#IDIODC Instructional Designers In Offices Drinking Coffee

Dr. Alaina Szlachta, founder of By Design Development Solutions, specializes in helping L&D teams demonstrate business impact through innovative measurement strategies. She shares insights on shifting focus from basic learning metrics to real business outcomes, using her domino metaphor to illustrate critical measurement components. Alaina emphasizes aligning training with organizational goals, the importance of assessing both capabilities and performance, and optimizing measurement even on a tight budget, all while transforming L&D from a reactive role to a strategic partner.

Training that doesn't transfer is training that wastes budget. Katrina Kennedy joins IDIODC with a solution that addresses every L&D leader's biggest challenge: proving learning works. Her systematic reflection methodology turns ineffective training into measurable business impact through strategic design choices.Kennedy's "Learning That Lasts" framework provides the quality assurance system L&D operations need. We'll discuss how reflection activities strengthen memory consolidation and skill application across virtual and in-person environments. Discover practical tools for building reflection into content production workflows while tracking the performance outcomes that matter to executives._____________Katrina Kennedy is known as the "trainer's trainer" with over 27 years of experience helping organizations create learning that actually works. She's empowered more than 46,000 learners across state agencies, universities, healthcare systems, and Fortune 500 companies through evidence-based training methods that drive real results. Kennedy holds a Master's in Human Resource Management and Development from Chapman University and specializes in training design, virtual engagement, and reflection strategies that ensure learning transfers to job performance.Kennedy is the author of "Learning That Lasts: Reflection Activities for Trainers and Designers," featuring over 45 research-backed activities organized around eight strategic outcomes. She's a regular ATD Conference speaker and contributor to TD Mag, sharing practical insights that help L&D professionals design engaging experiences that create lasting behavioral change. Kennedy also founded the Let's Learn Together L&D Community and shares resources at katrinakennedy.com. Brought to you by the dominKnow | ONE Platform - develop, manage, and distribute impactful L&D content – efficiently, at scale.

The gap between skills aspirations and reality is costing enterprises millions in learning inefficiency. Koreen Pagano, renowned skills transformation expert and Chief Product Officer at Build Capable, joins IDIODC to discuss how L&D leaders can bridge this divide through strategic data architecture and operational excellence.From content tagging methodologies that actually work to building cross-functional governance structures, Koreen will share actionable insights for scaling skills initiatives. Discover why traditional competency approaches fail, how to establish trust in skills data, and the practical steps to transform learning operations into a strategic business asset.___________________Koreen Pagano is a product executive and skills transformation expert with 25+ years driving organizational change at companies ranging from startups to global enterprises. As Chief Product Officer at Build Capable and co-founder of Rising Tide Cooperative, she specializes in AI integration, skills strategy, and enterprise learning transformation. Her career includes product leadership roles at LinkedIn Learning, Degreed, Wiley, and D2L, where she pioneered innovative approaches to corporate learning and skills development.Koreen is the author of "Building the Skills-Based Organization: A Blueprint for Transformation" (September 2025) and "Immersive Learning". She holds a Master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Penn State University and is a frequent speaker and advisor on skills-based organizational change. Brought to you by the dominKnow | ONE Platform - develop, manage, and distribute impactful L&D content – efficiently, at scale.

Traditional assessments are often rigid, resource-heavy, and fail to fully capture on-the-job impact. In this session, Garima Gupta, founder of Artha Learning and creator of AIReady, shares a practical blueprint for modernizing assessments without losing scientific rigor.Drawing from her experience designing AI-enabled assessment systems for enterprise clients, Garima demonstrates how to keep the bedrock principles of validity, reliability, and fairness at the forefront, while using AI to scale assessment quality across thousands of learners.She breaks down:- Defining "Good": How L&D leaders can design assessments that measure and support learners. - Augmenting the Expert: Practical ways to use Generative AI as a drafting and refinement partner while keeping human oversight central.- The Future of Feedback: How adaptive AI-powered assessments can provide personalized, real-time feedback that accelerates skill development at scale.Garima’s message is clear: science comes first, and AI is the multiplier. This session will equip learning leaders with both the strategic lens and tactical playbook to transform assessments into a reliable driver of workforce capability and business impact.__________Garima Gupta is the Founder and CEO of Artha Learning Inc., an award-winning learning design firm based in Toronto, and creator of AIReady, an AI-powered platform that transforms traditional assessments into personalized evaluation systems. With over 20 years of experience in L&D, software engineering, and education, she holds an MEd in Adult Education and is a Certified Training and Development Professional (CTDP).Garima is a sought-after keynote speaker at major conferences including ATD and DevLearn, sharing insights on AI integration in enterprise L&D and innovative assessment strategies. Her company has earned numerous international awards including Brandon Hall Awards and the Stevie Award for Canadian Small Business of the Year 2022. Beyond her business achievements, she serves on educational advisory committees and supports education initiatives, including sponsoring ten primary schools in rural India. Brought to you by the dominKnow | ONE Platform - develop, manage, and distribute impactful L&D content – efficiently, at scale.

Robyn A. Defelice, a learning and development strategist and co-author of 'Microlearning: Short and Sweet', dives into the complexities of microlearning. She debunks the myth that microlearning is simply fast and easy, emphasizing its strategic implementation. Robyn outlines critical readiness elements for organizations, discusses cognitive load in design, and shares a success story from sales onboarding. Listeners will gain valuable insights on aligning learning initiatives with organizational goals and the essential dos and don'ts for effective microlearning.

Join Dave Vance, architect of the groundbreaking ISO 30437 standard for L&D metrics, as he reveals why the first comprehensive measurement framework is a game-changer for L&D leaders.Dave shares his take on today's obsession with role/skills-based learning — and why this tunnel vision could be sabotaging your L&D impact. As an industry thought leader and former Fortune 100 CLO, he'll argue that even perfectly executed role-based learning falls short without goal-based measurement driving the strategy.Tune in to learn why you need both approaches working together to deliver maximum business impact and produce the results that matter to executive leadership._________Dr. Dave Vance is a renowned learning and development strategist who founded Caterpillar University and served as its President and Chief Learning Officer. He co-led the development of ISO 30437, the first global standard for L&D metrics, and now advises Fortune 100 companies through the ROI Institute.A former CLO of the Year award winner, Dave blends academic rigor with real-world enterprise experience to help organizations build measurement frameworks that drive measurable business impact. He is a sought-after speaker, author, and thought leader on goal-based learning, quality assurance systems, and performance-driven L&D strategy. Brought to you by the dominKnow | ONE Platform - develop, manage, and distribute impactful L&D content – efficiently, at scale.

What if everything you think you know about learner engagement is wrong? Clark Quinn, renowned learning scientist and author of "Make It Meaningful," joins IDIODC to challenge conventional L&D wisdom. He reveals the research-backed approach to creating learning experiences that actually drive business results.We'll explore the critical difference between "engagement theater" and meaningful learning. Clark will share practical frameworks for L&D leaders who must demonstrate ROI while managing large-scale content operations. Tune in for actionable strategies to ditch satisfaction surveys and build performance ecosystems that connect learning directly to organizational success._________Dr. Clark Quinn is Executive Director of Quinnovation and Co-Director of the Learning Development Accelerator, with over 40 years of experience bridging cognitive science and organizational learning. He holds a Ph.D. in Applied Cognitive Science from UC San Diego and has helped Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, and educational institutions design learning experiences that align with how people actually think, work, and learn.A prolific author of seven books including "Make It Meaningful" and "Learning Science for Instructional Designers," Quinn is an internationally recognized speaker and consultant who transforms evidence-based research into practical L&D solutions. He received the eLearning Guild's first-ever Guild Master designation and multiple industry honors for his work advancing meaningful, transformational learning that delivers measurable business impact. Brought to you by the dominKnow | ONE Platform - develop, manage, and distribute impactful L&D content – efficiently, at scale.

What if better visual design could simultaneously boost learning outcomes and meet accessibility requirements? Visual design expert Connie Malamed, author of "Visual Design Solutions," reveals how strategic visual choices enhance learning for everyone — then shows how to make those same visuals accessible without compromising effectiveness.We'll explore why visuals help people learn, characteristics of effective visual design, common mistakes learning designers make, and the crucial difference between visual design and graphic design. Then we'll dive into accessibility essentials: sufficient contrast, color combinations to avoid for color vision deficiency, best practices for alt-text and screen readers, and how to convey information beyond color alone.________________Connie Malamed is a learning experience design consultant, international speaker, and founder of the Mastering Instructional Design community. With over 25 years of experience serving corporate, government, and academic clients, she is a recognized authority in visual design and instructional design who was honored with the prestigious Learning Guild Master Award in 2018.She is the author of Visual Design Solutions and Visual Language for Designers, and publishes The eLearning Coach website and podcast, which provides practical resources for learning professionals worldwide. Through her Mastering Instructional Design community, Connie mentors instructional designers at all career stages, helping them build skills and advance in the rapidly evolving field of learning experience design. Brought to you by the dominKnow | ONE Platform - develop, manage, and distribute impactful L&D content – efficiently, at scale.

Let's be honest — L&D teams are drowning in meetings that feel like productivity black holes. But what if those same meetings could become your secret weapon for driving real business results? Communication expert Mike Simmons has figured out how to transform meetings from time-wasting rituals into strategic performance engines, and joins our IDIODC session to spill the secrets.Applying the battle-tested "Jobs to Be Done" framework in the context of meetings, Mike shows L&D leaders how to build communication systems that actually move the needle. We talk about the three critical meeting types every team needs, why your current agenda approach isn't working at scale, and practical ways to measure meeting ROI while streamlining content production. Get ready for actionable strategies to eliminate meeting waste, align teams faster, and prove measurable business impact through smart communication design.Ready to turn your biggest operational headache into a competitive advantage? This conversation will completely change how you approach every meeting on your calendar. _______Mike Simmons is the founder of Catalyst A.C.T.S., where he helps technical SaaS companies scale from $2M to $80M ARR through strategic leadership development and operational optimization. With over 25 years of experience in high-growth technology companies, he has served as Chief Revenue Officer at CybSafe and Vice President at Safari Books Online (O'Reilly Media), working with enterprise clients like Intel, Microsoft, and MIT.Mike specializes in transforming organizational performance through his "Jobs to Be Done" framework for communication and meeting design, helping companies achieve 2X ARR growth and multi-million dollar revenue increases. He hosts the "Find My Catalyst" podcast and co-leads the Leader Lab community, focusing on developing effective leaders through practical frameworks and performance-driven execution. Brought to you by the dominKnow | ONE Platform - develop, manage, and distribute impactful L&D content – efficiently, at scale.

The future of workplace training is arriving faster than anyone predicted, and Donald H Taylor has a shocking forecast: traditional training courses have just 2-5 years left before they become extinct. Drawing from his latest Global Sentiment Survey and decades of L&D expertise, Donald will reveal how personalization, coaching/simulation and learner expectations are dismantling the training models we've relied on for decades. As organizations struggle with "do more with less" pressures and employees demand Netflix-level personalization in their professional development, the question isn't whether training will transform — it's whether L&D professionals will evolve fast enough to remain relevant in this brave new world.________Donald H Taylor has worked in learning and technology since the mid-1980s.He has chaired the Learning Technologies Conference in London since 2000 and writes and speaks world-wide about Learning and Development (L&D). His annual L&D Global Sentiment Survey, started in 2014, provides a unique perspective on L&D trends from over 100 countries. From 2010 to 2021, he chaired the Learning and Performance Institute.He chairs the Workforce Development board for VC firm Emerge Education, and advises several EdTech start-ups.The author of 𝘓𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘛𝘦𝘤𝘩𝘯𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦, Donald is a graduate of Oxford University and the recipient of an honorary doctorate from London’s Middlesex University Brought to you by the dominKnow | ONE Platform - develop, manage, and distribute impactful L&D content – efficiently, at scale.