The ID Case Files
A series of choose-your-own-adventure scenarios for instructional design professionals. Each case file presents a realistic, complex dilemma with two plausible paths, followed by a detailed, theory-backed debrief on the consequences of each choice.
ID Case File #0 – The Final Interview
Your portfolio got you the interview. Now prove you can think like a senior ID. Three real-world scenarios that separate the finalists from the rest — and the frameworks ID Inc uses to navigate them.
ID Case File #1 – The Discovery Call
An interactive case study for instructional designers on mastering the initial discovery call. Learn how to move beyond solutions to conduct a true needs analysis.
ID Case File #2 – The Leaky Pipeline
How do you conduct a needs analysis with no access to learners? This ID case study explores how to find the root cause of a failing course using only indirect data.
ID Case File #3 – Dumbing It Down
Your client wants 'digestible' content, but your SME refuses to 'dumb it down.' What's your move? An instructional design case study on stakeholder management.
ID Case File #4 – Sink or Swim
Your client wants a band-aid, but you see a bullet wound. What's your move? A case study in diagnosing performance problems and navigating the impact of cultural change.
ID Case File #5 – The Discreet Discovery
Your client demands a quick eLearning fix for a 'toxic culture,' then bans the one tool you need: a survey. How do you run a discreet needs analysis? An instructional design case study on research methods and triangulation.
ID Case File #6 – The Professor's Legacy
Axiom University's most prestigious faculty program is now its most hated, and its legendary professor is fiercely protective of it. Which blend wins his buy-in? An instructional design case study on stakeholder analysis and change management.
ID Case File #7 – The Pro Bono Problem
A risk-averse non-profit law firm will finally fund an instructional designer, but only with airtight cost justification. Do you offer tiered options or pitch the full fix? An instructional design case study on building a business case and managing stakeholder expectations.
ID Case File #8 – The Cost of Clarity
An inexperienced client loves your airtight SOW so much that leadership moves the launch up a month, with no added budget. Do you adapt the scope or hold the line? An instructional design case study on the Statement of Work, scope creep, and risk management.
ID Case File #9 – The Premium Paradox
A mission-driven medical-education startup is losing to a cheaper, worse competitor and thinks it has a product problem. Your market analysis says otherwise. Do you compete on compliance or build a new premium market? An instructional design case study on market analysis and business strategy.
ID Case File #10 – The Silver Bullet
A pastor is sure a flashy Digital Campus is the silver bullet, but your four-week discovery points somewhere else entirely. Do you build what the client wants or what the data says they need? The capstone instructional design case study on synthesizing discovery and ethical consulting.