
Popular tools include Articulate Storyline, Rise 360, Camtasia, Vyond, Adobe Creative Cloud (Photoshop, Illustrator), Microsoft PowerPoint, Trello, Asana, and LMS platforms like Workday, Cornerstone, or Moodle.
How do I become an instructional designer with no experience?
Start by learning the basics of instructional design and building sample projects to showcase your skills. Create a portfolio, network with real-world practitioners, and apply for entry-level roles where you can grow your experience.
What industries hire instructional designers?
Instructional designers work in many industries, including corporate training, healthcare, technology, higher education, government, nonprofits, financial services, and retail. Anywhere people need to learn new skills, there’s often a need for instructional design.
What’s the difference between instructional design and eLearning development?
Instructional design focuses on analyzing learning needs, designing solutions, and creating effective learning experiences. eLearning development is a subset of instructional design that focuses specifically on building digital, interactive online courses using tools like Storyline, Rise, or Camtasia.
Can teachers transition into instructional design?
Absolutely. Many instructional designers start their careers as teachers. Skills like curriculum design, classroom management, lesson planning, and learner engagement transfer well to instructional design—especially with some additional upskilling in workplace training needs and tools.
Is instructional design the same as learning experience design (LXD)?
They are closely related. Learning experience design (LXD) emphasizes a learner-centered, holistic view of creating learning experiences, often blending UX (user experience) design principles with traditional instructional design practices. The terms are sometimes used interchangeably, but LXD tends to focus more on the emotional and user journey aspects of learning. With that said, good instructional design is learning experience design!
Do instructional designers work remotely?
Yes! Instructional design is a very remote-friendly career. Many instructional designers work from home either full-time or part-time, especially when designing and developing digital learning content.
What certifications are useful for instructional designers?
Certifications aren’t always required, but some professionals pursue credentials like ATD’s APTD or CPTD certifications, or certificates in instructional design or eLearning development from universities or private organizations. Practical skills and a strong portfolio usually matter more than certifications.
How long does it take to become an instructional designer?
It varies. Some people transition into instructional design within 6–12 months by building their skills and portfolio, while others take a few years, especially if they are balancing the transition with full-time work or additional education.
What’s the salary for an instructional designer?
Salaries vary depending on experience, industry, and location. According to industry reports, the average salary for instructional designers in the U.S. typically ranges between $65,000 to $95,000 per year, with more experienced or specialized roles earning higher salaries.