Investing in Your ID Transition: Which Tools are Worth it?
TLDRIn this instructional design career transition guide, Kristin shares a clear rating system to help you decide which tools are worth investing your time and money in. She evaluates top ID tools based on ease of use, market demand, and cost, covering categories from authoring and storyboarding to prototyping and image editing. Kristin emphasizes the importance of learning from field experts, networking, and joining communities to enhance your transition. She also invites viewers to consider the ID bootcamp for personalized feedback and a structured learning path.
Takeaways
- 📚 Transitioning into instructional design requires a significant investment of time and money, and choosing the right tools is crucial.
- 🔍 Kristin shares her experience transitioning from teaching to instructional design and emphasizes the importance of selecting cost-effective and in-demand tools.
- 🌟 The video introduces a clear rating system to help viewers decide which instructional design tools are worth their investment based on ease of use, market demand, and cost.
- 🛠️ Authoring tools like Articulate 360 and Captivate are rated with different stars for ease of use, demand, and cost, guiding viewers on which might be best for them.
- 📈 Storyboarding tools such as Articulate 360, Google Docs, and Microsoft Word are discussed, with varying ratings that reflect their ease of use and market demand.
- 🎨 Prototyping tools including Figma, Canva, and PowerPoint are analyzed, with a focus on their ease of use, market demand, and cost-effectiveness.
- 🖼️ Image sourcing tools like Adobe Stock, FreePik, and Midjourney are rated for their ease of use, market demand, and cost, highlighting the availability of free options.
- ✂️ Image editing tools such as Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and Inkscape are discussed, with an emphasis on their learning curve and market demand.
- 📹 Animation and video editing tools like Adobe After Effects, Vyond, Animaker, Adobe Premiere Pro, Camtasia, and CapCut are evaluated on their ease of use, demand, and cost.
- 🎧 Audio narration tools including Adobe Audition, TechSmith Audiate, and Audacity are presented, with a focus on their usability and cost.
- 🤝 The importance of networking and learning from professionals in the field is highlighted, with suggestions to join communities and consider instructional design bootcamps for personalized feedback and guidance.
Q & A
What is the main challenge when transitioning into a career in instructional design?
-The main challenge is choosing what to invest in, in terms of both time and money, as there are numerous tools to learn with varying levels of return on investment.
Why did Kristin invest her limited time and money into learning countless tools during her transition from teaching to instructional design?
-Kristin was influenced by the common advice to learn many tools, hoping they would provide a good return on her investment, but unfortunately, not all did.
What is the purpose of the rating system introduced by Kristin for instructional design tools?
-The rating system is designed to help individuals decide which tools are worth their investment by providing a clear evaluation based on cost, effectiveness, and market demand.
How does the rating system for ease of use work?
-Ease of use is rated on a scale of one to three stars: one star indicates difficulty, two stars is neutral, and three stars means the tool is very easy to use.
What does a high demand rating for a tool signify in the context of the video?
-A high demand rating, represented by three stars, means the tool is in very high demand, often considered an industry standard, and frequently listed in job descriptions for instructional design roles.
Why is Articulate Storyline grouped together with Articulate Rise in the rating system?
-They are grouped together because when you purchase one, you get access to both tools as part of the Articulate 360 suite.
How does Captivate compare to Articulate Storyline in terms of ease of use and market demand?
-Captivate is generally more challenging to use than Articulate Storyline, and it has a lower market demand, indicating it is less frequently listed in job descriptions.
What are some free options available for authoring tools?
-Genially is mentioned as a free authoring tool that is easy to use and could be a good starting point for those new to instructional design authoring tools.
Why might storyboarding in Articulate 360 be less effective than using Word or Google Docs?
-While Articulate 360 can be used for storyboarding, it is not as effective as Word or Google Docs because the latter allows for real-time commenting and feedback, which is crucial for the storyboarding process.
What is the significance of Adobe Stock in the context of image sourcing?
-Adobe Stock is an easy-to-use platform for image sourcing, and while it is more expensive than other platforms, it is often included in Adobe Creative Cloud subscriptions, which can provide discounts or free downloads.
How does Adobe After Effects compare to other animation tools in terms of ease of use and demand?
-Adobe After Effects is more difficult to use and has a lower demand for instructional design compared to other tools like Vyond and Animaker, which are easier to use and have higher demand in the industry.
What advice does Kristin give for individuals looking to transition into instructional design?
-Kristin advises building a network by connecting with other instructional designers on LinkedIn, joining instructional design communities, and considering joining the ID bootcamp for personalized feedback and guidance.
Outlines
🛠️ Instructional Design Tools Evaluation
The speaker, Kristin, discusses the challenges of transitioning into a career in instructional design and the importance of investing time and money wisely in learning tools. She introduces a rating system to evaluate the top instructional design (ID) tools based on cost, effectiveness, and market demand. Kristin shares her personal experience of investing in various tools with mixed results and emphasizes the need for a clear guide to help decide which tools are worth the investment. The rating system covers ease of use, market demand, and cost, with each category rated on a scale of one to three stars. The paragraph concludes with an introduction to authoring tools, specifically mentioning Articulate Storyline, Articulate Rise, and Captivate, with their respective ratings.
📝 Overview of Storyboarding and Prototyping Tools
This paragraph delves into the tools used for storyboarding and prototyping. Kristin mentions that some teams use Articulate 360 for storyboarding in an agile environment, although it's not as effective as tools like Microsoft Word for real-time feedback. Google Docs and Microsoft Word are grouped together for their similarity, with both being easy to use and free, despite not being commonly listed on job descriptions. The demand for these tools is considered neutral. The paragraph also covers Google Slides and PowerPoint, with similar ratings. Prototyping tools like Figma, Canva, and Google Docs/PowerPoint are discussed, with Figma noted for its ease of learning and growing popularity, Canva for its user-friendliness, and Google Docs/PowerPoint for their free versions and basic prototyping capabilities.
🎨 Image Sourcing and Editing Tools
The speaker discusses various tools for image sourcing and editing. Adobe Stock is highlighted for its ease of use and inclusion in the Adobe Creative Cloud subscription, although it's more expensive than other platforms. FreePik and Midjourney are praised for their free tiers and ease of use, with Midjourney offering AI-generated images. For image editing, Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop are noted for their high demand but difficulty and cost. TechSmith Snagit is mentioned as an easier and more affordable alternative, often used by companies. Inkscape is introduced as a free and easy-to-use tool, albeit with lower demand in the market.
🎬 Animation, Video Editing, and Audio Narration Tools
The final paragraph covers tools for animation, video editing, and audio narration. Adobe After Effects is acknowledged for its complexity and lower demand in instructional design. Vyond and Animaker are presented as user-friendly animation tools, with Vyond having a higher demand and Animaker being slightly cheaper. Adobe Premiere Pro and TechSmith Camtasia are discussed for video editing, with Camtasia being more affordable and beneficial for instructional design due to its SCORM package export feature. CapCut is mentioned as a free and easy-to-use video editing tool with low demand. For audio narration, Adobe Audition is noted for its difficulty and cost, while TechSmith Audiate and Audacity are highlighted as more affordable and free options, respectively.
🚀 Conclusion and Resources for Instructional Designers
In the concluding paragraph, Kristin emphasizes the value of learning from experienced professionals in the field and encourages building a network and joining instructional design communities. She introduces the ID bootcamp, a resource designed to guide new instructional designers through creating an eLearning project, offering personalized feedback and aiming to provide a return on investment. For those not ready to join the bootcamp, a free 'Become an ID' checklist is provided as a starting point. The paragraph ends with an invitation to apply for the ID bootcamp and a farewell until the next video.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Instructional Design
💡Investment
💡Rating System
💡Articulate Storyline
💡Captivate
💡Figma
💡Adobe Stock
💡Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop
💡Vyond
💡Camtasia
💡Audacity
Highlights
Transitioning into a career in instructional design requires significant investment of time and money.
Choosing the right tools for your investment can be overwhelming.
Kristin shares her experience transitioning from teaching to instructional design and the challenges she faced.
A clear rating system is introduced to help decide which tools are worth the investment.
Ratings are not cumulative and should guide personal investment decisions based on individual priorities.
Ease of use, market demand, and cost are the three criteria for the rating system.
Articulate Storyline and Articulate Rise are grouped together in the authoring tools category.
Captivate is becoming less in demand compared to Storyline.
Genially is free and easy to use, making it a good option for beginners.
Storyboarding can be done using Articulate 360, Google Docs, and Microsoft Word.
Figma is a prototyping tool that is easy to learn and has a neutral market demand.
Canva is user-friendly and free, suitable for simple prototyping.
Adobe Stock, FreePik, and Midjourney are compared for image sourcing.
Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop are high in demand but not easy to use for image editing.
TechSmith Snagit is easier to use than Adobe products and has neutral demand.
Inkscape is free and easy to use but has low market demand.
Adobe After Effects is difficult to use and not highly demanded for instructional design.
Vyond is easy to use, high in demand, and becoming popular in the ID market.
Animaker is similar to Vyond but has lower demand and is slightly cheaper.
Adobe Premiere Pro is an industry standard for video editing but not specifically for instructional design.
Camtasia is popular in the ID market for its SCORM package exporting capability.
CapCut is a free and easy-to-use video editing tool with low market demand.
Adobe Audition is not easy to use and has neutral demand in the audio narration category.
TechSmith Audiate is neutral in use, demand, and cost for audio narration.
Audacity is free and has neutral demand, making it a good option to explore audio narration.
Building a network and joining instructional design communities can provide valuable insights.
The ID bootcamp offers personalized feedback and is designed to give a return on investment.
A free 'Become an ID' checklist is available to assist with the transition into instructional design.