Professional Development

My Top 10 Tips for Freelancers

December 1, 2014 By Jackie Van Nice 13 Comments

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This week’s challenge is to share your top tips for freelancers. I’ve been a freelancer for more than 11 years now, so figured I’d toss in a few. (And if you’d like to check out My 3-Step Formula for Finding Work as a Freelancer, that’s new too!)

Tip Number One

Why These?

Are these really my “top” tips? Some are. Others address things I see and hear fellow freelancers struggle with all the time.

I hadn’t expected to create a demo, but was lucky enough to find these pics from artist Emily Beeson on MorgueFile, started playing with them, and this is the result.

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See it in Action!

If you’d like to get my freelancing words of wisdom, you can see them right here.

10 Treats (and Tricks!) I Hear as an Instructional Designer

October 28, 2014 By Jackie Van Nice 6 Comments

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This week’s Articulate challenge is to list 10 things instructional designers don’t like to hear.

IDs with jobs will always have issues to resolve – (let’s hear it for gainful employment!) – and I’m grateful every day that I get to do this work.

Yummy ID Goodness

But there’s very little that comes my way that I don’t like to hear, and most of it is completely positive and makes me giddily happy. So I wrapped up some of the tastiest treats I hear (along with a couple of minor tricks) just in time for Halloween. I also put them into a quick interaction in Storyline that you can see here.

Scarily True

Each of these is real, all of them have come from my clients, and every one of them is completely sincere. I’ve also added some comments below under each one.

What Tasty Treats Have You Heard?

I know I’m not the only ID who gets to hear great things like this. If you feel like sharing, I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!

Treat: I can use unlimited creativity? Count me in!

Treat: A sincere statement. The outcome is at #9.

Treat: A sincere statement. The outcome is #9.

Treat: Flexibility plue they'll wait to work with me!

Treat: Flexibility plus they’ll wait to work with me!

Trick: They said this, but it all worked out just fine.

Treat: Score! Working on this project right now.

Trick: They can ask, but they know I don’t do LMS stuff.

Treat: One of my favorites. Good characters work!

Treat: Love this. A SME on video conveying great stuff.

Treat: Continuation of #2. She absolutely was the best.

Treat: There's no better phrase than this. More work!

Treat: There’s no happier phrase than this. More work!

My Multidimensional (Yet Flat) Desk

September 17, 2014 By Jackie Van Nice 16 Comments

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This week’s Articulate challenge is to render your work space in simple flat-style images.

Oddly enough, it coincides with my move from a standard desk to a standing/walking/kneeling/sitting desk, so that’s what I illustrated in my entry.

The Problem and The Solution

I’d never seriously thought about doing this before, but I happened to glimpse an article on Facebook that was talking about standing desks. (Here’s the article. It has lots of good info including both high-end and very simple, inexpensive options.)

If you know me even a little bit, you’ve gathered I spend an insane amount of ’round-the-clock time at my desk. Leaving the house to move involves a 40 to 60 minute round-trip drive (more sitting) to go somewhere I can bike, take a walk, or go to a gym. When you’re in the middle of work you love, that’s a big disincentive to take a break.

The Walking Desk

When I lived in Chicago and Portland I could roll out my front door every day and walk for miles or go to a nearby gym. In Europe I’d go for walks or run errands on foot every day and it was fantastic. Where I am now makes me insane and my body is going to stop speaking to me completely if I don’t do something.

So the standing desk idea resonated with me, and once I delved into the topic I realized that making it into a walking desk (plus a kneeling desk), and a sitting desk were just what the doctor would order if I made it to the doctor before I gave out completely.

The Images and Interaction

The Kneeling Desk

Some of the pieces and parts of my new setup are still in transit, so I rendered the scene as I expect it to be. Much of it is already in place, so those things are pretty spot-on.

Since the whole scheme hinges on the desk raising and lowering to specific heights, that’s what I focused on in the interaction. I put in a flat person to illustrate, but also animate them out so you can just see the room. All you do to morph the desk is push a button to move it to a preset height, so that’s what I have the user do in the demo. It’s quick and simple to illustrate the concept.

Try It! (+ My Setup Details)

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Here’s the quick interaction if you’d like to see it. Also, since some people have asked for the details of my setup, I’ve shared them below.

Desk: I chose the UpLiftDesk 900, 80″ wide – enough to accommodate both a treadmill and sitting/standing station below; though 72″ wide might be enough. Unlike other desks, you can decide when you put it together how far apart you want the legs. I chose the white top and white base to go with my other office furniture.

This desk had good reviews for its smooth lift motors, which are housed inside of the legs, and sturdiness. I believe there are four presets you can customize for different heights.

I didn’t choose to go with a keyboard tray for now, but if you want one on a regular full-sized slide you can get the 920 desk model instead. I thought the 900 might be a bit sturdier and knew I could use a half-track keyboard tray with it if I really wanted to.

I also chose the 12-year extended warranty. The last thing I want to figure out 10 years from now is where and how to get the motors in my desk legs repaired!

Treadmill: I chose the LifeSpan TR1200-DT3 Under Desk Treadmill. Seems to be the go-to choice. Several desk companies, including UpLiftDesk, sell this same treadmill for the same price if you want to buy from them – but all of the advice I found said to order from LifeSpan directly for ease of dealing with any warranty issues, etc. I went with the extended warranty on this, too.

Standing/Sitting Mat: I chose the UpLift Sit-Stand Desk Mat (an option you can choose when you order the desk) in the 3′ x 5′ size so it’s large enough to place a chair on it.

Monitor Arm: Since you want your monitors to swing to whichever side of the desk you’re working on you probably want them on arms like this. I went with the UpLift Single Monitor Arm (an option you can choose when you order the desk) for my regular monitor, but I’m hesitant to be swinging my iMac around on an arm! (Plus I’d have to find one that fits.) It’s just as easy for me to slide the iMac over from one side to the other, so that’s my plan for now.

Kneeling Chair: I already have the Jobri Jazzy Kneeling Chair; though I got it a few years ago and offhand don’t remember who I ordered it from. I like switching off between it and my regular office chair.

Regular Office Chair: I’ll give a shout-out to my chair since I’ve used it incessantly for an unbelievable 17 years now. It’s put up with lots of grief and it’s still a complete champ. I believe it’s Via’s Terra Low-Back chair. I bought it at a furniture store in Portland and they let me customize the fabric.

More Info & Videos: I think that’s it for my setup – but the UpLift site has some nice videos to give you a better look at how all of this works together, plus a whole lot more.

Let me know if you decide to revamp your desk in a similar way. I’d love to hear about it!

And the Winner Is…

September 10, 2014 By Jackie Van Nice 22 Comments

Click to Visit the First-Year Wrap-Up — (Image: David Anderson)

The first year of Articulate’s E-Learning Heroes challenges has just wrapped up, and David Anderson asked us to nominate our fellow challengees for their achievements. Since that feels nearly impossible (if I nominate one person for “most humorous” I’m leaving out 20 others who were hilarious) – I’m going to focus on the participants I most appreciated and why.

Most Appreciated

Though I may be forgetting some, here’s my best shot:

Richard Watson: Richard joined us when the challenge was to create a game using my German drinking game template, so I had to like him from the start. Since then he has created a diverse and inspiring body of challenges that I admire. I always learn from him and I’m inspired by everything he produces. He’s also endlessly supportive, encouraging, and the first guy to ever put my picture on the side of a semi. Thanks Richard!

Nick Russell: Not only is Nick unfailingly supportive, but his work leaves me speechless. Once I regain my senses after seeing it I’m always stammering “How did he DO that??” Though I can only aspire to reach his level of creativity, design, technical expertise, and hilarity – I’m incredibly grateful that he’s there to inspire and encourage me and everyone else. Thank you so much, Nick.

Daniel Adeboye: Though Daniel is new to e-learning design and is currently limited to developing in PowerPoint, he fearlessly plunged himself into the challenges and instantly became an inspiration. His innovation, unfailing willingness to learn, and unflagging support and encouragement makes him a pretty great fellow challenge participant. Thank you, Daniel!

Dan Sweigert: Dan is another fearless inspiration. Whether trotting out imaginary friends or creating the most extraordinary games, he has a vision and he makes it happen. Combine that determination with his natural creativity, humor, and musical gifts and you have quite the challenge powerhouse. Thanks for everything, Dan!

Matt Guyan: Matt always comes up with fresh approaches to challenges I would never have thought of, and he shows me new things I can learn every time. His curiosity, enthusiasm, and unfailing support and encouragement are refreshing and always welcome. Thank you, Matt!

Gerard Friel: Though new to the challenges, Gerard is one of the people who encouraged me as I worked my way through the older ones. It’s a lonely road back there, and he was always kind and generous – PLUS I love his remarkable work and can’t wait to see much more from him in the challenges. Thank you, Gerard!

Charles Hamper: Charles’ entries always make me want to spend the day trying to somehow imitate the fantastic animations he’s created. They’re unfailingly elegant and look completely effortless. The fact that he then shares his secrets with us is pretty amazing. Thank you so much, Charles!

Gemma Henderson: To say Gemma has a flair for creative design and imagery is an understatement. You never know what she’ll come up with next, but you know it will be funny, beautiful, and/or strange (in the best possible way). Her work is an inspiration. Thanks, Gemma!

Ashley Chiasson: You can always count on Ashley to come up with an entry that is beautifully done, and that may or may not include a cat or duvet cover. She’s creative, clever, and always supportive of her fellow challengees. Thank you so much, Ashley!

Jeff Kortenbosch: Having now visited the farthest reaches of the challenge archives, I know that Jeff has been a dedicated and enthusiastic challenge participant throughout. His contributions have not been just his terrific work, but also his encouragement and support of others and of the challenges themselves. Thank you, Jeff!

Bruce Graham: When Bruce is able to fit a challenge into his schedule, it’s worth the wait. It’s also ironic that he’s a guy who knows good e-learning; yet his challenge entry that always makes me happy is his example of rotten e-learning. Thanks, Bruce!

Paul Alders: Paul always has terrific ideas and creates challenge entries I can learn from. He’s also enthusiastic and supportive when it comes to the challenges and his fellow participants, and somehow he brings a breath of fresh air to the proceedings. Thank you, Paul!

Montse Anderson: Montse’s technical precision and beautiful designs are always an inspiration. If ever I get organized enough to start including my color palettes with my posts (just one example of the meticulous care she takes with her designs), it will be because of her stellar example. Thank you, Montse!

Allison Nederveld: Allison’s refreshing style and carefully crafted entries are always inspiring. She’s generous with her knowledge – and her templates! – and is a wonderful fellow challenge participant. Thank you, Allison!

Dianne Hope: Dianne’s work is always surprising. Whether she’s exploring making coffee, instructional design theory, or the Outback – she has a fresh approach and beautiful style. She’s also unfailingly supportive and encouraging and it’s a pleasure to be in the challenges with her. Thank you, Dianne!

Nancy Woinoski: Nancy’s entries are invariably beautiful, creative, innovative, and often funny. They always inspire me to push myself to do more, and for that I am truly grateful. Thank you, Nancy!

Becky Fleisch Cordeiro: Whenever Becky gets a chance to create an entry, I always learn from it. She uses her expertise to come up with entries that are innovative and intriguing – plus she’s terrific at helping and encouraging the rest of us. Thank you so much, Becky!

Who’s The Winner?

As painfully obvious as this is – the winner is me and every other person who has participated. I win because I get to grow in my work and as a member of a community with people like these who are unfailing in their helpfulness and generosity. I also get to have fun creating the silliest things and having all of these nice people (and many others) be kind enough to not only look at them, but to be supportive and encouraging to create even more. Without them, and without David Anderson’s leadership, I’d never in a million years have thought of making a German drinking game or Kid vs. Cop spelling bee or a lyrical and romantic approach to filling out a passport application.

Thank You!

So a HUGE “thank you” to all of you who participated and (equally importantly!) supported and encouraged all of the challenge participants. I’m excited to see what this new year of challenges (and new challenge participants) will bring!

The Benefits of Sharing Your Work: A Reader Checks In

August 30, 2014 By Jackie Van Nice 5 Comments

I’m so lucky I get to do work I love and share it here, and I’m delighted when readers tell me it helps or inspires them. Unfortunately I never know exactly how it’s been helpful, and sometimes that curiosity drives me a little bit crazy. If I knew that, after all, I could do more of it!

Zifang Su

Enter Zifang

Zifang Su is an instructional designer in Adelaide, Australia who recently sent me this message:

Hi Jackie – Just want to say thank you for your awesome site! Your blog posts about your design process really help me in looking at another instructional designer’s perspective and design thoughts and process, and as a result I’ve changed some of the ways I’ve done things as well. Thank you! Cheers, Zifang

Aha! I perked up, wondering if Zifang could give me some specifics about how she’s changed what she does. So I asked! She was very kind and sent me four specific examples (beautifully organized, of course) of how she’s changed the way she approaches instructional design. Here they are:

Code of Conduct Training

1. Using Stories and Scenarios

One of the things that struck me when looking at your portfolios and some others, plus the course I’m taking at the moment and some books I’m reading, is that using stories and scenarios can be really effective. Looking at the examples helps me to see how topics can be presented in a fun and engaging way.

2. Design of Courses

I love seeing the examples on your portfolio because they all look very different! Frankly, it’s incredible to me that someone can design all these different looking courses. Currently, my courses look very similar – but that has something to do with the restrictions placed on me at work (i.e. the online course must look similar to the powerpoint slides…). So I’m using the designs as inspirations for work-in-progress – essentially reducing many many dot points and chunks of texts and using graphics instead.

Can You Motivate This Monster?

What do I think of Storyline?

A Radiantly Delicious Template

3. Use of Colours

Your portfolio uses great colour schemes. I tend to be ‘traditional’ in the use of colours, e.g. black, blue, grey etc. but contrast works great (e.g. the CCAF design) so I’m reading about the use of colours, as well as experimenting on using brighter colours for my courses.

A Model Smart Enough to Teach Itself

4. Sketching for Design Stage

I’ve tried using storyboard templates but found them stifling and it seems like I’m spending more time typing than actually designing. I then came across one of your examples, where you showed some sketches that you did for design and I thought yep, that’s a more flexible way to do it. So now I spend my design time sketching and showing it to my team rather than trying to fit things into a storyboard template.

Show Your Work: E-Learning Messiness By Me

What I Learned

I can’t tell you how grateful I was to get this feedback! It told me what sorts of things have been most helpful and exactly how it helped change another ID’s work. It may not sound like much, but this was huge for me and will help me going forward.

I’ve also learned that even the things I think might be too silly or messy to share can have value in helping someone grow, learn, and be successful. It encourages me to ignore the editorial voice in my head that’s always saying “you’re not going to post THAT, are you??” and motivates me to keep sharing all of the the potentially silly, messy results of my own learning process right here.

Thank you, Zifang!

You can be sure I’ll keep track of Zifang from now on, and if you’d ever like to share what’s been helpful to you here or if you’d like me to talk about a particular topic, just let me know! Zifang dropped me a line using this Contact form.