Bring the Right Instructional Design Expertise to Your Next Learning Initiative
Sometimes you don’t need another training course.
You need someone who can step into the situation, understand the business challenge, work with your subject-matter experts, and determine what the learning solution should be.
TrainSMART’s instructional design consultants help organizations analyze performance needs, strengthen existing learning programs, design new training initiatives, and provide internal Learning & Development teams with the additional expertise and capacity needed to move important projects forward.
For more than 30 years, TrainSMART has partnered with organizations to create practical learning experiences built around their people, workplace, business goals, and performance expectations.
Whether you need an instructional design consultant for a defined project or a broader partner to help guide an enterprise learning initiative, we meet you where you are and help move the work forward.
Talk With an Instructional Design Consultant
What Is an Instructional Design Consultant?
An instructional design consultant is an experienced learning professional who helps organizations determine how learning can improve employee performance and then designs the strategy, experiences, and resources needed to make that happen.
A TrainSMART instructional design consultant may help your organization:
- Identify performance and capability gaps
- Conduct a training needs analysis
- Define measurable learning objectives
- Evaluate existing training materials
- Work with subject matter experts
- Recommend the right learning modalities
- Develop curriculum and learning journeys
- Design instructor-led, virtual, blended, or digital learning
- Create scenarios, activities, assessments, and practice opportunities
- Develop reinforcement and performance support tools
- Support implementation and rollout
- Evaluate whether the learning is producing the intended results
The goal isn’t simply to create training.
It’s to create the right learning solution for the business problem you’re trying to solve.
Talk With an Instructional Design Consultant
When Should You Bring in an Instructional Design Consultant?
Organizations typically bring TrainSMART into a project when they have an important learning initiative but need additional expertise, capacity, perspective, or momentum.
Your Internal L&D Team Is at Capacity
Your learning team may already be supporting onboarding, leadership development, compliance, systems training, employee development, and other business priorities.
TrainSMART can provide additional instructional design expertise without requiring you to permanently expand your team.
You’re Building a New Training Program
A new initiative often requires more than subject matter expertise.
We help transform business knowledge, processes, systems, and SME content into structured learning experiences employees can understand, practice, and apply.
Your Existing Training Isn’t Working
Employees may be completing training without changing what they do on the job.
Our consultants can evaluate learning objectives, content, activities, assessments, delivery methods, reinforcement, and performance expectations to identify what needs to change.
You’re Modernizing Legacy Training
PowerPoint decks, old facilitator guides, manuals, outdated eLearning, recorded webinars, and scattered job aids can become difficult to manage and even harder for employees to use.
We help determine what should be kept, removed, updated, redesigned, or converted into a different learning format.
You’re Scaling Training Across the Organization
Training that works for one team or location doesn’t automatically work across multiple roles, business units, offices, plants, regions, or countries.
TrainSMART helps organizations create scalable learning solutions that maintain consistency without losing relevance.
You’re Launching Something New
New systems, processes, products, policies, and organizational initiatives often create a learning requirement.
Our instructional design consultants can help translate those changes into practical employee learning, performance support, and reinforcement.
What Can TrainSMART’s Instructional Design Consultants Help You Build?
Our consultants support projects ranging from focused learning assignments to complex enterprise initiatives.
Instructor-Led Training
Turn information into facilitated learning experiences built around participation, discussion, practice, feedback, and application.
Deliverables may include:
- Facilitator guides
- Participant workbooks
- Presentation materials
- Exercises and activities
- Case studies
- Role plays
- Scenarios
- Assessments
- Trainer resources
- Explore Instructor-Led Training Solutions
Custom eLearning
Transform processes, knowledge, systems, compliance requirements, or workplace skills into engaging digital learning experiences.
Our team can support:
- eLearning strategy
- Storyboarding
- Course architecture
- Interactive learning
- Scenario-based learning
- Knowledge checks
- Assessments
- Articulate Storyline development
- Articulate Rise development
- LMS-ready learning
- Explore Custom eLearning Development
Blended Learning
Not every learning challenge should be solved with a single course.
We can combine instructor-led training, virtual learning, eLearning, microlearning, coaching, reinforcement, job aids, and performance support into one connected learning experience.
Onboarding & New Hire Training
Create onboarding experiences that help new employees understand their role, build capability faster, and become productive with greater consistency.
Instructional design consulting may support:
- New hire learning journeys
- Role-based onboarding
- Manager onboarding
- Operational training
- Systems training
- Job aids
- Manager reinforcement tools
- Assessments and milestones
Leadership & Employee Development
TrainSMART combines instructional design expertise with decades of experience designing and facilitating workplace learning.
We can help create customized programs around:
- Leadership development
- Manager development
- Communication
- Customer service
- Presentation skills
- Emotional intelligence
- Coaching
- Conflict management
- Professional development
- Team effectiveness
Technical, Process & Systems Training
Complex information does not automatically become effective training.
Our instructional design consultants work with your subject matter experts to determine what employees actually need to know and do, then structure that information into learning employees can use.
More Than Content Development
One of the most common mistakes organizations make is assuming that good instructional design means organizing existing information into a polished course.
It doesn’t.
A training program can look professional and still fail to develop the skills employees need.
The slides can look good.
The eLearning can be interactive.
The assessment can produce a passing score.
And employees can still walk away unable to perform differently.
TrainSMART’s instructional design consultants look beneath the surface.
We ask:
What should employees be able to do differently after this experience?
Then we design backward from that outcome.
That may mean replacing content-heavy slides with practice.
Replacing generic scenarios with situations employees actually encounter.
Replacing recall questions with assessments that require judgment.
Or determining that employees need a job aid, workflow resource, coaching conversation, or process improvement instead of another course.
Learning should not simply look complete. It should improve performance.
Our Instructional Design Consulting Approach
Every organization and learning initiative is different.
TrainSMART customizes the engagement around your business goals, learners, internal resources, existing content, technology, timeline, and desired outcomes.
1. Understand the Business Need
We begin by understanding why the initiative exists.
What needs to change?
What are employees doing today?
What should they be doing instead?
What business or performance outcome should improve?
This gives the learning initiative a clear purpose before development begins.
2. Analyze the Learner and Performance Environment
Depending on the engagement, this may include:
- Stakeholder discussions
- SME interviews
- Existing content review
- Workflow analysis
- Performance gap analysis
- Training needs assessment
- Technology review
- Existing learning evaluation
3. Recommend the Right Learning Strategy
Training format should follow the need, not the other way around.
TrainSMART may recommend:
- Instructor-led training
- Virtual instructor-led training
- eLearning
- Microlearning
- Blended learning
- Coaching
- Job aids
- Performance support
- Simulations
- Scenario-based practice
- Train-the-Trainer
- Reinforcement activities
Often, the strongest solution combines several approaches.
4. Design Around Application
We determine how employees will move from understanding something to actually using it.
That includes establishing:
- Learning objectives
- Course architecture
- Learning sequence
- Activities
- Scenarios
- Practice opportunities
- Assessments
- Reinforcement
- Performance support
5. Develop and Implement the Solution
Once the design is established, TrainSMART can develop the learning materials and experiences needed to bring the solution to life.
Because our capabilities extend beyond consulting, you don’t necessarily need to find another vendor after the strategy is complete.
TrainSMART can help you assess, design, develop, deliver, reinforce, and evaluate the learning initiative.
Why Organizations Choose TrainSMART
30+ Years of Learning & Development Experience
TrainSMART has helped organizations improve employee capability and workforce performance for more than three decades.
Experienced Learning Professionals
Our projects are supported by professionals who understand instructional design, adult learning, facilitation, learning technology, and workplace performance.
Flexible Engagements
We can support a defined project, supplement your internal team, or partner with you on a larger learning initiative.
Strategy Through Delivery
TrainSMART can support the entire learning lifecycle, from needs analysis and instructional design through content development, facilitation, reinforcement, and evaluation.
Custom Solutions
We don’t force your organization into a predetermined course, methodology, or learning format. The solution is built around your organization.
Local & Global Support
TrainSMART supports organizations with individual locations, distributed teams, national operations, and global workforces.
Instructional Design Consultants Who Understand Training From Both Sides
TrainSMART doesn’t approach instructional design as an isolated development function.
We design training.
We develop training.
And we deliver training.
That matters.
Our experience facilitating workplace learning gives our instructional designers insight into how learners respond to content, where facilitators struggle, which activities create engagement, what causes confusion, and what translates successfully into workplace application.
It allows us to think beyond the document, slide deck, or eLearning module.
We think about the entire learning experience.
Do You Need an Instructional Design Consultant?
You may not know exactly what the solution should be yet.
That’s okay.
Tell us what needs to change.
Tell us what isn’t working.
Tell us what you’re trying to build.
TrainSMART will help you determine the smartest way forward.
Whether you need additional instructional design capacity, a new learning strategy, an existing program redesigned, or an experienced partner to guide a major workforce learning initiative, our instructional design consultants are ready to help.
Let’s Talk About Your Learning Initiative
Schedule a conversation with a TrainSMART instructional design consultant.
Frequently Asked Questions About Instructional Design Consultants
What does an instructional design consultant do?
An instructional design consultant helps organizations analyze learning and performance needs and design training solutions that improve employee capability. Their work may include needs analysis, learning strategy, curriculum design, eLearning, instructor-led training, blended learning, assessments, performance support, implementation, and evaluation.
What is the difference between an instructional designer and an instructional design consultant?
An instructional designer may primarily focus on designing and developing learning materials. An instructional design consultant typically takes a broader role by helping stakeholders define the business problem, analyze performance needs, recommend a learning strategy, and guide the initiative in addition to supporting design and development.
When should a company hire an instructional design consultant?
Organizations often bring in instructional design consultants when internal teams lack capacity, specialized expertise is required, training needs to be modernized, a new initiative is launching, or an important project needs to move forward without adding permanent headcount.
Can an instructional design consultant work with our existing L&D team?
Yes. TrainSMART frequently works collaboratively with internal Learning & Development teams, HR teams, business leaders, project teams, subject matter experts, and other stakeholders.
Can TrainSMART develop the training after the consulting engagement?
Yes. TrainSMART can support the complete learning lifecycle, including needs analysis, instructional design, content development, eLearning development, instructor-led training, virtual training, facilitation, Train-the-Trainer, reinforcement, and evaluation.
Can TrainSMART redesign an existing training program?
Yes. Existing PowerPoints, facilitator materials, eLearning, manuals, webinars, SOPs, assessments, job aids, and other learning materials can be evaluated and redesigned into a more cohesive and effective learning experience.
Does every instructional design project require eLearning?
No. The learning format should be determined by the business need, learners, work environment, content, and desired performance outcome. Depending on the initiative, TrainSMART may recommend instructor-led training, virtual learning, eLearning, blended learning, microlearning, coaching, performance support, or a combination of approaches.