I’ve decided to change direction in 2026 in ways you might not expect. Ya know, over the past few months, I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about how people actually learn instructional desig…
1834368 viral
Instructional Design8 months ago
LinkedIn Content Strategy & Writing Style
I help new instructional designers and eLearning developers grow their careers by focusing on skills first.
1 person tracking this creator on ViralBrain
Tim Slade positions himself as a pragmatic mentor and industry realist for instructional designers, moving the conversation away from flashy portfolio "eye candy" toward high-stakes professional judgment. His content strategy centers on the "human side" of the field, frequently using a "working-out-loud" approach to demystify complex tasks like book layout in Adobe InDesign or navigating difficult stakeholder conversations. What makes Tim notable is his aggressive rejection of automation as a total solution; he argues that while AI can handle development, it cannot replace the discernment and performance-based thinking required to solve real business problems. This creates a compelling intersection between technical craftsmanship and high-level consulting, where he treats visual design not as decoration, but as a critical cognitive tool for learning.
53.2K
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I’ve decided to change direction in 2026 in ways you might not expect. Ya know, over the past few months, I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about how people actually learn instructional desig…
Ya know...a few months back, I learned that someone I didn’t know created an AI chatbot version of me. Yes...really. Later, I learned that they liked my content and “style” so much that they trained…
Ya know…at the beginning of this year, I made a simple decision: 2026 is about connection over content. That’s not just a catchy phrase. It’s a response to something I’ve been watching happen in ou…
So…let’s talk about how instructional design actually works. Not the LinkedIn version people pretend is true. A subject matter expert pops into your office, sends you a DM, or forwards you a 47-slid…
Ya know...in all my years working and leading teams in instructional design, I’ve never encountered a new ID who was struggling at their job because they didn’t know how to use an eLearning authoring…
Ya know, most likely you know me for my book, online community, or YouTube content. But, unless you've been following for more than five or six years, what many of you may not know is that before the…
6.4 posts/week
Posts / Week
1.2 days
Days Between Posts
1
Total Posts Analyzed
HIGH
Posting Frequency
144.3%
Avg Engagement Rate
STABLE
Performance Trend
330
Avg Length (Words)
HIGH
Depth Level
ADVANCED
Expertise Level
0.86/10
Uniqueness Score
YES
Question Usage
0%
Response Rate
Writing style breakdown
<start of post>
Ya know...most people think that being a great instructional designer is about mastering the latest software. They spend weeks learning how to trigger an animation or how to use the newest AI video generator.
But here’s the thing...
The tools don't make the designer. They just make the production faster.
I’ve seen people build incredibly complex, interactive modules that didn't actually solve the problem. Why? Because they didn't start with the right questions. They were so focused on the "how" that they forgot the "why."
Navigating office politics with stakeholders
Identifying the difference between a training need and a management issue
Making hard choices when the budget is small and the deadline is tomorrow
Simplifying complex ideas so they actually stick
You don't learn that by watching a software tutorial. You learn it by doing the work, getting feedback, and refining your judgment.
That’s why I’m focusing on connection over content this year. We need more rooms where we can talk about the hard parts of the job—the parts that don't have a "next" button.
If you’re ready to level up your thinking (not just your toolset), I’d love to have you join us.
🔗 Details are right here: https://bit.ly/example-link
See ya around! 👋
— Tim
<end of post>
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