My Work

Welcome to my portfolio! I’m Steve, an instructional designer dedicated to creating engaging, impactful, and learner-centric experiences. Here’s an overview of the courses and projects that demonstrate my ability to design and develop training solutions tailored to meet the needs of diverse learners.

  • A course to help learners grasp difficult topics into easily digestible concepts in an fun and engaging way and help them retain that knowledge.

    • Needs Analysis: I met with SDL Quality, Safety, and Mission Assurance team to identify key learning goals for the QMS course, focusing on improving knowledge retention, compliance, and real-world application. These early conversations helped clarify technical pain points and user needs, forming the foundation for course objectives.

    • Scenario Design: I transformed highly technical topics ( document control, audits, and QAR reporting) into realistic, scenario-based challenges that reflected everyday situations SDL employees might encounter at the end of each section as knowledge checks.

    • Mentor Character: A consistent narrative voice was used to guide learners through the course, offering context, encouragement, and clear explanations to support user engagement and understanding. The knowledge checks included a mentor character guiding the learner through a series of real-world scenarios.

    • Interactive Elements: I used branching logic, guided feedback, and interactive challenges to help learners make decisions, test their understanding, and apply concepts in a low-risk environment.

    • Tone and Accessibility: While the subject matter was technical, I focused on simplifying complex ideas using a conversational tone, clear visuals, and intuitive layouts to ensure the course was accessible and easy to follow for all learners.

    • Articulate Storyline 360

    • Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere Pro, Audition) |

    • Cinema 4D

    • Camtasia Studio

    • Speechify

I designed this interactive eLearning course using the ADDIE model to help over 1400 SDL employees understand and apply the Quality Management System (QMS) in alignment with AS9100 standards. I collaborated with SDL’s Quality, Safety, and Mission Assurance team to define clear goals, mapped out a detailed storyboard and script, and used regular feedback to guide development. This course has been in use for four years.

Complex QA topics like document control, audits, and QAR reporting are presented in this course through scenario-based learning, branching paths, and interactive challenges. The result is a practical, easy-to-follow course that helps employees confidently use the QMS in their daily work.

  • This course was designed to help the average SDL employee grasp critical cyber-security concepts to provide assurance they are readily to protect SDL assets and infrastructure .

    • Needs Analysis: I collaborated with SDL IT to define critical learning goals around information security, access control, and secure data handling. These discussions clarified policy areas of concern, employee behaviors, and recent security incidents, which shaped the course’s mission-based objectives and scenario themes.

    • Scenario Design: I structured the course around realistic, escalating cybersecurity situations such as handling phishing emails, unauthorized access, and device loss, placing learners in the role of Security Champions responsible for protecting SDL systems through informed decision-making.

    • Mentor Narration: This narrator was used to guide learners through each security layer. The narrator provided mission briefings, contextual insights, and real-time feedback to keep learners engaged and aligned with SDL’s security values.

    • Interactive Elements: I implemented branching paths, simulations, and “choose your response” challenges to mirror real-world consequences. Each decision triggered immediate feedback and influenced the storyline, reinforcing best practices in information security.

    • Tone and Accessibility: Despite the technical nature of the material, I prioritized clarity and relatability by using Pixar-style visuals, conversational narration, and plain language. The course was built to be visually engaging and cognitively accessible to learners across departments.

    • Articulate Storyline 360

    • Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere Pro, Audition) |

    • Cinema 4D

    • Camtasia Studio

    • Speechify

    • Kling AI

    • Chat GPT

SDL Information Security Standards eLearning Course

I created this interactive, scenario-based course to help SDL employees navigate real-world cybersecurity situations and understand how their day-to-day decisions can protect critical systems and sensitive data. Framed as a mission to defend the organization, the course places learners in the role of Security Champions, challenging them to apply SDL policies while responding to phishing threats, secure data handling, device usage, and physical security protocols.

Complex cybersecurity concepts were broken down into engaging storylines with branching logic, guided feedback, and meaningful decision points to promote critical thinking and policy application.

By combining immersive storytelling with policy-aligned content, this course empowers SDL employees to recognize threats, make informed choices, and play an active role in safeguarding the organization’s cybersecurity.

This course was designed to help SDL employees understand and comply with export control policies and U.S. regulations. I worked closely with SDL legal counsel to define clear learning goals and used the ADDIE model to guide development from concept to completion.

Through interactive modules and real-world scenarios, complex legal requirements were made approachable and relevant, highlighting both the regulations and each employee’s role in maintaining compliance. The result is a practical, engaging course that builds awareness, encourages accountability, and helps protect SDL from export-related risks.

  • This course was designed to help employees make sense of complex export control policies and confidently apply them in their daily work. Through interactive, meaningful learning experiences, I aimed to improve understanding, retention, and real-world application of this critical information.

    • Needs Analysis: I collaborated with SDL’s legal counsel to define key learning objectives focused on U.S. export control regulations, internal procedures, and employee responsibilities. These discussions helped identify knowledge gaps and compliance risks, which shaped the course structure and scenario content.

    • Interactive Elements: The course features real-world scenarios, knowledge checks, and branching decision points that challenge learners to apply export control policies in practical situations. Each choice triggers contextual feedback, reinforcing understanding and accountability.

    • Tone and Accessibility: To make dense legal content approachable, I used a clear, conversational tone and straightforward visuals. Content was designed with accessibility in mind, ensuring learners across technical and non-technical roles could engage with and retain critical compliance information.

    • Articulate Storyline 360

    • Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere Pro, Audition) |

    • Cinema 4D

    • Camtasia Studio

This course was created to help SDL employees respond quickly and confidently during workplace emergencies. It covers key topics like emergency response, evacuation procedures, mass alerts, and workplace violence protocols.

I worked with stakeholders to define clear goals and used the ADDIE model to design a realistic, engaging experience. The course includes real-life scenarios, branching choices, and interactive challenges that let learners practice making decisions in a safe environment.

By simulating high-stakes situations, the training helps employees stay calm, act fast, and keep themselves and others safe when it matters most.

3D Camping Tips Tutorial

This brief yet highly engaging tutorial was designed to provide essential camping tips using 3D modeling and animation techniques in Cinema 4D. The 15-second video combines vibrant visuals with practical advice on camping, ensuring that key concepts are communicated effectively in a short amount of time.

Through careful design and animation, I crafted a seamless, visually appealing tutorial that balances educational content with creative storytelling, making the information easy to digest while retaining the viewer’s attention. The result is a fun, quick-hitting piece that enhances the camping experience with actionable tips.

Phishing in Cybersecurity: A Conceptual 3D Animation

This conceptual 3D animation was created for the SDL security team as an effective way to emphasize the importance of phishing threats. The video uses a visual metaphor of a fishing line hooking an email note underwater to demonstrate how easily information can be stolen through deceptive tactics. The goal of this video is to ensure employees at SDL understand the risks associated with phishing and become more vigilant in protecting themselves and the company from cybersecurity threats.

Created in Cinema 4D, the animation simplifies complex cybersecurity concepts, making them accessible and engaging, while reinforcing the need for heightened awareness against phishing threats.

Cleanroom Gowning Video Tutorial

This instructional video was developed to train personnel on the proper gowning procedures required for working in controlled environments where high-tech calibration machines and sensitive equipment must be protected from outside contaminants. The video demonstrates the correct sequence and technique for donning protective clothing, including boots, frocks, hoods, bouffant caps, and coveralls.

Designed with clarity and precision in mind, the video ensures that employees understand the importance of each garment in maintaining a contaminant-free environment. Visual cues, step-by-step narration, and close-up shots reinforce best practices and support consistent adherence to cleanliness standards.

Created using Adobe Premiere Pro, Adobe After Effects, Adobe Audition, this training piece serves as a critical resource in support of quality assurance and equipment longevity in cleanroom or high-sensitivity operational settings.