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The Art of Installing Art
The Art of Installing Art
Description: This scenario-based eLearning experience prepares Art Installers to handle unexpected challenges on the job site. It guides them in advocating for their safety while building positive relationships with clients.
Responsibilities: Instructional design (action mapping, storyboarding, mockups, prototype, full build), visual design, eLearning development.
Tools Used: Articulate Storyline 360, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Google Docs, MindMeister, Freepik.
The Problem
The Problem
Hang It is a fictitious art framing and installation company based on a real business where I currently work. The company recently expanded, opening several new locations across the Upper Midwest. To support this growth, they hired a new group of art installers; however, past turnover in this role has been high.
Past Art Installers would frequently go over the scheduled time allotted for a client to hang last-minute add-ons, making them late for their subsequent appointments. In addition, past Art Installers often put themselves in risky positions to meet the requests of their clients. These missteps led to scratched walls and damaged frames, as well as back and shoulder injuries among workers. If left unchecked, this type of behavior could lead to greater injury and damage to property, a cost this newly expanding company cannot risk to cover. Additionally, the costs that come with high turnover would stifle or even reverse their current expansion efforts.
The Solution
The Solution
Hang It needed a training solution that would better prepare and retain its new hires. I developed this eLearning experience to address that need and support the success of their expanding team. The branching scenarios in the eLearning experience target behavior change, which is essential for safety and retention.
New hires take this eLearning course after they complete the job-shadow technical training. This is the final step before solo fieldwork. This online module gives them a risk-free environment to practice making smart decisions in challenging situations and prepares them to work independently on the job site. It reduces accidents, strengthens client communication, and sets trainees up for greater job satisfaction.
My Process
My Process
Drawing from my experience as an Art Installer, I created a branching scenario training for a fictitious art framing and installation company. I began with an action map to identify the business goal and key learner actions, then developed a text-based storyboard with branching choices and meaningful consequences. To bring the experience to life, I defined the visual direction with a mood board, style guide, and mockups in Adobe XD and Illustrator. I then built an interactive prototype in Articulate Storyline, complete with sound effects and animations, and refined it based on feedback from my mentor and peers.
- Action Map
(Close-Up of Action Map)
My real-world experience served as a stand-in for SME insight. I used my observations and the insight of my coworkers to create an action map, following the approach outlined by Cathy Moore in Map It. The action map identifies specific behaviors learners need to perform to support the overall business goal. While several actions could help Art Installers navigate unplanned installation requests safely, I prioritized the three with the most serious potential consequences if done incorrectly. These high-impact actions—highlighted in blue above—became the focus of the training and shaped the overall storyline. These three actions help Art Installers clearly define their time and safety boundaries when dealing with unplanned client requests. Teaching Art Installers the behaviors needed to advocate for themselves ultimately leads to greater job satisfaction and higher retention rates.
- Storyboard
Once I completed the action map, I developed a text-based storyboard that outlined the entire project. I built a narrative that followed the user through a typical day as an Art Installer, stopping at three client homes and encountering unexpected challenges along the way. Each scenario aligned with the prioritized actions from the action map, ensuring the training remained focused and purposeful. The scenarios emphasized the following key decisions:
Site Visit 1: Communicate with the client if they have added to their original job description, and their additional request will put you over your time limit.
Site Visit 2: Ask for help from the client with lifting and placing the artwork on the hooks if you think you might damage the frame, wall, or risk injury by lifting it alone.
Site Visit 3: Do not use an extension ladder in a stairwell without the assistance of another trained installer.
When learners selected an incorrect response, the story progressed in a negative direction, allowing them to see the consequences of unsafe or ineffective decisions. For instance, if they chose to use a ladder with the homeowner's help, they witnessed a worst-case scenario unfold. I paired each decision with subtle sound effects to reinforce the emotional tone—success or failure—of their choices.
Learners had the opportunity to retry incorrect decisions until they experienced the correct approach for each situation. This risk-free environment proved especially valuable when dealing with safety-critical content. To support learners who felt uncertain, I included a mentor character who could be consulted at any point. This feature provided just-in-time guidance without overwhelming the learner, aligning with best practices for adult learning and avoiding unnecessary information dumps.
- Visual Mock-Up
After receiving approval on the text-based storyboard, I began designing the visuals. I created a style guide in Google Slides and used Adobe Illustrator and Adobe XD to develop the visual mock-ups.
One of my design goals was to select a color scheme and font pairing that aligned with both the company's brand and the project's theme—art and art installation. I applied the chosen colors consistently to create a sense of visual harmony.
Once the style guide was approved, I moved on to the visual mock-ups. I reconfigured, simplified, and recolored illustrations from Freepik using Adobe Illustrator to match the training's narrative and color palette. This design choice aligns with Mayer's Coherence Principle, which recommends eliminating extraneous visuals to reduce cognitive load. I then imported these custom assets into Adobe XD, where I had previously created wireframes to plan out slide layouts. XD made it easy to iterate quickly, share designs, and incorporate peer feedback throughout the process.
This phase allowed me to focus on immersion and visual storytelling before layering in interactivity in Storyline. For me, this step is crucial—strong visuals are key to fully engaging the learner in the experience. Creating visual mockups also allowed me to focus on developing an intuitive user interface.
- Interactive Prototype
Next, I built an interactive prototype in Articulate Storyline 360, which included the introduction and the first scenario-based question. This phase allowed me to refine slide designs, animations, and audio while testing triggers and variables to ensure everything functioned as intended.
By focusing on the first section of the course, I was able to gather feedback early, implement suggestions, and make design improvements before building out the full experience.
Introduction
Question 1
- Full Development
Because I had already designed each slide type in Storyline during the prototype stage, I had a clear formula for how to build the rest of the project. I was able to reuse my transition slides with small changes and created the remaining two scenarios using the blueprints from the prototype. I felt confident building out the remainder of the project because I had already collected and applied feedback during the prototype step.
I also used this step to further consider and design how the user would interact with the project. I knew my story and visuals were strong, but my next challenge was to incorporate animations, audio, and triggers to move the story along and keep the user engaged. I did this by keeping the audio subtle and weaving it consistently throughout. My most effective use of audio was in the question-and-response section. The harp chimes helped to positively reinforce a correct answer, while the selection of an incorrect response triggered a negative sound.
My timing on animations was intentional, required attention to detail when managing the timeline in Storyline, and involved trial and error to perfect. For instance, I delayed the entrance of the continue button to give the user time to experience all other animations and encounter all the text I wanted them to, before moving on. Timed animations and feedback tones support signaling and temporal contiguity, helping learners stay focused on what matters. This aligns with Mayer's multimedia principles.
- Results & Takeaways
I learned each step of the process sets you up for clarity and intention in the next step. For instance, by defining a clear, measurable goal with three connecting actionable steps when creating the Action Map, my text-based storyline became more focused, which made visuals easier to illustrate in the mock-up step, which allowed me to focus on interactivity during the prototyping step. Now that I have had a chance to spend time and energy understanding each step, I am confident my workflow for the next project I build will be more efficient, intuitive, and creative.
If I were to edit this project further, I would add an extra layer of gamification to appeal to the user. I would do this by incorporating a progress bar at the top of the screen. The progress bar would advance after the learner selects the correct choice. I believe having this visual tracker would help motivate the learner to continue because they feel a sense of accomplishment along the way. Plus, it makes learning feel more like a game and less like a chore, which can positively impact learner outcomes.
My next step is to get this eLearning course in front of learners. After participants take the eLearning course, I will use Kirpatrick's model of evaluation (described in detail below) to measure how effective the training was.
Next Steps of Evaluation
Next Steps of Evaluation
Step 1: Reaction
Immediately after taking the scenario-based training, participants will be given a brief survey to gauge their reaction to the learning experience. Did they enjoy the course? Did they find the learning experience useful? Were the scenarios realistic?
Step 2: Learning
To evaluate the effectiveness of the e-learning course, I will use the LMS data to see how many attempts it took someone to answer a question. I will also check how many times they consulted the mentor character for help.
Step 3: Behavior
The Supervisor will observe and conduct brief interviews to assess key behaviors, including punctuality for appointments and reasons for any delays. They will also ask whether installers have used extension ladders in stairwells, alone or with homeowner assistance, and whether they request help from homeowners when hanging large or precarious artworks—if not, they will further explore reasons why.
Step 4: Results
I will gather retention data one year after training to evaluate the success of the eLearning course; if at least 15 of the 20 new hires remain, the course will be considered a worthwhile investment. Exit interviews will also be conducted to understand reasons for turnover. Improving retention is a smart financial move for a growing company like Hang It, as it reduces hiring costs and boosts performance and customer satisfaction.
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