Forum Discussion
Job-Aid Design: Tips, Tricks, What to Include, How to Format?
Hello helpful instructional design & training peeps,
I've been working on designing a few job-aids lately and I was looking at templates and ideas for how to format it online when I though...
Hi Nicole,
This is a great discussion. I recently had to develop some for regulatory compliance at a call center. As everything else we do, I started with the business need. Our business need was for agents to be completely aware of Medicare regulations regarding a customer's right to an appeal. I used PowerPoint in a portrait layout to build the attached job aid. It seemed to work well along with dedicated coaching from supervising staff. In terms of formatting, I always picture a job aid to have a START and STOP point.
Ooh, nice example, Alexander! Thanks for including that,it's always soooo helpful to see real-life examples. A picture of a job-aid is worth a thousand words! haha
I'm happy to help Nicole, anything you need ; )
I echo Ben's suggestion to focus on the current users and what they look for in the work space. This helps you determine what they need and how they use it. Another quick tip on gathering this info: look at their workspace, especially the sticky-notes they place around the monitor or anywhere within view. This is the content they use the most often, and may struggle to remember. Then map them to the specific tasks where they use them. That should prompt some ideas on how to create something useful. Infographics, flow diagrams, something similar to Alexander's example could be some ways to present the info.
In a similar vein, when (if) you get the users/learners in a classroom or conference room, and after reviewing important information or a specific lesson (regulations, procedures, etc.) I've had them work in small groups to create their own job aids on a white-board or flip-chart. Pose the challenge: "What was most difficult about what we just covered? What do you think you might need the most help with when applying this on the job?" Give them time to design a "poster." Take a photo of their output, re-work it in the software of your choice, have accuracy vetted by a SME, and get it back to them. They created the original, it should look familiar, and this increases the likelihood they will make use of it. Or if their original work is THAT good, just send them copies to print and post at their desks or workspace.
Those are great ideas, Terry. I'm going to use the 'create your own' idea next week!
Natalie
This is such an amazing group activity and way to have them product their own job-aid product. I'll be writing this activity down for sure!
