What Is an Instructional Designer (and How They Can Bring Your Training Designs to Life)
- Brittany Palmisano
- Oct 27
- 4 min read
By the time your project reaches our Instructional Design team, your goals, ROI, and project plan are already in motion. Now it’s time to turn that vision into a learning experience that truly connects with your audience.
This post is Part Four of our “What to Expect When You Work With MadXR” series, where we walk you through every stage of creating an immersive training project from discovery to delivery.
At this stage, the focus shifts to Instructional Design, the art and science of transforming complex information into clear, engaging, and effective learning.
1. What Exactly Does an Instructional Designer Do?
An Instructional Designer (often called an ID) is the architect of a learning experience. Their job is to figure out what people need to learn, why they need to learn it, and how to teach it most effectively.
They don’t just write scripts or build lessons. They design the entire flow of learning from start to finish.
At MadXR, that means understanding your training objectives, breaking them into measurable outcomes, and then designing activities, interactions, and feedback that bring those outcomes to life across all formats including VR, AR, web-based, or blended learning.
But one common misconception we see, especially in job postings, is that Instructional Designers should already be subject matter experts in the topics they design for. That’s not really the role of an ID.
Our job is to partner with the experts, learn from them, and then translate that knowledge into learning experiences that people can actually understand, apply, and use to change behavior.
Here’s where our value really comes in:
Translation: SMEs provide expertise, and IDs make it digestible for learners.
Learner Focus: We design for how people learn, not just what the SME knows.
Design Expertise: It’s not about information dumps; it’s about structure, flow, and experiences that stick.
The SME brings the knowledge. The Instructional Designer makes it meaningful and memorable.
In short, the ID bridges the gap between what’s known and what needs to be learned.
2. Understanding Your Audience
Before creating anything, our Instructional Designers learn about your learners.
We ask:
Who will use this training?
What is their current skill level?
What challenges do they face on the job?
What motivates them to learn?
This helps us create training that feels real and relevant, not just another simulation but an experience that mirrors the learner’s day-to-day reality.
3. Designing the Learning Flow
Once the audience and objectives are defined, our Instructional Designers begin crafting the learning flow, the roadmap for how your learners will move through the experience.
This is where creativity and strategy meet. Your ID will collaborate with you to decide which learning approach best supports your goals and your audience.
Together, you’ll determine whether a gaming approach makes sense or if another method is a better fit.
Some of the options your ID may recommend include:
Gamified Learning: Competitive or reward-based experiences that motivate learners through scoring, levels, and achievements.
Scenario-Based Learning: Real-world situations that challenge users to make decisions and see the outcomes of their choices.
Simulation Training: Hands-on practice in a safe, controlled environment that mirrors actual tools or tasks.
Guided Exploration: A self-paced, interactive experience that encourages curiosity and discovery.
Demonstration and Practice: Step-by-step instruction followed by repetition for skill mastery.
Every approach is chosen intentionally, based on what will best achieve the learning objectives.
From pacing and feedback to environment design, every decision supports both the learner’s progress and your organization’s goals.
Whether it’s a VR safety scenario, a gamified skills challenge, or a web-based walkthrough, our goal is always the same: to make learning clear, engaging, and unforgettable.
4. Writing for Immersive Learning
Voiceover scripts, prompts, and dialog boxes all flow from the Instructional Designer’s work.
They ensure every line of text feels natural, supportive, and aligned with the learner’s experience so users feel guided, not overwhelmed.
Beyond clarity, MadXR’s Instructional Designers also capture your company’s unique voice and terminology. Whether your organization uses technical language, branded messaging, or industry-specific phrasing, your designer will weave that into the experience to make sure it feels authentic and on brand.
MadXR’s team follows strict standards for tone, pacing, and instructional consistency while adapting the language to reflect your organization’s identity and connect with your audience.
5. Collaboration Across Teams
Instructional Designers work closely with every department at MadXR.
They collaborate with:
3D Artists, who visualize environments and interactions
Developers, who bring the learning design to life through functionality
QA Testers, who ensure every element works as intended
This cross-team collaboration ensures that every aspect of your training supports both the learning objectives and the user experience.
6. What Comes Next
Once the instructional design is approved, the project moves into the 3D Art and Development phase, where the environments, characters, and interactions begin to take shape.
In Part Five of our “What to Expect When You Work With MadXR” series, we’ll introduce our 3D Artists and show how they turn storyboards and learning objectives into fully realized immersive worlds.
Ready to Bring Your Training Designs to Life?
If you’re ready to transform your ideas into a powerful, learner-focused experience, our team would love to help.
Fill out our contact form to schedule a free 30-minute consultation with our team.We’ll listen, plan, and help you visualize how our Instructional Designers can bring your content to life.
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