About Me
Storyteller, Writer, & Learner
At heart, I am a storyteller, writer, and a learner. This began at an early age, when my mom helped me self-publish my original stories and illustrations using scrap pieces of printboard and hole-punched pages.
From these humble beginnings, I honed my craft through my youth, publishing works in literary magazines and independent journals, and reading poetry at art galleries. I studied journalism and would eventually get an MFA in creative nonfiction.
Writing may have launched my career (technical and web content) but learning has always been a driving factor. Learning a new skill, highlighting information in a unique way; recreating myself by translating concepts into new knowledge or identity.
Facilitator & Presenter (A Backstory)
Taking three years away from corporate life in the mid-aughts, I studied Chinese and taught English in western China and returned home with a passion for travel, story, and design. Working for a global travel company (Expedia.com) I prepared executive level presentations and told engineering and innovation stories in visuals and digestible installments.
Curiosity, more than career aspirations, lead me to explore instructional design. I wanted to build an online game as our traditional “Christmas Game” architected for my daughters. Through weeks of “trial and error” I learned enough in Articulate Storyline to produce an Avengers Endgame themed scavenger hunt that included virtual interactive activities, and “instructor (dad) led” exercises. Each phase of the curriculum eked out new clues for the learners, culminating in an ultimate RL prize (movie tickets).
Building that first “course” through experiential learning established a firm foundation in instructional design.
Learning Designer
From those humble beginnings, I continued to explore the intersection of my interests and job skills. Using storytelling, teaching, and design, I gained job experience, knowledge, and credentials as a learning designer at some of the top global companies (Expedia, Amazon, Redfin, Block / Square) Pretty lucky for me! I worked on interesting projects related to digital accessibility, leadership and influence, sales enablement, and emotional intelligence. Through interactive, blended, and multi-media solutions, I built solutions that usually exceeded expectations. Sounds braggy.
Date-Driven, User-Centered Design
From my earliest career experiences within a User Experience team, I have continued to espouse a design methodology that keeps the user (“learner”) at the heart and center of the work. To me this means following the KISS method (keep it simple, ‘silly’), paying close attention to cognitive load and ease of usability, and respecting learner motivation and pre-knowledge. These considerations are always weighed against needs of the business, and driven and informed by data and experimentation.
Affective Context Model (To a Degree)
My design approach is heavily influenced by the affective context model and neuroscience that explains how and why people learn. Creating significance for the learner (through utility, context-rich experiences, and pragmatism) and emotional connection (a sense of urgency, a story arc, and memorable scenarios) falls on the shoulder of the learning experience designer. At times affective context (leading to skill development) must be balanced against time to market, business metrics and expectations. In such cases a highly useful resource suffices over an elaborate experience. Good LXDs know how and when to apply the optimal solution to the circumstance.
On the Personal Side
Storytelling is one part of the story. While I enjoy learning design, it is not really my WHY. My WHY is my family. I have been happily married for more than 20 years now and raised two daughters who recently graduated (with honors) from top colleges. We enjoy international travel, films, music and art together; we are often found exploring the beauty of our home in the Pacific Northwest relishing in good nature, good food, good drink, and good friends.
I read a lot of fiction and nonfiction. I geek out on board games. My current creative project says a lot about me: I am watching every Nicolas Cage film he ever made and writing a review of each. You can follow that WATC(H) journey here.