The Visual Lounge

Anastasia McCune, an Instructional Designer, talks about the power of interactive videos in training. She explains how interactive scenarios help viewers practice lessons better. She discusses her process for designing eLearning experiences and shares examples of successful projects. The episode highlights the importance of incorporating interactive elements in videos for learning purposes.

Jonathan Halls, President of Jonathan Halls LLC, shares tips on video training, reflecting on his TV background and common video misconceptions. He discusses provoking learning with videos, the importance of polish, and the three principles of training video creation. Halls also explores the role of purpose, polish, and professionalism in enhancing video training outcomes.

As the saying goes, “a picture is worth a thousand words.” Visuals are a quick, efficient, and effective way of getting your message across, so your audience understands and retains key information. But how do you create effective visuals? In this episode of The Visual Lounge, we welcome back Mike Parkinson, keynote speaker and trainer, Principal of 24 Hour Company, and Owner of Billion Dollar Graphics. Mike gives an in-depth look at how you can tap into the nature of the human brain to create the best visuals. We hear how to work with the automatic and manual sides of our brains to deliver information effectively.He explains his step-by-step process, starting with goals and audience to working out your means and motivators – all before you even start thinking about how your visuals will look. For a masterclass in creative visuals and visual messaging, don’t miss this episode!Learning points from the episode include:00:00 – 01:55 Introduction01:55 – 02:54 Mike’s tip for making images better02:54 – 06:21 Why should you deliver your message in visual form06:21 – 09:27 How to start crafting your message09:27 – 14:00 Tying messages to emotions to engage people14:00 – 17:16 Means and motivators in your messaging17:16 – 22:05 Taking chunks of information and turning it into a story22:05 – 24:24 How to convey a message visually24:24 – 26:14 The benefits of following a clear process26:14 – 29:45 Why AI can be a “smart start” but not a replacement for creatives29:45 – 33:50 Speed round questions 33:50 – 34:32 Mike’s final take on using visuals 34:32 – 35:27 OutroImportant links and mentions:Connect with Mike on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-parkinson-bb364/Follow Mike on X: https://twitter.com/Mike_ParkinsonFollow Mike on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikeparkinson_bdg/Mike Parkinson and Billion Dollar Graphics YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRDQaYfze62MYQ_CO5rjo1wBillion Dollar Graphics: https://billiondollargraphics.com/

What makes great educational content? We dig into the anatomy (quite literally) of what makes a successful video in this episode with Taim Dawod, a recently graduated medical doctor who found success on YouTube. Taim began his channel as a way to learn and remember information in med school, but quickly realized that he wasn’t the only one benefiting from his videos…The Taim Talks Med YouTube channel has built a following of over 150k subs with hundreds of videos on anatomy. What started as a channel of humble presentations for his own benefit has grown into a library of engaging and helpful animated medical lectures. We hear about his journey from med school to media and the process he uses to craft each video. Learning points from the episode include:00:00 – 01:40 Introduction01:40 – 02:46 One tip for creating videos 02:46 – 06:30 Why Taim started a YouTube channel06:30 – 08:15 The main thing that made a difference to his videos 08:15 – 10:34 Making learning content in the way you like to learn10:34 – 15:34 How Taim decides what content topics to cover15:34 – 19:47 Taim’s step-by-step process for creating videos19:47 – 21:12 How Taim balances making videos with his job as a doctor21:12 – 24:23 How Taim battles with the expectation to upload and found a healthier approach24:23 – 26:46 Tips for medical students looking to make content26:46 -34:16 Speed round questions34:16 – 35:06 Taim’s final take35:06 – 36:16 OutroImportant links and mentions:Follow Taim on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taimtalksmed/ Subscribe to Taim Talks Med on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TaimTalksMed Watch Taim’s video - How I Make Educational Videos (2024) – 7 Steps: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZx5UWhkHaI

It’s no news that our attention spans are tiny in the modern world of online content, social media, and everything else on the internet. For video creators, this means it’s a constant battle to grab attention and share information that people absorb. You might think you’re safe in the L&D space. After all, workplace educational content means you have a somewhat captive audience. But is that audience really engaging with and absorbing the content? Or is that content competing for brain space with the latest MrBeast video?In this episode, we welcomed Matt Gjertsen, Founder of Better Every Day Studios, a learning and development consultancy that teaches people how to create better content. We explore the challenges that L&D creators are up against, how we can create better videos, and the lessons we can take from successful content creators on YouTube. He explains how L&D creators can scale their efforts, speed up content iteration, and develop a pre-planning strategy for videos. Learning points from the episode include:00:00 – 01:57 Introduction01:57 – 03:24 Matt’s top tip for creating better videos03:24 – 05:53 Why L&D should take lessons from YouTube creators 05:53 – 08:54 How L&D can scale and speed up content iteration 08:54 – 12:42 Why a solid pre-planning strategy is essential before you hit record12:42 – 16:27 What YouTubers and content creators get right when it comes to grabbing attention16:27 – 19:32 Why your videos’ titles and descriptions shouldn’t be an afterthought19:32 – 21:21 Why better videos mean better learning 21:21 – 24:22 Does L&D content need to be entertaining?24:22 – 26:42 What not to copy from YouTube as an L&D creator26:42 – 30:12 Speed round questions30:12 – 31:00 Matt’s final take 31:00 – 32:05 OutroImportant links and mentions:Connect with Matt on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewgjertsen/Better Every Day Studios: https://www.bettereverydaystudios.com/Better Every Day Studios YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6sHpKEkdnD0-VKOIBAxcMAMaking Better podcast: https://www.bettereverydaystudios.com/making-better

Join Carl Lechner and Tripp Green, Co-Founders of Millbrook Studios, as they share top tips for creating engaging videos, working with studios, and generating creative ideas. Learn how to keep audiences engaged, narrow down content ideas, and find inspiration to elevate your content creation game.

New ways of working, besides being in the office all day, have been a huge talking point since the pandemic pushed many of us into remote or hybrid work. But is this trend dying down in 2024? We published the 2024 Workplace Flexibility Trends Report recently to dig into what the data says about workplace flexibility today. To talk through the findings, we welcomed two experts on workplace flexibility and analytics – Nida Mehtab, the CEO and Founder of Caryatid, and Kate Lister, President of Global Workplace Analytics, to the podcast.We explore what the data says about workplace trends around remote and hybrid work, flexible hours, how different generations of workers prefer to work and take part in meetings, and much more. Download the report today to learn more. You can find the link in the resources section below. Learning points from the episode include:00:00 – 03:03 Introduction03:04 – 03:58 What the Workplace Flexibility Trends Report is about 03:59 – 06:30 The standout findings from our research06:31 – 08:32 How to find a balance between remote and office working 08:33 – 11:23 Tapping into the “why” of returning to the office11:24 – 16:41 Why companies aren’t providing the resources to return to the office 16:41 – 24:13 How to bring flexibility into meetings 24:13 – 26:18 How AI tools can help you give everyone a voice in meetings 26:19 – 36:18 Accommodating mixed feelings on commuting to the office and meetings 36:19 – 42:01 How younger generations prefer to communicate42:02 – 43:16 Why workplaces need to find a middle ground that works for the organization and employees 43:17 – 46:48 How to connect with and learn more from Nida and KateImportant links and mentions:    Download the 2024 Workplace Flexibility Trends Report: https://www.techsmith.com/research-2024-workplace-flexibility-trends-report.html Connect with Nida on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nida-mehtab-26499672/ Connect with Kate on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/klister/Caryatid: https://www.caryatid-space.com/Global Workplace Analytics: https://globalworkplaceanalytics.com/Follow FutureWorkforce on X: https://twitter.com/FutureWorkforce

At first glance, it might seem that marketing and Learning and Development (L&D) are very different. But if you dig a little deeper, they both have similar goals – to grab attention, raise awareness, and spread a message to the audience.So, what can L&D creators learn from marketing? It turns out a lot! In this episode of The Visual Lounge, we speak with Bianca Baumann, VP of Learning Solutions & Innovation at Ardent, and Mike Taylor, Learning Consultant at Nationwide, to get their thoughts on using marketing tools and techniques to create great educational videos and eLearning materials. We look at some of the lessons we can take from marketing around getting audience attention and building audience personas to drive your message home. We look at tools and tactics commonly used in marketing that can be applied to anyone creating learning content and why, like in marketing, we need to think about the audience’s thoughts and feelings.Learning points from the episode include:00:00 – 02:33 Introduction02:33 – 03:38 Bianca and Mike’s top tips for using video03:38 – 05:09 Why Bianca and Mike borrow marketing strategies for L&D content 05:09 – 07:52 How L&D professionals can grab attention with their content 07:52 – 11:45 How can L&D start to learn from marketing?11:45 – 14:02 Why L&D people are hesitant about using marketing tactics14:02 – 16:15 What L&D creators can learn about audience emotion 16:15 – 18:36 Questions that L&D can ask learners to improve learning content 18:36 – 21:48 How L&D can avoid getting hung up on having limited budgets 21:48 – 25:39 Why we need to look beyond the L&D world for tools and tech25:39 – 29:48 Speed round questions29:48 – 30:40 Mike and Bianca’s final takes 30:40 – 31:40 OutroImportant links and mentions:Connect with Mike on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/miketaylor/Connect with Bianca on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/biancabaumann/

By now, many of us are content connoisseurs. With millions of videos out there in all different shapes and sizes, we need to be selective with what we consume vs. scroll past. So, is your imagery – whether that’s images or videos – resonating with your audience?We invited Leanna Pham, Director & Executive Producer of the widely popular Social Pros Podcast, to The Visual Lounge to share her insights and expertise on creating imagery that engages audiences. In this episode, she shares some great advice for using images and video to reflect your brand more effectively and how brands can get started with visual content. We hear her thoughts on creating content that fits the platform and audience rather than trying to post everything everywhere and what the seven-second rule means for video content. Learning points from the episode include:00:00 – 02:00 Introduction02:00 – 03:14 Advice for using images in the workplace03:14 – 05:46 Practical production tips on video, lighting, and audio05:46 – 11:05 How brands can let their personality shine through11:05 – 16:51 Why you should adjust content to fit the platform 16:51 – 18:21 Why you can’t please everyone18:21 – 20:36 How to follow the seven-second rule in video20:36 – 24:05 Lessons from MrBeast24:05 – 26:37 Being “real” on social media and in your content26:37 – 32:20 Speed round questions32:20 – 33:11 Leanna’s final take33:11 – 34:12 OutroImportant links and mentions:Connect with Leanna on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leanna-pham/

Times have changed in the world of video creation. The “rules” of the past have been broken, issuing a new age of how we make and watch videos. Whether you’re a content creator, an influencer, or are creating videos in a corporate setting, you should still aim to master the basics of what makes a good video. After all, the goal of your video is to deliver value and solutions to your audience. But how we approach shooting, scripting, editing, and everything in between is ripe for experimentation. In this episode, host of The Visual Lounge, Matt Pierce, looks at the evolution of video and breaks down the best practices today. Tune in to hear about the latest video trends and how you can run with them to create engaging videos your audience will love. Learning points from the episode include:00:00 – 01:21 Introduction01:21 – 02:20 How video has evolved 02:20 – 03:03 Why you should learn the “rules” so you can break them03:03 – 04:03 Should you script your videos?04:03 – 06:45 The benefits of templatizing elements of your videos06:45 – 08:14 Should you use AI to help you create videos?08:14 – 10:40 Why the audience’s needs are still the top priority 10:40 – 15:01 The benefits of creating multi-purpose content 15:01 – 16:40 Why quality of production is irrelevant if you don’t have the basics 16:40 – 20:23 The evolution of editing videos 20:23 - 21:33 How restraints in the creative process impact video (for better or worse)21:33 – 22:37 What really makes a good video22:37 – 23:37 OutroImportant links and mentions:Connect with Matt on LinkedIn