How to Become an Instructional Designer: The Complete Guide

As digital learning continues to reshape classrooms, corporate training rooms, and even onboarding programs, one role stands quietly at the center of it all: the instructional designer.

But…

What is an instructional designer?
What does an instructional designer do day-to-day?

If you’re curious about becoming one, this blog is your complete roadmap, covering everything from curriculum design basics to certifications, portfolios, and the instructional design models you’ll use in the real world.

What Is an Instructional Designer?

Think of an instructional designer as the person behind the scenes who makes learning easier, smarter, and actually useful.

They create things like:

But it’s not just about putting content together, it’s about knowing how people learn best and building experiences around that.

What Does an Instructional Designer Do?

Think about the last time you had to pick up a new software at work, or took an online course that actually made sense from start to finish. That’s the work of an instructional designer. They don’t just throw information at you, they:

  • Organize it in the right order
  • Break it into bite-sized pieces
  • Add visuals, videos, or practice tasks
  • Make it engaging
  • Ensure you retain and apply what you’ve learned

Instead of designing buildings, the instructional designer designs the structure of knowledge, step by step, layer by layer, so it sticks.

Helping new employees get up to speed, designing a high school course, building a SaaS training portal, and even mapping out the full curriculum behind it all, instructional designers make learning work. They're the behind-the-scenes experts who ensure everything flows, makes sense, and helps people learn in any setting.

What Is Curriculum Design?

Curriculum design is the process of planning, organizing, and structuring educational content to help learners achieve specific learning goals or outcomes.

If it’s a 6-week onboarding program or a full-year course, curriculum design gives the learning experience a clear:

  • Purpose (why we’re learning)
  • Path (how we’ll get there)
  • Pace (when & in what order)

It’s about making learning intentional, not random.

What Does A Curriculum Design Include?

A well-designed curriculum isn’t just a bunch of topics thrown together. It includes four key elements:

  1. Learning Objectives

What should the learner know or be able to do by the end of the course or program?
These are clear, measurable goals like:

“By the end of this module, learners will be able to create a responsive webpage using HTML and CSS.”
  1. Instructional Activities

These are the methods used to teach, such as:

  • Videos
  • Live workshops
  • Quizzes
  • Group projects
  • Simulations

The goal? To engage learners and reinforce each objective.

  1. Assessment Methods

This includes:

  • Pre/post quizzes
  • Capstone projects
  • Case studies
  • Peer reviews
  • Real-world tasks
  1. Evaluation Metrics

This is where we look at what worked and what didn’t.

  • Did learners perform well?
  • Were the objectives realistic?
  • Did the course meet business or educational goals?

This helps refine and improve the curriculum over time.

Example:

Let’s say you’re designing a customer success training program for a SaaS company. Your curriculum might look like this:

Step Example
🎯 Learning Objective Explain the full onboarding process to new customers.
🧠 Activity Watch a walkthrough video + join a role-play session
📝 Assessment Pass a quiz + complete a mock onboarding session
📈 Evaluation Compare pre/post performance scores + customer feedback

What Are Instructional Design Models?

Instructional design models are step-by-step frameworks that help instructional designers plan, build, and evaluate learning experiences.

These models:

  • Add structure to your course development
  • Help you align learning objectives with outcomes
  • Ensure your course is learner-centric and measurable

ADDIE Model

Phases: Analyze → Design → Develop → Implement → Evaluate

This is the most commonly used and flexible model in both corporate and academic settings.

Breakdown:

  • Analyze: Identify learners’ needs, existing knowledge, learning gaps, and the context.
  • Design: Define learning objectives, content structure, assessment methods, and delivery formats.
  • Develop: Create the course materials, slides, videos, eLearning modules, quizzes, etc.
  • Implement: Launch the training program, upload to LMS, schedule classes, and invite learners.
  • Evaluate: Gather feedback and assess effectiveness. Then tweak the content if needed.

Best for: Structured teams, long-term training programs, blended or online learning courses.

SAM (Successive Approximation Model)

Focus: Rapid design + iterative feedback

Unlike ADDIE, SAM is non-linear and encourages quick prototyping, ideal for fast-paced teams and Agile projects.

How it works:

  • Start with a rough prototype of your learning module.
  • Share it with stakeholders and gather quick feedback.
  • Refine and repeat the process until it’s polished.

SAM works in loops, so you’re constantly improving rather than waiting until the end to evaluate.

Best for: Tech companies, startups, Agile teams, or rapid content development environments.

Dick and Carey Model

Focus: Systems-based + measurable objectives

This model views instruction as a system of interconnected components, where everything from content to assessments works together to achieve a goal.

Key features:

  • Breaks down content into measurable chunks
  • Builds in constant assessments
  • Uses feedback loops to fine-tune content

Best for: Compliance training, academic programs, or any scenario where measurable outcomes are crucial.

Kemp Design Model

Focus: Learner-centered + flexible

Kemp takes a non-linear and modular approach. You can start from any point and adjust based on your learners' needs and content complexity.

What makes it unique:

  • It considers learner characteristics, learning environment, and delivery methods
  • Allows instructional designers to build customized, adaptive learning paths

Best for: Complex training projects, personalized learning, or courses with multiple audience types.

Gagné’s Nine Events of Instruction

Robert Gagné developed 9 essential steps to facilitate effective learning:

  1. Gain attention
  2. Inform learners of objectives
  3. Stimulate recall of prior knowledge
  4. Present new content
  5. Provide learning guidance
  6. Elicit performance (practice)
  7. Give feedback
  8. Assess performance
  9. Enhance retention & transfer

Best for: Creating logical, learner-friendly flow, especially in webinars, lectures, or video courses.

Kirkpatrick’s Model of Evaluation

Focuses on measuring the effectiveness of your training program on 4 levels:

  1. Reaction – How did learners feel about the training?
  2. Learning – What did they learn?
  3. Behavior – Are they applying what they learned?
  4. Results – Has it improved business outcomes?

Best for: Reporting training ROI to stakeholders or leadership.

Mayer’s Principles of Multimedia Learning

Richard Mayer outlined evidence-based guidelines to help learners retain information when using multimedia.

Some key principles:

  • Coherence: Remove unnecessary words, images, or sounds.
  • Modality: Use narration instead of on-screen text.
  • Redundancy: Avoid saying AND displaying the same text.
  • Segmenting: Break content into smaller, digestible parts.

Best for: Designers working with videos, animations, or interactive content.

Instructional Design Models at a Glance:

Model Focus Best For
ADDIE Structured, flexible Any learning program
SAM Iterative prototyping Fast-paced projects
Dick & Carey Measurable objectives Academic or compliance training
Kemp Learner-centric, modular Complex/multilingual learning
Gagné’s Events Learner engagement Webinars, video courses
Kirkpatrick Evaluation ROI tracking
Mayer’s Principles Multimedia learning eLearning & video content

How BrainCert Helps Aspiring Instructional Designers

Becoming an instructional designer takes more than just theory, you need the right tools to apply what you learn, build real-world content, and showcase your skills. That’s where BrainCert comes in.

BrainCert isn’t just another LMS, it’s an All-in-one platform designed to empower instructional designers at every stage of their journey, from beginner to pro.

1. Build Real Courses; No Coding Required

With BrainCert’s drag-and-drop course builder, you can easily:

  • Create SCORM-compliant courses
  • Add interactive content: PDFs, videos, quizzes, flashcards, and HTML5 elements
  • Structure lessons using modules, pre-requisites, and learning paths

This gives aspiring IDs a real playground to:

  • Apply instructional design models like ADDIE or SAM
  • Practice curriculum design and content sequencing
  • Simulate full-blown eLearning courses for their portfolios

2. Master Assessments & Feedback Loops

Instructional design is all about ensuring knowledge transfer. BrainCert supports this with:

  • Smart tests and quizzes (auto-graded, randomized questions, timed tests)
  • Gamification (badges, points, and leaderboards to keep learners motivated)
  • Post-course evaluations & feedback forms

This helps you learn how to:

  • Design measurable learning outcomes
  • Evaluate learner progress using the Kirkpatrick Model
  • Optimize courses based on real analytics

3. Host Live Training, Webinars, or Virtual Classrooms

Want to add blended learning to your portfolio?

With BrainCert, you can:

  • Run live instructor-led sessions using the built-in Virtual Classroom
  • Schedule webinars with custom branding & registration pages
  • Record sessions and reuse them as microlearning content

Perfect for IDs experimenting with synchronous and asynchronous learning models, and for showing clients/employers you can do both.

4. Earn Industry-Ready Certifications

BrainCert Academy offers certification tracks for:

  • LMS administration
  • Instructional design best practices
  • eLearning content creation

If you're looking to upskill or add credentials to your LinkedIn/resume, these certifications signal that you’re ready for real-world roles.

5. Test Industry Tools in One Place

Unlike juggling multiple apps, BrainCert brings everything together:

  • Course authoring
  • Virtual classrooms
  • Assessment tools
  • eCommerce for course monetization
  • Learning analytics dashboard
  • Role-based access and learner management

As an aspiring instructional designer, you’ll learn how to manage entire training ecosystems without needing to rely on IT teams or third-party integrations.

6. Iterate & Improve With Data

BrainCert gives you actionable insights through:

That means you can refine your learning materials just like a pro, following data-driven instructional strategies.

Why BrainCert?

Feature Benefit for Aspiring Instructional Designers
Drag-and-drop builder Practice real instructional design workflows
Assessments & gamification Learn to evaluate learning outcomes
Live class & webinar tools Experiment with blended & flipped models
Built-in certifications Add proof of skills to your portfolio
Analytics Apply continuous improvement strategies
Unified platform One place to learn, build, teach, and iterate

Start Designing Learning That Works

with BrainCert

Book a Live Demo

How to Become an Instructional Designer in 2025

Instructional design is booming, and if you're coming from teaching, tech, HR, or straight-up curiosity, here’s how to break into it — step by step.

Step 1: Get Clear on the Role

Don’t just jump because it sounds good. Spend time actually exploring what instructional designers do.
Here’s how:

  • Binge a few YouTube videos (search: "day in the life of an instructional designer")
  • Read blogs
  • Tune into podcasts like Dear Instructional Designer or The eLearning Coach

Your goal here? Make sure the role aligns with your interests, not just the salary.

Step 2: Learn the Foundations

Time to build your skill set. You don’t need a degree, just focus on these core areas:

  • Instructional Design Models (ADDIE, SAM, Gagné’s Events…)
  • Learning Psychology & Adult Learning Theories
  • Curriculum & Assessment Planning
  • Authoring Tools: Learn to use tools like:
    • Articulate 360
    • Adobe Captivate
    • BrainCert's course + test builder (super beginner-friendly!)

Start with free/low-cost courses and gradually upgrade.

Step 3: Build a Starter Portfolio

This is your golden ticket. You don’t need a client, just a bit of creativity.

Start with 2–3 mini-projects like:

  • A sample course outline
  • A storyboard that shows flow & structure
  • A simple interactive module using tools like BrainCert, Rise, or Google Slides

Step 4: Consider Getting Certified

While not mandatory, certifications boost your credibility and confidence.

Here are a few to check out:

  • ATD Instructional Design Certificate
  • CPLP (Certified Professional in Learning & Performance)
  • BrainCert Academy Certifications, perfect if you're building LMSs or eLearning content

Not all hiring managers care about certificates, but some do. So, choose based on your goals.

Step 5: Apply Smart + Start Networking

Once your portfolio is ready, start putting yourself out there, even if it's scary.

  • Optimize your LinkedIn with keywords like “eLearning designer,” “curriculum developer,” or “instructional designer.”
  • Engage in ID communities on Reddit, Slack, or Facebook groups
  • Explore job boards:

Not seeing results right away? Offer to volunteer, freelance, or intern for small projects. It builds both trust + testimonials.

To Conclude

From a teacher looking to pivot, a creative thinker who loves to teach, or a corporate trainer ready to grow, 2025 is the perfect year to become an instructional designer

And if you're looking for an all-in-one platform to create, test, and deliver your learning content, BrainCert is built just for you. Explore live classrooms, assessments, SCORM tools, and analytics, everything you need to design smarter learning experiences.

So, ready to build your first instructional design project?

Start your BrainCert journey today, and bring learning to life.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a instructional designer?
An instructional designer creates learning materials based on how people absorb and retain knowledge best.
💡What does an instructional designer do daily?
They plan, design, develop, test, and revise educational experiences such as courses or training.
💰How much do instructional designers make?
Salaries for instructional designers vary based on experience, industry, and location.
📘What’s curriculum design?
It’s the process of structuring educational content to meet specific learning goals and outcomes.
📊What are the 4 instructional design models?
ADDIE, SAM, Dick & Carey, and Kemp, each offers a framework to guide content development.
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