The Great Importance Of The Design Document
Designing a creative brief/learning strategy is an extremely important part of your process. It sets the proper foundation for your entire project and helps every person on the team be on the same page regarding vision and expectations.
Remember the creative brief/learning strategy (sometimes called a design document) is your blueprint for the entire training video. It is a document that summarizes the project’s business needs and explains how the video addresses those needs through learning objectives and a content outline.
The Questions You Should Be Able To Answer
The brief should contain answers to these questions:
- What is the business problem to solve?
- What are the Key Performance Indicators to achieve?
- Who is the target audience?
- What are the learner personas?
- What are the actionable, measurable, and specific learning objectives?
- How will the story be told—characters, setting, story arc?
- Who is the target audience?
- Why does the audience care?
- Where and how will the video be distributed? (i.e., YouTube, LMS, intranet)
- What is the preliminary budget?
- When is the completed training video due?
Once the above questions have been answered, you are ready to add the content outline. The content outline contains the main points to cover with supporting details underneath. This is important to provide flow and organization of information before the script is written or filming starts.
The Process Of The Creative Brief/Learning Strategy
Review Your Material
First, review the source material and notes from your discovery conversations, and then write the key topics you want to cover. The key topics should align with your learning objectives. Organize the key topics in a fashion that makes sense based on the learners’ job tasks.
Let’s look at an example of a dishwasher installation how-to video. The following learning objectives are for first-time dishwasher installers:
- Remove an existing dishwasher and prepare the opening for dishwasher installation.
- Install a model XYZ dishwasher according to manufacturer specifications.
- Test a model XYZ dishwasher.
- Troubleshoot and resolve common issues with the model XYZ dishwasher.
Depending on the amount of detail you need to include for each topic and the needs of the learner, you can make one long video or create a separate video for each topic. For example, if the learner will use the training videos as a reference on the job, you should create short, separate videos for easier access.
Analyzing Each Topic
Now begin to break down each key topic. For example, what are the steps for removing a dishwasher? What are the steps for testing and operating the dishwasher? How many “common issues” do installers run into, and what are the steps to troubleshoot each one?
Creating A Structure
Lastly, make sure the outline for each topic has a clear beginning, middle, and end. Like the courses you write, a video script should briefly introduce the topic that’s going to be covered before moving onto the details and eventually summarize the main points in the conclusion.
Afterthoughts
Your creative brief/learning strategy is done. It is a key component to creating an effective training video. Take adequate time to develop it and get the stakeholders' approval before continuing to the next phases. This will save you time, money, and frustration. However, once it is approved, do not set it aside. Throughout the training video project, refer to the creative brief/learning strategy to make sure the script and filming meet all the needs answered in the questions and follow the outline.
The Creative Brief/Learning Strategy Is Just A Piece Of The Puzzle
This is just the first step to create a training video. If you would like to learn more, you should download the eBook The Beginner’s Guide To Making A Training Video. In this eBook, I draw on my decades of training video production experience to break down the process and remove the curtain of mystery. I will provide you with the knowledge and tools to plan, write, and produce a professional and effective training video.
