Instructional Design Portfolio
Featured Course: Healing Racialized Trauma-
Somatic Abolitionism for Every Body with Resmaa Menakem
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Healing Racialized Trauma is a 9-module, self-paced online course featuring Resmaa Menakem’s work on the embodied healing of intergenerational racial trauma. The course is an introduction to Resmaa’s work for people of any race. It leads people through somatic and self-awareness practices giving them practices to begin healing their own, and thus, our collective, trauma.
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I was the Learning Director on this project, which means I oversaw the creation of this course from ideation through distribution. I designed the course in collaboration with Resmaa, his editor and internal stakeholders at Sounds True. I managed the budget for the project. I presented the course to company executives and department heads, produced the live shoot, was the on-set director of the live shoot and oversaw the post-production editing as well. I collaborated with the graphic design, marketing and copywriting teams throughout the process. I also produced ‘Expanding the Conversation’ clips with other experts including Krista Tippett, Lama Rod Owens, Rev. angel Kyodo williams and Nova Reid. After launch, I facilitated live sessions on Zoom.
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There has been racial inequity in the United States for hundreds of years and it continues to affect every body who lives in this country. Most of the DEI work we do is rooted in intellectual understanding while every body is somatically affected by this intergenerational trauma.
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Resmaa’s course invites participants into somatic experiences toward healing this trauma. He offers a series of embodied practices for participants to engage in at their own pace and provides context for this work.
Course components include: video, audio and text content, a fillable PDF workbook, and a live session with Resmaa
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Google Drive - Docs, Sheets, Slides
Riverside (virtual video recording tool)
Zoom
Frame.io (collaborative video editing tool)
Slack
Wrike (project management)
Survey Monkey (for assessment)
Thinkific (LMS)
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Instructional Design
Instructor book converted to Online Course
Course Outline
Design for Accessibility and Diversity
Participant Workbook Design and Production
Manuscript Development in Collaboration with Copywriter
Presentation Design
Presentation Delivery to Executives and Other Stakeholders
Graphic Design
Project Management
Scheduling
Video Production
In-person Video Shoot Direction - cameras, video, audio, talent direction
Collaboration on Set-Design
SME Direction and Coaching
Location scouting
Virtual Live Shoot Direction and Production
Post-production Direction and Collaboration with Editors
Marketing Strategy and Production
Email Marketing Copywriting and Editing
Team management
Assessment Design and Delivery
Facilitation of Live Sessions
“I enjoyed working with Sarah during our time together at Sounds True, where she consistently demonstrated exceptional skills in learning design and project management. Sarah's empathetic nature and genuine interest in understanding others' perspectives created an inclusive environment encouraged everyone to contribute their ideas and expertise. Her organizational abilities and attention to detail ensured that projects were delivered on time and with a high level of quality. She has the superpower of bridging the gap between technical content and educational design, ensuring that learning materials are relevant and engaging. Her expertise in video production includes skills in understanding the subject matter and collaborating with experts to develop clear, concise, and engaging scripts, as well as editing to ensure that the final product aligns with the intended vision. Sarah's professional expertise, warm personality, and strong work ethic make her an invaluable asset to any organization.”
– Dr. Vince Tango, Sounds True Colleague, former Instructional Designer at the University of Denver
Featured Course: Unstoppable Joy
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Unstoppable Joy is 10-module online course based on The Book of Joy and using footage of the Dalia Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu from the film Mission:Joy. It is based on the premise that many people experience fleeting moments of joy, but would like to experience more lasting joy. We worked with Desmond Tutu’s daughter, Mpho Tutu van Furth (an accomplished priest, scholar, and activist in her own right) as well as Jinpa Langri, the Dalai Lama’s 30-year translate, and Doug Abrams publisher of The Book of Joy to make the teachings of the two leaders approachable to our participants.
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I was the Learning Director on this project, which means I oversaw the creation of this course from ideation through distribution. I designed the course in collaboration with Mpho, Jinpa, Doug and internal stakeholders at Sounds True. I presented the course to company executives and department heads, produced the live shoot, was the on-set director of the live shoot and oversaw the post-production editing as well. I managed the budget for the course throughout the production. I collaborated with the graphic design, marketing and copywriting teams throughout the process. After launch, I facilitated live sessions on Zoom.
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Many people experience fleeting moments of joy, but would like to experience more lasting joy. They/we often look to external sources of happiness, for example, food, shopping, sex, alcohol, gaming, but when those experiences end they/we find ourselves no happier than when we began.
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The key premise of this course is that lasting joy is dependent on our internal conditions, not external conditions. The SMEs each offer their own perspective and tools for cultivating more joy in daily life.
Course components include: Video, audio and text content, a fillable PDF workbook, and a live session with the SMEs, live facilitated online community. We also worked with the director of the Mission:Joy film to be able to provide lifetime viewing access to our participants in the course.
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Google Drive - Docs, Sheets, Slides
Riverside (virtual video recording tool)
Zoom
Frame.io (collaborative video editing tool)
Slack
Wrike (project management)
Survey Monkey (for assessment)
Thinkific (LMS)
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Instructional Design
Instructor book converted to Online Course
Course Outline
Design for Accessibility and Diversity
Participant Workbook Design and Production
Manuscript Development in Collaboration with Copywriter
Presentation Design
Presentation Delivery to Executives and Other Stakeholders
Graphic Design
Project Management
Scheduling
Video Production
In-person Video Shoot Direction - cameras, video, audio, talent direction
Collaboration on Set-Design
SME Direction and Coaching
Location scouting
Virtual Live Shoot Direction and Production
Post-production Direction and Collaboration with Editors
Marketing Strategy and Production
Email Marketing Copywriting and Editing
Team management
Assessment Design and Delivery
Facilitation of Live Sessions
“I had the great pleasure of working with Sarah on a large project at Sounds True. The project was a nine-month blended learning immersion focused on working with trauma symptoms and the nervous system dysregulation they cause. It was a big program with many complexities and many moving parts. Sarah could easily comprehend what was needed and took the initiative to develop ways to make the work more efficient and organized. Sarah is a bright, highly organized, and deeply committed team member who is a delight and asset to any work group or team. She brings a high level of integrity, responsibility, attention to detail, and creativity to everything she does.
Sarah stands out among the many individuals I have worked with over the years. It is rare to find someone with the special blend of education, training, passion, and personal qualities that make Sarah such a standout team member and partner in work. I wholeheartedly and without any reservation recommend Sarah.”
– Jeffrey Rutstein, PsyD
Presentation Design:
The Dharma of Money with Spencer Sherman, CFP®
Sample presentation slides before our work
Sample presentation slides after our work
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Spencer Sherman is a financial advisor who specializes in blending Buddhist principles with financial education. He has hired me to help him design his programs and retreats at renowned retreat centers and corporate training organizations, including Spirit Rock, Green Gulch and Mindwell. Our work together included designing the flow of the program, designing engaging activities and redesigning digital presentations to communicate more effectively.
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Spencer is a highly skilled financial advisor with many transformative offerings for his audience. However, he does not have a background in visual design or graphic design
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I collaborated with Spencer to add my visual and instructional design expertise to his programs. I brought in backward design principles to keep us focused on the desired outcome of the programs. I streamlined the visual design of his presentations while keeping them brand-consistent. I created graphics and reformatted spreadsheets to illustrate data to clarify the teachings to the participants. I also added summary slides at the beginning and ending of each session to help with information retention and motivation.
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Google Drive - Docs, Sheets, Slides
Figma
Adobe Lightroom
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Instructional Design
Graphic Design
Project Management
Presentation Design
Design for Accessibility and Diversity
Copywriting and Editing
“Sarah was the Learning Director at Sounds True who oversaw the creation of my highly impactful, yet approachable course on financial well-being. Her deep knowledge of instructional design principles and ability to be present with me through the process was invaluable.
Since then, I have hired her to update and redesign my workshops, retreats and presentations for Spirit Rock and Green Gulch Meditation Centers. Sarah’s guidance and keen eye have helped me feel prepared, confident, and excited as I led these programs. More importantly, the participants had transformational experiences through the learning activities and materials that Sarah and I developed together.”
– Spencer Sherman, MBA, CFP®
Academic Courses Designed and Taught
Nebraska Wesleyan University
Junior Project: Research Methods & Developing a Creative Practice
Senior Comprehensive: Capstone Exhibition & Sustaining a Creative Practice
Art+Activism
Digital Media 1: Intro to Print and Web Design
Digital Media 2: Intro to Video & Animation
Digital Media 3: Independent Projects
Digital Photography 1
Photography 2
Photography 3
Photography 4
Darkroom Photography
Basic Design
Installation/New Genre
Austrian and German Identity in the Modern World: An Artistic Perspective
School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Core Studio Practice for Transfer Students
Research Studio for Transfer Students
Wired Studio: Imaging and Web
“The organization and breaking down of every single step made a seemingly daunting task completely manageable.”
– Joyce Bingeman M.F.A. and a participant in one of my online courses