Instructional Design
Thirteen years turning complex enterprise systems into training people actually understand.
(01) — Profile
Structure,
creativity & a
strong work ethic.
I'm a Learning Experience Designer who has run both full ERP implementations and system upgrades, from small-scale rollouts to large enterprise deployments. I'm equally at home on fast, deadline-driven implementations and longer, more deliberate content builds.
New platforms aren't a problem. Years across systems have taught me that ERP platforms and instructional design tools have more in common than not: similar workflows, similar user friction points, just a different interface. That pattern recognition lets me ramp on an unfamiliar system fast, instead of needing months of runway before I can start building. I also bring hands-on experience with AI-enabled tools like Microsoft Copilot and WellSaid Labs when a project calls for them, along with a clear understanding of the regulatory and compliance boundaries around AI use.
My functional depth spans Finance, Supply Chain, and HCM, with training built across a wide range of processes inside each. Knowing the theory makes you an instructional designer; knowing the tools lets you build courses; knowing the complete project workflow is what lets you deliver learning that actually works, and my multi-level project experience is where that comes from. I also design for multimodality, because a single rollout has to train very different end users, from the shop floor and the field to the front office.
Industries
- Healthcare
- Utilities
- Government
- Higher Education
- Retail
- Corporate / Enterprise
- Music Industry
Systems & Platforms
- Oracle Cloud
- SAP
- PeopleSoft
- Infor CloudSuite
- Workday
- Oracle Fusion
- Oracle C2M / CC&B
- WAM / MWM
- Hyperion
- Custom In-House Systems
- Proprietary Client Platforms
Module Pillars
- Finance
- Supply Chain Management (SCM)
- Human Capital Management (HCM)
Across hundreds of topics.
The Toolkit
(02) — The Method
How a course
actually gets built.
Discover
Every engagement starts with a needs analysis. I sit with SMEs and stakeholders to map the real gap between where learners are and where the business needs them to be, grounded in adult learning theory rather than assumptions.
Design
ADDIE meets agile. I blueprint the solution (objectives, structure, assessment strategy), then move fast in Jira-driven sprints, iterating with reviewers so the design earns buy-in before a single screen is built.
Develop
Storyline, Rise, Captivate, Camtasia, Vyond, Word, PowerPoint, Inkling, and Workday Learning are my instruments (with Oracle UPK in its day, now a retired system). I build simulations, e-learning, job aids, and AI-narrated video for platforms like Oracle, PeopleSoft, Infor, and Workday, all SCORM-compliant and LMS-ready, produced under aggressive timelines without cutting corners.
Deliver
From Train-the-Trainer bootcamps to ILT for thousands, webinars, assessments, and go-live hypercare, I don't just hand off content. I gather feedback, measure whether learners can actually perform the task, and make sure the change sticks.
My process, in my own way
Not every great designer follows the same path. This is mine.
Frameworks like ADDIE and SAM are the foundation, but the real work lives in the judgment calls between the steps. Here's how I personally take a course from a vague request to something live, tested, and genuinely useful.
- 01I start with the training requirement in hand and get clear on what success looks like
- 02I run a kickoff with the stakeholders and SMEs who actually own the content
- 03I dig into the business goals, audience, scope, timelines, and whatever content already exists
- 04I analyze all of it and call out the real gaps early, before they cost us later
- 05I draft the course outline and shape the learning strategy around how people actually learn
- 06I build a storyboard or prototype so everyone can see it before I commit hours to production
- 07I gather the visuals and learning assets that make it feel intentional, not templated
- 08I get stakeholder sign-off on the design first, so approvals don't derail development
- 09I develop the course in the authoring tool that fits the goal, not just my favorite one
- 10I run my own QA and testing before anyone else has to catch it
- 11I fold in review feedback without losing the through-line of the design
- 12I get final approval, publish to the LMS, and deploy, then make sure it actually landed
AI in Practice
AI, used with intent.
I work at an expert level with Microsoft Copilot, ChatGPT, and Claude across the entire content lifecycle, from research and drafting to iteration and quality checks. I've built Rise courses that teach internal teams to use these tools well, and on the side I run community education sessions that help everyday people get fluent and confident with AI.
Expert Toolset
Community AI Educator
Teaching everyday people to use AI with confidence, out in the community.
What people say
In their words.
"Jessica joined Global Retail Training at New Balance in a contract Instructional Design role and quickly proved herself as a valued member of the team. She is highly skilled at designing and developing engaging elearning courses and other training content to drive staff development and impact business objectives. She worked effectively both within our team as well as cross-functionally with our business partners. She stands out for her creativity, critical thinking, and solutions-oriented mindset. Jessica's contributions will undoubtedly be invaluable to any organization and project."
Alisa Barton, M.Ed
Training Manager & Instructional Designer (Retired)
Managed Jessica directly · New Balance
(03) — Instructional Design
Selected work,
up close.
A note on confidentiality. The majority of my Instructional Design lives inside client LMS platforms and proprietary enterprise systems, so it can't be shared publicly. The samples below are the pieces I'm able to show, and there's far more work behind them.
(04) — Track Record
Thirteen years,
one throughline.
For recruiters: I work as a contractor. Clients bring me in to own a specific part of a larger project, so my engagements are scoped by design. Across my career they've run anywhere from four weeks to three years. Each one is a focused deliverable I was hired to complete, not a job I left.
ERP Trainer (Stand-In)
Southern Company
Facilitated CSS to C2M implementation training after a Train-the-Trainer bootcamp.
Instructional Designer
New Balance · UCOP
Built Rise and Storyline courses, AI-narrated video, and AI-tools training in a heavy Agile/Jira environment; managed Workday Learning uploads.
Instructional Designer
Whole Foods · Atlantic Health
Oracle Cloud Finance and Supply Chain training; Train-the-Trainer and change management.
Instructional Designer / Trainer
Philadelphia Gas Works
Oracle C2M implementation content: Captivate, Camtasia, weekly LMS uploads, SCORM compliance.
Sr. ERP Trainer
WSSC Water
UPK content for WAM, C2M, CC&B and MWM; UPK admin, LMS management, field and corporate facilitation, hypercare.
Training Content Developer / ERP Trainer
Cook County Government
Oracle R12 and Hyperion UPK content; facilitated ILT for 3,500 users.
Lead Training Developer
Motorola · Meritor · Integra & more
Led UPK development teams; multi-language content conversions; global Train-the-Trainer.
Graphic Designer & Photographer (Part-Time)
Bling! Magazine · Timbaland Way Cares
20 years of design work: magazine covers, event branding, product photography, and videography for events around Virginia Beach. The creative roots that still shape every course I build.
Let's talk
Have a project in mind?