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Drop us a message! We'd love to hear from you. What feels boring to you could be someone’s favorite moment.  In this week’s episode, host Matt Pierce is joined by David Hagerstrom, Marketing Generalist at TechSmith. David edits video for YouTube and ads, and recently took on the demo videos for our Unlocked event.  Matt and David talk through the highs and lows of putting the event together, and what it was like to edit a stack of unscripted videos back-to-back. They also ask whether a time crunch helps or hurts creativity. Along the way, David shares what the experience has changed about how he edits.  Learning points from the episode include:  How a live event blends the control of video editing with the unpredictability of a stage play. What it takes to carry an expert’s message when you didn’t write it, from working around missteps to keeping the focus on the learner. How to keep a team moving in the same direction when many people shape the message and the deadline won’t move. Important links and mentions:  Connect with David Hagerstrom on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-hagerstrom-716bb4260/ Watch the Unlocked event and demos on TechSmith’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@techsmith Snagit - capture your screen and record quick videos, with built-in editing and sharing tools: https://www.techsmith.com/store/snagit  Camtasia Pro - record your screen and edit videos, plus AI avatars, translation, and dubbing: https://www.techsmith.com/store/camtasia  Loved something from Unlocked, or didn’t? Matt wants to hear it. Leave a voicemail for the show: https://www.visuallounge.net/2630997/fan_mail

Drop us a message! We'd love to hear from you. 299 episodes. 10 lessons learned. Episode 300 shares them all!   In this special milestone episode, our host Matt Pierce is going back to the 90s and doing it David Letterman style! Over 4 years ago Matt created this podcast, and in this week's episode, we celebrate this journey by reflecting on every lesson learned.  Matt counts down his top 10 lessons on video, covering everything from recording gear, audience attention spans and AI. Along the way, he shares a personal story about a hard lesson in knowing what your audience actually wants to hear.  So sit down, get comfortable, and don't forget to take notes, as Matt shares his 299 episodes' worth of wisdom!  Learning points from the episode include:  How a rough, to-the-point video can often beat a highly produced one, especially in tutorial content where the goal is clarity, not flash. What matters is relevance, not length. Matt uses the debunked "goldfish attention span" myth to show that people don't have short attention spans, they have low patience for content that isn't relevant to them. Why human judgment matters more than ever, now that AI makes content easier to produce. Matt says AI can generate output, but it can't tell you whether that output is good. That's still on the creator. Important links and mentions:  TechSmith Academy: Learn how to use and create better images and videos (for free): https://www.techsmith.com/learn/tutorials/academy/    Got a story about how long a video took you to make? Matt wants to hear it: [email protected]

Drop us a message! We'd love to hear from you. Rance says most training happens in fairyland, where nothing ever goes wrong.  This week is a revisit of one of our favorite conversations with Rance Greene, founder of NeedAStory.com and the School of Story Design, and author of Instructional Story Design: A Practical Guide for Developing Stories that Train.  Rance talks about the two ingredients every training story needs and shares a surprisingly simple trick for naming characters to make them feel like real people. He also explains when a story is the right call for training, and when it's better to skip it entirely.  Learning points from the episode include:  Rance builds a detailed audience profile for every training session. Their values, their current pressures, what they fear, even what they do in their spare time - not just their job title. Rance's rule for building a story - only do it if something in the learner's behavior needs to change. Stories work like flight simulators for behavior. The neurons firing during a well-told story are the same ones that fire in the real situation, which is exactly what creates that desire for resolution. Important links and mentions:  Connect with Rance on LinkedInCheck out School of Story Design and Need A StorySubscribe to Rance's YouTube Channel

Drop us a message! We'd love to hear from you. Bad design gets noticed instantly. Good design fades into the background.   In this episode, host Matt Pierce is joined by Melissa Milloway (Mel). With over 15 years’ experience in Instructional Design, Mel now uses her expertise to build teams that design learning for tech. She talks about how heavily visual choices influence what a learner takes away from an experience.  Mel breaks down how she decides what earns a place on the screen, the small details that shape a learners’ focus, and how skill cannot be built on theory alone.   She also explains how she uses AI to speed up production without losing realism and previews a project that she is currently working on for the upcoming DevLearn Conference.   Learning points from the episode include:   Every visual choice should be intentional. If you can't explain why something's on the screen, Mel says it probably shouldn't be there. Spacing isn’t just aesthetic. Mel points to an existing UX concept called the ‘BFFs of spacing’, which explains how visual elements placed close together read as related, while elements placed further apart read as unrelated. This is often the case whether you intend it to be or not. Realistic practice, like Mel's 911 dispatcher training scenario, works because it closely mirrors the pressure and ambiguity of the real situation, so the actual moment isn't a surprise when it happens. Important links and mentions:  Connect with Melissa Milloway on LinkedInMel's upcoming book, "Getting Unstuck in Learning Design" (available for pre-order, out February)

Drop us a message! We'd love to hear from you. When it’s too utopian, people get bored. The best training doesn't hand you the right answer. It makes you sit with the consequences of getting it wrong. In this episode, host Matt Pierce sits down with Moe Ash, founder of The Catalyst, an instructional design consultancy, to talk about how real consequences, not perfect answers, are what make training actually work.    They explore the story structures Moe uses to build training that sticks, why realistic trade-offs beat ‘correct answer’ thinking, and why punishing mistakes can do more harm than good. Moe also breaks down why relatable, flawed characters make for better learning than perfect ones. Learning points from the episode include:  Moe builds learning experiences around four classic story forms: Defeating Evil, Rags to Riches, The Quest, and Rebirth, each suited to a different kind of training challenge. Before building any story, Moe starts by asking for ‘"a day in the life’," the specific words, jargon, and moments that make a scenario feel real, rather than staged for the sake of the training. Punishing wrong answers without feedback doesn't teach people; it just encourages them to play the system. Moe's approach is rapid feedback, a hint, and room to try again.  Important links and mentions: Connect with Moe Ash on LinkedIn   The Catalyst (Moe's instructional design consultancy)

Drop us a message! We'd love to hear from you. Don't sacrifice your own taste.  Content moves fast these days. Tools can write it, cut it, and localize it in seconds. But the parts of your work that connect with people, those still come down to you.  In this episode, host Matt Pierce sits down with Adam Avramescu, fractional leader and consultant in Customer Education and Scaled Customer Experience, to talk about how AI is reshaping the way we teach and support customers.  They explore where AI genuinely contributes, where it falls short, and how customer education is becoming something much bigger than courses and certifications. Adam also gets into how to build real taste as a creator, and why the best AI tools still depend on good, human-made content.  Learning points from the episode include:  Good documentation allows you to get your AI support tool up and running fast, Adam saw this pay off first hand with a 25% drop in tickets and over 80% of eligible questions resolved by AI during Personio's busiest time of year.AI avatars, voice, and localization have gotten good enough to lean on for things like product walkthroughs that need frequent updates, but letting customers know when they're watching something AI-assisted is key!Taste comes down to inspiration plus discernment. Adam's advice is - embrace the tools for what they help you do, but don't lose your own taste in the process, because that human judgment can't be replicated.Important links and mentions:  Connect with Adam Avramescu on LinkedInAdam's podcast on customer education, co-hosted on a rotating panel formatAdam's podcast on the future of CX, co-hosted with Dee Kapila Fin - the AI support tool Adam mentions using at Personio Prefer to listen to a podcast? You can find The Visual Lounge on your favorite podcasting platform:   https://thevisuallounge.buzzsprout.com

Drop us a message! We'd love to hear from you. "The idea is the spark, but the story is what happens after the fire starts."  It's easy to have an idea. It's much harder to turn that idea into something people want to watch, read, or listen to.  In this episode, host Matt Pierce sits down with Emmy‑winning Robot Chicken writer, novelist, and podcaster Mike Fasolo to talk about storytelling. They cover how to hook an audience fast and when to trust them to fill in gaps themselves.  Mike also shares how he cuts long-form livestreams down into short, punchy clips without losing the story, and what it takes to move from "I have an idea" to "I made the thing."  Key learning points:  Mike's approach to storytelling is to get in as fast as possible - skip the setup, find the hook, tell the story, and move on, trusting the audience to pick up on what's happening without it being spelled out. An idea on its own isn't a story. It becomes one when you find your character, work out what they want, put an obstacle in front of them, and make sure the outcome matters to the audience. When cutting a long video down into something short, Mike looks for what's most engaging to him first, then finds a cut point that works like a cliff-hanger, giving viewers just enough to want to keep watching. Important links and mentions:  Connect with Mike Fasolo on LinkedInConnect with Mike Fasolo on InstagramMike's personal websiteMike's weekly live stream on the craft and business of making comics, co-hosted with Buddy Scalera - Comic Book School

Drop us a message! We'd love to hear from you. “Could you just make a quick video?” It's not always possible. Even the shortest videos can be time-consuming without the right things in place. In this episode, host Matt Pierce goes solo to talk about what "quick" really means when it comes to video production, and why speed almost always comes with trade-offs worth understanding upfront. Matt also walks through the pinch points that slow creators down from unclear needs analysis to scope creep. He also gets into the underrated art of managing stakeholder feedback, and closes with a question every video creator should sit with - what does 'done' mean? Key learning points: Before any video work begins, complete your needs analysis. Ask yourself who the audience is, what outcome you're trying to achieve, and how you'll measure success. Skipping this step creates the "pinch points" that slow everything down later in the process.Not every message requires a full video. Sometimes a screenshot, step-by-step guide, or animated GIF will communicate the message faster and more effectively, so it's worth right-sizing the format before committing to a full production.Bring reviewers into one location, give them a specific focus for what you want them to look at, and identify a single person with final sign-off rights. This avoids the late-stage changes that come from too many voices weighing in at the wrong time.Important links and mentions: Screencast is TechSmith's platform for centralized video feedback, Matts preferred tool for timestamped comments and revisions.

Drop us a message! We'd love to hear from you. What is the difference between covering a topic and actually teaching it? The best L&D designers know the answer. In this revisited episode, Matt is joined by Jonathan Hill, award-winning learning manager and e-learning developer based in the UK. They talk about designing learning that really works, not just content that gets completed because it’s a requirement. Moving beyond the ‘click next’ slide mentality that holds e-learning back, Jonathan talks through how video changed his approach to design, and the key part sound plays in this. He also shares one of his most practical tools for working with subject matter experts - a simple reframe that helps surface what learners need to take away. And if you've ever wondered whether there's room for humor in compliance content, Jonathan has an interesting take! Important links and mentions: See if Jonathan can help you communicate your expertiseConnect with Jonathan

Drop us a message! We'd love to hear from you. Riding the wave when it comes to the advancements in AI comes down to understanding one key distinction - AI generates, humans create. In this live episode, Matt was joined by Destery Hildenbrand, Learning and Development Consultant and Instructional Designer to talk about the impact of AI in L&D, keeping the human in the loop, and organizational readiness. He captures the fundamental truth about AI, it can access all the knowledge in the world, yet it doesn’t comprehend any of it. This is a huge limitation that makes the human element so valuable. Destery talks about the importance of planning where you fit while AI adapts and gains more capability. He goes into why nobody should fear AI taking over, it should be viewed as a tool and leveraged to buy more time for your unique creative input. Important links and mentions: Connect with Destery | Subscribe to Destery’s channel

Drop us a message! We'd love to hear from you. Is it time to move beyond the old pedagogical framework? Anybody over a certain age will conjure the same image with the phrase ‘educational film’ - death by talking head + PowerPoint. In this episode Matt was joined by Tiia Grøn, Senior Counselor and Video Producer, Nathalie Blomstereng, Senior Advisor and Learning Designer and Terje Bergli, Senior Tech Advisor, all joining him from UiT The Arctic University of Norway where the Tromsø Educational Film Festival was created. They talk about how the new generation of educators are redefining the framework through educator/filmmaker partnerships and how the diversity of formats, inspirational subject matter and international reach showcased at the festival illustrates that shift. Learning points from the episode include: 00:00 – 02:24 Intro02:24 – 05:26 What is T.R.E.F.F and how did it begin05:26 – 06:54 The challenges of bringing film and learning together06:54 – 11:59 What lessons should educators take away11:59 – 15:22 What can filmmakers do to stand out at festivals15:22 – 17:39 What's next for T.R.E.F.F17:39 – 21:35 The T.R.E.F.F submission process21:35 – 27:22 Inspirations from this year's festival27:22 – 28:40 How to find out more about T.R.E.F.F28:40 – 31:26 Final takes31:26 – 32:22 Outro Important links and mentions: Submit your film in early 2027: Tromsø Educational Film Festival - FilmFreewayKeep up to date with this year’s results and next year’s submission: https://result.uit.no/treff/Follow T.R.E.F.F on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tromso.educational.film.festivalFollow T.R.E.F.F on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tr.e.f.f/Take a look at the University: UiT The Arctic University of Norway | UiT

Drop us a message! We'd love to hear from you. You don't need better gear, a better location, or a better idea. You need to get out of your own way. In this revisited episode, Matt sits down with Aaron King, DeepSnap content creator, filmmaker, entrepreneur, and former professional athlete to talk about what it really takes to grab someone's attention before you've said a word. Aaron gets into why the things most creators obsess over are usually the last things that matter, and what to focus on instead. He also talks about his journey to content creation, including overcoming injury as a professional sports player and the ups and downs of entrepreneurship. Detailing what led him to move into his car and begin driving around taking pictures and creating. He emphasises the power of connection and manifesting creativity. Going on to explain how ‘just showing people’ gave him a new career path. Aaron's main take is to stop overthinking your content, just put something out there. Finished is always better than perfect. Learning points from the episode include: 00:00 – 01:38 Intro01:38 – 03:08 Aaron’s key tip to improving your video content03:08 – 06:14 Creating good hooks and engaging opening clips06:14 – 11:16 Working with your environment for your backdrop11:16 – 15:11 How to use sound for relatability and brand identity15:11 – 16:17 Paying attention to your comments section16:17 – 24:23 Aaron’s journey to content creation24:23 – 25:30 Why finished is better than perfect25:30 – 28:39 Speed round questions28:39 – 29:25 Where to find Aaron29:25 – 30:28 Aaron’s final take30:28 – 31:26 Outro Important links and mentions: Connect with Aaron: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deepsnap/Keep up to date with DeepSnap: https://deepsnap.comSubscribe to the DeepSnap channel: https://www.youtube.com/@deepsnapFollow Aaron on TikTok: DeepSnap (@deepsnap) | TikTok

Drop us a message! We'd love to hear from you. When you solve your own learning problems, you can accidentally build the resource everyone else was missing. In this episode, Matt sits down with Taim Dawod, a medical doctor from Norway who started a medical education YouTube channel in his first year of med school. Taim gets into his background studying anatomy and the problems he faced with the delivery of the learning. He goes on to explain the techniques he developed to solve those problems and how that led him to becoming a full-time content creator. He also talks about his view on the traditional lecture format in university teaching, and where it falls short for many students. He points out the gaps that are created through disjointed delivery and the importance of ‘the why’ when communicating complex topics. Taim’s main take is that everybody has something valuable to teach. There is someone out there that will benefit from what you have to say, and you will continue to sharpen your own knowledge along the way. Learning points from the episode include: 00:00 – 01:42 Intro01:42 – 05:42 Taim’s medical background and journey to content creation05:42 – 08:14 Outsourcing vs. the journey of doing everything yourself08:14 – 11:13 The benefits of keeping consistent11:13 – 15:11 Communicating complex topics15:11 – 17:59 Visual mediums and the art of being concise17:59 – 19:10 The importance of ‘the why’19:10 – 21:34 Open education award and why learning should be free21:34 – 23:28 Helpful take away from Tromsø23:28 – 24:43 Taim’s final piece of wisdom24:43 – 26:50 Where to connect with Taim and upcoming book release26:50 – 27:35 Taim’s final take27:35 – 28:51 Outro Important links and mentions: Subscribe to Taim Talks Med: https://www.youtube.com/@TaimTalksMedFollow Taim on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taimtalksmed/Taim’s video on Sepsis and Septic Shock: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVy_7shA3RM&t=117srb.gy/uoikzb

Drop us a message! We'd love to hear from you. When content generation becomes fast and frictionless, do learning specialists need to be involved at all? In this episode, Matt sits down with Tim Slade, Speaker, Author and Founder of The eLearning Designer's Academy who discusses the human vs. the automated in instructional design today. Tim acknowledges that as content generation has become easier and faster, audiences are developing digital media fatigue and how as creators we can aim to overcome this. Tim emphasizes that 'the human’ exists in ensuring that what we are ‘churning out’ is the right thing to solve the problem - should we make this? Why? What changes if we do? He argues that one part of the work still can't be automated, sound judgment. The conversation also gets into how most people tend to use AI for practical reasons, and how the online discourse leads audiences to believe they are somehow ‘behind the curve’ in their AI skills. Tim dubs AI a ‘replication tool’ and discusses the issues that arise from getting carried away with the capabilities available to us. The Instructional Design Handbook by Tim Slade is available for pre-order through May 29th. Pre-orders include a hardcover signed edition with a dust jacket. 10% off when you use TECHSMITH as the coupon code. Learning points from the episode include: 00:00 – 01:03 Intro01:03 – 03:13 Latest book release: The Instructional Design Handbook by Tim Slade03:13 – 05:55 Becoming an intentional Instructional Designer05:55 – 07:56 What Instructional Designers need to know for success07:56 – 10:55 Improving the human piece10:55 – 13:20 Connecting theory to practical application13:20 – 14:30 What can ID professionals take away from the book14:30 – 18:25 Why AI doesn’t fit into everything we do and content fatigue18:45 – 20:57 AI as a replication tool and the problems in getting carried away20:57 – 24:22 Practical uses of AI24:22 – 25:48 AI skills are having a clear vision that you can explain25:48 – 27:51 Book release details and where to find Tim27:51 – 29:15 Tim’s final take29:15 – 30:21 Outro Important links and mentions: Connect with Tim: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sladetim/Join The eLearning Designer's Academy: https://community.elearningacademy.io/welcomeCheck out Tim’s YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2CE3YBPX53oeKVsiTbhX2w?sub_confirmation=1

Drop us a message! We'd love to hear from you. Most small teams want to do more video. The hard part is doing it every week, without the crew, the hours, or the budget to make it happen. In this revisited episode, Matt sits down with Megan Torrance, Founder and CEO of Torrance Learning, to explore what it takes to make video work as a small team, and why the system she built years ago still holds up today. Megan’s team rebuilt their studio so one person could walk in, flip a few switches, load up a teleprompter, and start recording. That setup is now the engine behind Megan’s marketing videos and her stand-in client course (and the occasional goofy internal update, of course). It’s also why her team can go from ‘a client needs this course updated’ to published in a week. In the conversation, Megan also gets into why a quick video beats a memo or email for tone and authenticity, the shot lists she uses to keep editing under control, and how Camtasia’s review workflow keeps feedback on the timeline instead of in email threads. Learning points from the episode include: 00:00 – 01:09 Introduction01:09 – 01:31 Megan’s background and Torrance Learning01:31 – 02:46 Outgrowing the four-person shoot02:46 – 03:29 Building a one-person studio with green tape03:29 – 04:20 The videos the new setup unlocks04:20 – 05:26 Why a quick video beats a memo, email, or Slack message05:26 – 06:11 Shot lists, single takes, and keeping post-production manageable06:11 – 06:50 Megan’s preferred tools: Camtasia’s review workflow06:50 – 09:09 From a week-long course update to more authentic marketing video09:09 – 09:58 Outro Important links and mentions: Connect with Megan Torrance on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/megantorrance/Visit Torrance Learning: https://www.torrancelearning.com/Learn more about Camtasia: https://www.techsmith.com/camtasia/Listen to Megan’s first appearance on The Visual Lounge in episode 219: https://the-visual-lounge.captivate.fm/episode/making-video-production-doable-as-a-small-business