If you’re new to instructional design (ID), welcome. You’ve just joined a world where learning meets psychology, design meets science, and acronyms roam free like wild horses on the open plains. (Hi, ADDIE. Hello, Bloom.)
But seriously, this field is fascinating. And if you’re anything like me, you probably want the “explain-it-like-I’m-five” version of what makes good instructional design actually effective.
So let’s talk principles. Not the scary ones that haunt high schools, but the guiding frameworks that help you design learning experiences that stick. Whether you’re building a workshop, an eLearning module, or a lunch-and-learn for your coworkers, these are the tools in your design satchel.
What is Instructional Design?
Think of instructional designers as the behind-the-scenes directors of learning. We work across industries—higher ed, corporate training, non-profits—anywhere people need to learn something new (ideally without dozing off).
We pull from psychology, systems theory, design, education…you name it. But the goal’s always the same: help people learn in ways that are effective, efficient, and sometimes even a little fun.
Want to dive deeper into instructional design? Check out this article.
Illustration of a person with a lightbulb above their head (Midjourney, 2025).
Learning Science 101
Every good design is rooted in the science of how people learn. Here are the three big ones that underpin nearly everything we do:
Behaviorism
This one’s all about stimulus and response. Think of it as the Pavlov’s dog of learning theory: you do a thing, and then you get a treat. Or a badge. Or a satisfying “ding” when you get a quiz question right.
In action:
- eLearning courses that give you instant feedback when you choose the right answer (hello, positive reinforcement).
- Gamified learning apps like Duolingo, where correct answers earn you gems, streaks, and virtual confetti.
- Retail onboarding that teaches employees customer service scripts and uses role-play drills to reinforce the “right” response with manager praise.
Why it works: People love rewards, even tiny digital ones. And if you repeat the right behavior enough, it sticks like muscle memory, but for your brain.
♦️ Design Tip: Use behaviorism when you need to build habits or reinforce specific behaviors. Just remember, keep feedback immediate and rewards meaningful.
Cognitive Psychology
This theory zooms in on what’s happening inside the learner’s brain: how they process, store, and retrieve information. Think of it like Marie Kondo-ing your content: if it sparks confusion, it’s not staying.
In action:
- Chunked content in microlearning modules, like breaking up a 60-minute safety training into six 10-minute videos.
- Interactive infographics that combine visuals + text to help users build mental models (think of a labeled diagram of a jet engine that lights up as you click each part).
- Advance organizers in a course, like a roadmap or checklist that gives learners a clear sense of where they’re going (and how far they’ve come).
Why it works: Our working memory is limited (some say we can hold 7±2 pieces of info at once), so how we organize and present information matters…a lot.
♦️ Design Tip: Use visuals to support (not overload), break content into digestible bits, and always give learners a map before dropping them into the forest of new info.
Constructivism
The learner’s in the driver’s seat. They bring their own experiences, perspectives, and knowledge to the table. And your job as the designer…help them connect the dots and build meaning from the inside out.
In action:
- Scenario-based learning where learners make decisions in real-world situations (like a healthcare worker navigating ethical dilemmas in a simulation).
- Collaborative activities like discussion boards, peer reviews, or group challenges that allow learners to share and reflect.
- Project-based courses where learners apply what they’re learning to build something like creating a marketing plan, a user persona, or even a course of their own.
Why it works: People remember what they do, not what they just read. Giving them the space to explore, mess up, and try again. That’s where the real learning happens.
♦️ Design Tip: Build in reflection prompts, hands-on practice, and opportunities for learners to bring themselves into the content. You’re not the sage on the stage; you’re the guide on the side.
The Power Combo
Want your learning experience to really shine? Combine all three theories. For example:
- Start with a brief scenario (constructivism)
- Offer guided practice and feedback (behaviorism)
- Organize everything into a clear, easy-to-navigate structure (cognitive psychology)
Boom! You’re not just designing. You’re designing smart.
Illustration of two people lecturing to a group of students while pointing at a screen (Midjourney, 2025).
So…How Do We Use All This?
Knowing how people learn is one thing, but how do you actually design for it?
This is where instructional design principles come in. Think of them as your blueprint for building effective, engaging learning experiences. They help you move from “I get the theory” to “Here’s how I apply it to a course, training, or workshop that people actually learn from (and maybe even enjoy).”
Let’s start with one of the classics: Gagné’s 9 Events of Instruction.
Gagné’s 9 Events of Instruction
Robert Gagné gave us a step-by-step guide to structuring a learning experience. It’s like a recipe for teaching, no matter what you’re cooking up.
- Gain Attention – Start with a bang…a story, a question, an unexpected stat. Anything to snap learners out of scroll mode.
- State Objectives – Tell people what they’re going to learn, but keep it human. (“You’ll know how to…” > “Learners will be able to…”).
- Stimulate Recall – Help learners connect the dots to what they already know. Ask questions, bring up past experiences, or reference earlier lessons.
- Present Content – This is your main course. Serve it in bite-sized chunks. Add visuals. Align it with your objectives.
- Provide Guidance – Give tips, tricks, frameworks. Think study aids, not just content.
- Elicit Performance – Practice time! Let learners try it themselves. This is where drag-and-drops, quizzes, and scenarios shine.
- Provide Feedback – Let learners know what they did right or where they zigged when they should’ve zagged. Feedback = growth.
- Assess Performance – Are they getting it? Use assessments to check, whether that’s a quiz or a real-world task.
- Enhance Retention and Transfer – Help learners take it with them. Job aids, real-life examples, and role-playing all help learning stick.
♦️ Pro tip: You don’t have to follow these in order, but they’re a great blueprint if you’re just starting out.
Want the full breakdown (with how-to tips)? Read the full article on Gagné’s 9 Events of Instruction.
Illustration of a person with headphones and VR goggles on (Midjourney, 2025).
Mayer’s Multimedia Learning Principles
Richard Mayer’s multimedia learning theory is a cornerstone of instructional design. It is built on three core assumptions: 1) that we process visual and auditory info in separate channels, 2) that those channels have limited capacity, and 3) that active engagement boosts learning. His theory breaks down into 12 practical principles for creating effective media-rich learning.
Here’s the short version:
- Multimedia: Combine words and visuals, not just one or the other.
- Coherence: Cut distractions. Stick to content that supports learning goals.
- Signaling: Guide attention with visual or verbal cues.
- Redundancy: Don’t show and say the same thing at once. Pick one.
- Spatial Contiguity: Place text near related visuals.
- Temporal Contiguity: Sync narration with visuals in real time.
- Segmenting: Break content into manageable chunks.
- Pre-training: Introduce key terms and concepts early.
- Modality: Pair visuals with audio, not with walls of text.
- Voice: Use a human, conversational tone.
- Personalization: Speak directly to learners using casual language.
- Image: Use visuals that serve a purpose, not just faces for flair.
Want the full breakdown (with how-to tips)? Read the full article on Mayer’s Multimedia Principles.
Illustration of a person walking on a golden path towards a finish line flag (Midjourney, 2025).
The ADDIE Model: Your Roadmap
If you’ve ever felt like designing a course is equal parts creativity, strategy, and organized chaos…you’re not wrong. That’s why frameworks like ADDIE exist. Think of it as your GPS for getting from “we need training” to “wow, that actually worked.”
It stands for:
- Analysis – Who’s your audience? What’s the problem? Is training even the solution?
- Design – Time to blueprint. Define learning objectives, activities, and structure.
- Development – Build it. This is where you create the slides, videos, or course modules.
- Implementation – Launch day! Deliver the training and make sure tech is on your side.
- Evaluation – Did it work? Measure impact, make improvements, and keep learning.
At its core, ADDIE helps you slow down, ask the right questions, and build learning that sticks. Each phase has its role, and together, they create a roadmap that’s flexible enough for modern work but structured enough to keep you grounded.
Want the full breakdown? Read the full article on the ADDIE framework.
Illustration of person on top of a pyramid (Midjourney, 2025).
Bloom’s Taxonomy: Writing Objectives
When it comes to writing learning objectives, Bloom’s Taxonomy is your trusty ladder. Each rung represents a different level of thinking, from basic recall to big-picture creation:
- Remember – recalling facts, definitions, or concepts
- Understand – explaining ideas, summarizing, interpreting
- Apply – using knowledge in a new situation
- Analyze – breaking information into parts, spotting patterns
- Evaluate – making judgments, defending opinions
- Create – building something new from what’s been learned
But here’s the trick: You don’t need to hit the top rung every time.
Design your objective to match your learners where they are. If they’re brand new to a topic, there’s no shame in starting at “remember.” (In fact, it’s smart instructional design.) If they’ve got the basics down, challenge them with an “analyze” or “evaluate” level task.
Example:
Instead of “understand climate change,” go with:
- “List the key causes of climate change” (Remember)
- “Compare human and natural contributors to climate change” (Analyze)
- “Design an awareness campaign addressing climate change in your community” (Create)
Using Bloom’s helps you turn vague goals into clear, measurable outcomes and ensure your learning activities actually support those goals.
♦️ Pro tip: Start with a Bloom’s verb when you write objectives. It instantly clarifies the level of thinking you’re aiming for.
Want to explore how this plays out in digital learning? Read the full article on Bloom’s Taxonomy.
Final Thoughts
Instructional design isn’t about buzzwords or bloated PowerPoints. It’s about creating meaningful learning experiences that actually help people grow.
So whether you’re polishing your first storyboard or mapping out a whole course, just remember: clear beats clever. Human beats robotic. And practice beats perfection.
Got a learning challenge on your hands or just want to talk design strategy? Reach out. I’ll bring the theories, you bring the lattes.