Resources

Every now and again I aim to practice what I preach and provide you with free resources to help you create user centred content. Feel free to download, share and provide feedback or suggestions as to what you would like to see here.

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Article on ‘Moving your learning online’.

This article was originally published in ISTC Communicator, Summer 2020.

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Article on ‘User pain points and overcoming them’

This article was originally published in ISTC Communicator, Spring 2020.

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Infographic on using personas in online learning

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Article on ‘E-learning: How to capture your audience’

This article was originally published in ISTC Communicator, Autumn 2019.

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Article on ‘Using Visuals to Support e-learning’

This article was originally published in ISTC Communicator, Winter 2019.

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From visibility to overwhelm and back again

by Helen | 13/07/2020 | Business, contracting, freelance, interview, Personal Projects, reflection, selfcare, selfemployed, Unlikely Genius | 0 Comments

A few weeks ago I wrote about visibility and how it leads to great things. And then I went AWOL. For weeks. Ooh, the irony. What a hippo-crito. 🦛 Anyhoo… In my bouncy excitement, work was flooding in and I took on too much. I was invincible. And others were...

Drum roll please… (or preferably Prosecco corks popping)

by Helen | 26/06/2020 | Business, freelance, Personal Projects, reflection, selfemployed, Travels, Unlikely Genius, write52, Writing | 0 Comments

🌟🥳 HAPPY 1ST #WRITE52 BIRTHDAY TO ME 🌟🥳 A year ago I was travelling around the Nordic fjords in snow…in June… (ahh bliss, remember the days when we could travel?)... when I stumbled upon a tweet by Ed Callow which mentioned he was trying to give himself some...

Being visible, breaking down barriers and building a tribe.

by Helen | 17/06/2020 | Business, contracting, freelance, mentalhealth, online learning, reflection, selfcare, selfemployed, Unlikely Genius, write52, Writing | 2 Comments

If there is one positive thing I can say for 2020 so far it is that being visible has worked. Not just for getting business in, but for increasing mentality towards my business, myself, and opportunities. Plus, as a result of my efforts at visibility, I have seen a...

Tools and resources I now can’t work without

by Helen | 09/06/2020 | books, Business, Content Design, E-Learning, freelance, Infographics, Instructional Design, Reading, selfemployed, Unlikely Genius, UX design, write52 | 0 Comments

There are so many valuable resources, sources of information and golden brain nuggets out there, and as freelancers we love to share tips. So this week's post is about 7 bloody marvellous resources that help me function, give my brain a good old poke when needed, or...

What is Rapid Learning?

by Helen | 04/06/2020 | Content Design, E-Learning, freelance, Graphic Design, Infographics, Instructional Design, online learning, selfemployed, training, Unlikely Genius, write52, Writing | 0 Comments

With the effect of the current global pandemic, many businesses are quickly having to adapt to take many aspects of their business online, training and learning being one of them. In order to do so, there is one aspect of eLearning methodology that is particularly...

My epic week of wins and a reflection on how it’s happened

by Helen | 29/05/2020 | Business, Content Design, contracting, E-Learning, freelance, Graphic Design, Instructional Design, reflection, selfemployed, Unlikely Genius, write52 | 0 Comments

Freelancer. Self-employed. Contractor. Entrepreneur. All these roles come with a whirlwind of emotions, high and low. Time of tumbleweed followed by avalanches of work. Tear inducing trauma and brilliant big wins. It is certainly life-changing. And takes some getting...

The importance of a good design brief

by Helen | 24/05/2020 | Content Design, Design briefs, E-Learning, freelance, Graphic Design, Instructional Design, selfemployed, Unlikely Genius, write52 | 0 Comments

Even within the design community, the power of a decent design brief can be hugely unappreciated. In the initial flurry of activity and enthusiasm, it is all too easy to just jump headfirst into developing ideas and cranking the designs out. I have even seen some...

A quick guide to user personas in online learning

by Helen | 12/05/2020 | Content Design, contracting, E-Learning, freelance, Graphic Design, Infographics, Instructional Design, online learning, selfemployed, training, Unlikely Genius, userexperience, UX design, write52 | 0 Comments

Earlier in the week, I was involved in a conversation about user personas and whether they are applicable in online learning. Having seen how effective they are in UX design, I have long thought that they had a place in e-learning. It is so important to understand...

Creating e-learning isn’t just a case of moving your presentation slides online

by Helen | 07/05/2020 | Content Design, E-Learning, freelance, Instructional Design, online learning, selfemployed, teaching, training, Unlikely Genius, write52, Writing | 0 Comments

There is quite a prolific belief that creating e-learning is easy. After all, you have a PowerPoint that has worked well for face-to-face training since 1999, so all you need to do it get that online somehow, right? No no no. Wrong. There is so much more to it. If you...

Tips for nailing phone and video call interviews

by Helen | 27/04/2020 | Business, freelance, interview, interviewtechniques, reflection, selfemployed, training, Unlikely Genius, write52 | 0 Comments

Phone and video interviews seem to be something I have become well-practiced in since I started working for myself and out of four interviews I have secured all four of the roles. It was really interesting to get feedback on my latest last week and got me thinking...

60 mins consultancy

Want to work through a piece of content together? Pick my brains about how to move forward in a project? Have a look through your existing content and see how it could be improved?

Then book a consultancy power hour with me for £60 + VAT.

Oodles of freebies

I regularly produce freebies to help business and designers expand their knowledge of eLearning and content design.

Check them out, and feel free to request a specific topic you'd like covered here.

Let's have a chat!

Want to know more about me or my work? Have a project you'd like me to work on? Or a collaboration idea brewing?

Then give me a call or drop me a message and I can call you back.

Develop your own skills

Contact me to register your interest in my upcoming courses or sign up below to receive news of the launch:

eLearning: Taking your training online
Content design: Optimising your content for the right audience, at the right time, in the right place