We have designed and developed a lot of training since 2002 (when the company was started) or since 1984 (when Pete started in the business). Much of it was instructor-led, sometimes for professional instructors and other times for delivery by subject matter experts, leaders, coaches, and supervisors. Lately, much of it has been eLearning using […]

In the previous issue, we teed up the idea that all graphics (or any content) on the web are not necessarily fair game for re-use. There are a number of myths about which and when graphics can be used, many of which fall under the heading of “public domain.” First of all, we are not […]

There are really three keys to designing and developing solutions that improve capability Understand the work Understand the knowledge, skills, information, and traits needed to perform the work Design effective strategies for enabling performers — in this case, effective means taking the shortest path to performance Understanding the work is the most important and first step. […]

Instructionally Effective Graphics That Won’t Get You an Orange Jumpsuit   When we build training, we try to focus on the end-user performance and finding the simplest and most effective means of enabling them to perform their jobs.  Unfortunately, effective training is often not enough by itself. Clients expect the program to look good too, […]

On Sunday, 1/13, the New York Times published a DIY tool for figuring out how you would solve the budget crisis and eliminate the deficit. (I know…we should have published this sooner…the draft was on Pete’s phone and got overlooked.) The on-line version was even cooler because it did the math for you. (Here is […]

Writing is just a way to record things on an external flat surface…it allows multiple people to refer to to your thinking and it sort of extends memory because you can refer later to something you wrote down. In fact, it can even help clarify your thinking to see it down on paper. I seem […]

Was touring Edward Tufte’s website the other day and found a rant against Microsoft Powerpoint. As sort of a fan of Tufte but also Powerpoint, I had to check it out. His primary complaints seemed to boil down to three things, which don’t really seem to be (completely) Powerpoint’s fault. Because it is there, people […]

I was browsing Edward Tufte’s website the other day and stumbled upon a one-paragraph post in which he described being brought in to consult with a large pharmaceutical company to help clarify and simplify their drug labeling and supporting information. His complaint was that he couldn’t make much progress because of the conflict between regulatory […]

Was working today on a decision tool to help sales people sort out a complicated series of customer and technical requirements and limitations in order to determine an appropriate sales recommendation along with potential risks/costs for pricing and potential future “upsell” opportunities. There is a granular batch of information and, depending on the customer’s current […]