Designing with Love

Jackie Pelegrin
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What does it take to design learning experiences that truly work? Join Jackie Pelegrin, award-winning instructional designer and Grand Canyon University (GCU) adjunct instructor, as she explores instructional design, e-learning, and AI integration. Expect actionable tips, real-world insights, and conversations with students, alumni, and industry leaders shaping the future of learning.

  1. 1d ago

    Human Connection in Teaching With Lou Hirsch

    Most of us can remember a teacher who noticed us, but we struggle to remember the worksheet, the lecture slide, or the exact content on the exam. That’s where this conversation with Dr. Lou Hirsch lands: the real unit of change in higher education isn’t another tool or another “coverage” strategy, it’s the small, intentional moments of human connection that create trust and make learning stick.  We talk about why modern systems built on speed, scale, and deadlines often squeeze out creativity, even though curriculum redesign and instructional design depend on reflection and iteration. Lou shares a vivid example from his own teaching that shows what students carry for years, and why being present with learners matters more than being the best content presenter. We also explore online learning and how purposeful use of technology can deepen connection instead of flattening it.  If you care about student-centered teaching, human-centered curriculum design, and building learning experiences that last, listen now, then subscribe, share the episode with a colleague, and leave a review to help more educators find the show. 🔗 Website and Social Links: Please visit Lou’s website and social media links below. Lou Hirsch’s Website Lou Hirsch’s LinkedIn Page 📢 Call-to-Action: To learn more about Dr. Lou Hirsch and his work in higher education innovation, student-centered teaching, and curriculum redesign, be sure to check out the links in the show notes to connect with him and explore his work at the University of Kentucky.  Send Jackie a Text Join PodMatch!Use the link to join PodMatch, a place for hosts and guests to connect.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show 💟 Designing with Love + allows you to support the show by keeping the mic on and the ideas flowing. Click on the link above to provide your support. ☕ Buy Me a Coffee is another way you can support the show, either as a one-time gift or through a monthly subscription.  🗣️ Want to be a guest on Designing with Love? Send Jackie Pelegrin a message on PodMatch, here: Be a guest on the show 🌐 Check out the show's website here: Designing with Love 📱 Send a text to the show by clicking the Send Jackie a Text link above.  👍🏼 Please make sure to like and share this episode with others. Here's to great learning!

    Human Connection in Teaching With Lou Hirsch

  2. 5d ago

    Myth: Accessibility Is Optional If Your Learners Don't Request It

    The fastest way to lock learners out of your course is to wait for them to ask for access. We’re tackling a stubborn myth in instructional design and education: “Accessibility is optional if learners don’t request it.” It sounds reasonable on paper because many organizations have formal accommodation processes, but it breaks down in real life when learners don’t feel safe disclosing, don’t have documentation, or don’t even know what to ask for until they’re already struggling. We unpack why this belief has lasted so long, including the way accessibility gets pushed to the end as a compliance checkbox instead of being treated as a core learning experience design practice. We also talk about the “invisible” side of access: small screens, noisy environments, fatigue, attention demands, language and processing challenges, and the messy constraints of work and family life. When we design only for the ideal scenario, we accidentally create barriers for a lot of people who never file a request. Then we shift to what to do instead: proactive accessibility. Using ideas from WCAG and Universal Design for Learning (UDL), we share practical, build-it-in steps you can add to your normal workflow, like planning captions and transcripts, using readable fonts and strong contrast, writing clear directions, structuring headings and navigation, and avoiding designs that rely on color, sound, or speed alone. You’ll leave with a simple Myth Reset Challenge to audit one learning resource and make one meaningful improvement right now. If this helped you rethink what “good design” really means, subscribe, share the episode with a colleague, and leave a review so more educators and instructional designers find the show. 🔗 Episode Links Please check out the resources mentioned in the episode. Enjoy! Myth Reset Case File: Accessibility from the Start Related Episode: Designing for Everyone: A Guide to Universal Design for Learning CAST UDL Guidelines Microsoft Inclusive Design W3C Web Accessibility Initiative Web Content Accessibility Guidelines  Send Jackie a Text Join PodMatch!Use the link to join PodMatch, a place for hosts and guests to connect.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show 💟 Designing with Love + allows you to support the show by keeping the mic on and the ideas flowing. Click on the link above to provide your support. ☕ Buy Me a Coffee is another way you can support the show, either as a one-time gift or through a monthly subscription.  🗣️ Want to be a guest on Designing with Love? Send Jackie Pelegrin a message on PodMatch, here: Be a guest on the show 🌐 Check out the show's website here: Designing with Love 📱 Send a text to the show by clicking the Send Jackie a Text link above.  👍🏼 Please make sure to like and share this episode with others. Here's to great learning!

    Myth: Accessibility Is Optional If Your Learners Don't Request It

  3. Jul 12

    Inside Pictory: Simple AI Workflows for Educators and Teams With Vikram Chalana

    What if making great learning videos felt like finishing a slide deck—familiar, fast, and oddly satisfying? Jackie sat down with Pictory co‑founder Vikram Chalana to unpack a clear path from messy tools to simple, repeatable workflows that help educators and L&D teams publish short, accessible videos at scale. No timeline acrobatics. No blank‑screen dread. Just practical steps that turn content you already trust into engaging microlearning. Vikram shares the three design choices that shaped Pictory’s approach: keep editing as simple as PowerPoint, start from existing assets to skip the blank page, and integrate best‑of‑breed AI models instead of building everything in‑house. From OpenAI for text to high‑quality voices and licensed visuals, the stack is curated so you don’t waste hours evaluating tools. Throughout the conversation, we focus on learning effectiveness. You’ll hear concrete guidance on keeping videos two to four minutes, using captions by default, tightening scenes to avoid cognitive overload, and adding quick knowledge checks to boost retention. For busy instructors and training teams, the biggest shift is simple: repurpose first, create second. If you’re ready to reduce production time, improve accessibility, and deliver learner‑focused videos without the headache, this one’s for you. Subscribe, share with a colleague who wrangles slides every week, and leave a review to tell us which workflow you’ll try first. 🔗 Website and Social Links: Please visit Vikram Chalana’s website and social media links below. Vikram Chalana’s Website Vikram’s LinkedIn Page 📢 Call-to-Action: Check out Pictory’s AI video platform, where you can turn text, blogs, scripts, or long videos into short, professional videos in minutes. It helps creators, marketers, educators, and business owners save time, reduce production costs, and repurpose existing content into video without needing editing skills or complex software. It is a practical starting point for anyone who wants to create more video content with less effort.  Send Jackie a Text Join PodMatch!Use the link to join PodMatch, a place for hosts and guests to connect.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show 💟 Designing with Love + allows you to support the show by keeping the mic on and the ideas flowing. Click on the link above to provide your support. ☕ Buy Me a Coffee is another way you can support the show, either as a one-time gift or through a monthly subscription.  🗣️ Want to be a guest on Designing with Love? Send Jackie Pelegrin a message on PodMatch, here: Be a guest on the show 🌐 Check out the show's website here: Designing with Love 📱 Send a text to the show by clicking the Send Jackie a Text link above.  👍🏼 Please make sure to like and share this episode with others. Here's to great learning!

    Inside Pictory: Simple AI Workflows for Educators and Teams With Vikram Chalana

  4. Jul 8

    Myth: Online Learning Is Less Effective Than In-Person

    The fastest way to kill a good learning goal is to blame the format instead of fixing the design. We’re kicking off a new series on myths in instructional design and education by taking on one of the biggest, most stubborn claims out there: online learning is less effective than in-person learning. We get why this belief sticks. A lot of digital learning has felt disconnected, confusing, passive, or overwhelming, especially when people experienced emergency remote teaching that was rushed and under-supported. But a bad online course doesn’t prove online education fails. It proves the learning experience wasn’t designed for that environment. When we stop diagnosing the medium and start diagnosing the learning, we see the real levers that drive outcomes. We also ground the conversation in evidence-based practice, including insights from the U.S. Department of Education’s “Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning.” The takeaway isn’t “online is better” or “in-person is better.” The takeaway is that performance depends on factors like time on task, instructional elements, collaboration, and the overall quality of the instructional strategy. Then we get practical. We walk through what strong e-learning and digital learning design actually require: clear navigation, meaningful activities, interaction with purpose, timely feedback, and accessibility and learner support. You’ll leave with a simple “myth reset” challenge and a set of questions you can use to audit one lesson, module, or training and make one small improvement right away. Subscribe, share this with a fellow educator or instructional designer, and leave a review if it helped. What’s one online course you’ve seen that could have been great with better design? 🔗 Episode Links Please check out the resources mentioned in the episode. Enjoy! Myth Reset Case File: Online Learning Effectiveness U.S. Department of Education: Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning How Learning Works: Seven Research-Based Principles for Smart Teaching by Susan A. Ambrose et al.  Send Jackie a Text Join PodMatch!Use the link to join PodMatch, a place for hosts and guests to connect.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show 💟 Designing with Love + allows you to support the show by keeping the mic on and the ideas flowing. Click on the link above to provide your support. ☕ Buy Me a Coffee is another way you can support the show, either as a one-time gift or through a monthly subscription.  🗣️ Want to be a guest on Designing with Love? Send Jackie Pelegrin a message on PodMatch, here: Be a guest on the show 🌐 Check out the show's website here: Designing with Love 📱 Send a text to the show by clicking the Send Jackie a Text link above.  👍🏼 Please make sure to like and share this episode with others. Here's to great learning!

    Myth: Online Learning Is Less Effective Than In-Person

  5. Jul 5

    Accessibility as a Habit, Not a Hurdle With Maxwell Ivey

    Accessibility doesn’t have to feel like a mountain you climb alone. Jackie sat down with accessibility advocate Maxwell Ivey to turn big ideas into small, repeatable steps that make your website and content welcoming to every user. Instead of chasing every rule at once, we focus on process over panic: define the user problem, choose the smallest next fix, and build momentum. We start with the highest‑impact moves. Headings become navigational landmarks for screen readers, so a clean H1 followed by a logical H2/H3 structure instantly improves flow. Then we tackle readability—plain language, short sentences, generous spacing, and high color contrast—so people with low vision, dyslexia, ADHD, or anyone skimming on mobile can engage without friction. On images, Max lays out how to write alt text that carries meaning, not fluff, and why buttons, icons, and linked images must have accessible names that describe purpose, not just appearance. We wrap with a mindset shift that might surprise you: smaller, user‑obsessed teams often outpace big brands on accessibility because they iterate fast and listen closely. You don’t need a massive budget to make a difference—you need intent and a habit. Your challenge this week: fix your homepage headings and link text so every visitor, including screen reader users, can scan and act with confidence.  🔗 Website and Social Links: Please visit Maxwell Ivey’s website and social media links below. Maxwell Ivey’s Website Maxwell’s Facebook Page Maxwell’s LinkedIn Page Maxwell’s Instagram Page Maxwell’s X Page Maxwell’s Pinterest Page Maxwell’s YouTube Channel 📢 Call-to-Action: Want to learn more or work with Maxwell? Visit The Accessibility Advantage to explore his latest accessibility content and reach out about consulting, training, or support.  Send Jackie a Text Join PodMatch!Use the link to join PodMatch, a place for hosts and guests to connect.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show 💟 Designing with Love + allows you to support the show by keeping the mic on and the ideas flowing. Click on the link above to provide your support. ☕ Buy Me a Coffee is another way you can support the show, either as a one-time gift or through a monthly subscription.  🗣️ Want to be a guest on Designing with Love? Send Jackie Pelegrin a message on PodMatch, here: Be a guest on the show 🌐 Check out the show's website here: Designing with Love 📱 Send a text to the show by clicking the Send Jackie a Text link above.  👍🏼 Please make sure to like and share this episode with others. Here's to great learning!

    Accessibility as a Habit, Not a Hurdle With Maxwell Ivey

  6. Jul 1

    Your 90-Day AI-Ready Plan: Skills, Systems, and Proof

    AI tools are getting faster, louder, and harder to ignore, but that doesn’t mean your growth has to feel chaotic. We wrap the AI-Ready Designer Series with a clear 90-day plan that turns experimentation into a repeatable practice you can actually defend, document, and share. If you’ve been learning a little here and there but still feel scattered, this roadmap is built to help you move with intention. We start with the mindset shift: AI readiness isn’t about attending one webinar, collecting prompts, or chasing every new platform. It becomes part of how we analyze performance problems, design practice, create assets, review quality, protect data, collaborate with stakeholders, and measure impact. And we keep the main truth front and center: our value is not the tool. Our value is instructional design judgment, the human decision-making that defines what “good” looks like. Then we lay out three common traps that quietly derail progress: random skill building, random tool adoption, and having no proof of growth. From there, we replace chaos with a simple structure for the next 90 days: Skills (what we practice), Systems (what we make repeatable with templates, QA checklists, prompt libraries, and knowledge vaults), and Proof (what we document with metrics, before-and-after examples, and portfolio-ready artifacts). We finish with a practical 30-60-90 timeline and a final challenge you can complete in minutes. Subscribe, share this with an instructional designer who needs a clear path, and leave a review to help more designers build AI confidence the responsible way. 🔗 Episode Links Please check out the resource mentioned in the episode. Enjoy! 90-Day AI-Ready Compass Send Jackie a Text Join PodMatch!Use the link to join PodMatch, a place for hosts and guests to connect.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show 💟 Designing with Love + allows you to support the show by keeping the mic on and the ideas flowing. Click on the link above to provide your support. ☕ Buy Me a Coffee is another way you can support the show, either as a one-time gift or through a monthly subscription.  🗣️ Want to be a guest on Designing with Love? Send Jackie Pelegrin a message on PodMatch, here: Be a guest on the show 🌐 Check out the show's website here: Designing with Love 📱 Send a text to the show by clicking the Send Jackie a Text link above.  👍🏼 Please make sure to like and share this episode with others. Here's to great learning!

    Your 90-Day AI-Ready Plan: Skills, Systems, and Proof

  7. Jun 28

    Magnetic Talks That Move People With Dr. Danny Brassell

    What if your best presentation didn’t just earn applause—it moved people to act? Jackie sat down with Dr. Danny Brassell to map a clearer path from inspiration to conversion, blending hard-won classroom lessons with decades on the stage to show exactly how to make talks that stick, spread, and sell without feeling salesy. We start with the only scoreboard that matters: how many listeners take the next step with you. From there, Danny breaks down his Five Cs—clarity, connect, content, call to action, and close—so you can design every moment with intention. You’ll learn why defining audience and problem first prevents drift, how RAP (relatable, authority, purpose) builds trust in five minutes, and why a service-first mindset beats pushy pitches. We dig into the one-ask rule, the Trader Joe’s effect on choice, and practical ways to make your message visual so the mind can grab it and keep it. To make this actionable, Danny shares quick upgrades you can use this week: build a personal story bank, rehearse like an athlete, and study short formats like award speeches to sharpen connection and timing. If you’re an educator, coach, creator, or leader who needs your words to turn into real-world outcomes, this conversation gives you a proven framework and tools you can put to work right away. 🔗 Website and Social Links: Please visit Danny Brassell’s website and social media links below. Danny Brassell’s Website Danny’s Facebook Page Danny’s LinkedIn Page Danny’s Instagram Page Danny’s X Page Danny’s YouTube Channel 📢 Call-to-Action: As a quick thank-you, I want to point you to Danny’s free resource, “The Storytelling Blueprint: 5 Steps to Craft a Compelling Business Narrative.” It’s a practical guide for shaping a message that earns attention, builds trust, and helps your presentation move people to action. It’s a great companion resource to use throughout this mini-series. Send Jackie a Text Join PodMatch!Use the link to join PodMatch, a place for hosts and guests to connect.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show 💟 Designing with Love + allows you to support the show by keeping the mic on and the ideas flowing. Click on the link above to provide your support. ☕ Buy Me a Coffee is another way you can support the show, either as a one-time gift or through a monthly subscription.  🗣️ Want to be a guest on Designing with Love? Send Jackie Pelegrin a message on PodMatch, here: Be a guest on the show 🌐 Check out the show's website here: Designing with Love 📱 Send a text to the show by clicking the Send Jackie a Text link above.  👍🏼 Please make sure to like and share this episode with others. Here's to great learning!

    Magnetic Talks That Move People With Dr. Danny Brassell

  8. Jun 24

    Measuring AI's Impact on the L&D Team

    AI can make instructional design feel faster overnight, but speed is the easiest thing to celebrate and the easiest thing to misunderstand. When leaders ask whether AI is truly helping learning and development teams, “We used it a lot” is not an answer. In this episode, Jackie walks through how to prove AI impact with credibility using lightweight workflow metrics that tell the real story, including where AI saves time, where it adds risk, and where it quietly creates extra work. We start by naming the traps that derail AI measurement in L&D: vanity metrics that look impressive but mean little, overclaiming time savings without a fair comparison, and invisible costs like fact-checking, brand edits, stakeholder alignment, and security review. From there, I share a simple AI impact snapshot across five practical areas you can track without building a massive measurement system: time, quality, rework, consistency, and team confidence. These metrics map directly to what matters in instructional design and performance outcomes, not just tool activity. If you want practical AI governance, better QA, and clearer proof of value for your L&D team, subscribe or follow, share this with a fellow designer, and leave a review so more instructional designers can measure AI with honesty and confidence. 🔗 Episode Links Please check out the resource mentioned in the episode. Enjoy! AI Impact Compass  Send Jackie a Text Join PodMatch!Use the link to join PodMatch, a place for hosts and guests to connect.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show 💟 Designing with Love + allows you to support the show by keeping the mic on and the ideas flowing. Click on the link above to provide your support. ☕ Buy Me a Coffee is another way you can support the show, either as a one-time gift or through a monthly subscription.  🗣️ Want to be a guest on Designing with Love? Send Jackie Pelegrin a message on PodMatch, here: Be a guest on the show 🌐 Check out the show's website here: Designing with Love 📱 Send a text to the show by clicking the Send Jackie a Text link above.  👍🏼 Please make sure to like and share this episode with others. Here's to great learning!

    Measuring AI's Impact on the L&D Team
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About

What does it take to design learning experiences that truly work? Join Jackie Pelegrin, award-winning instructional designer and Grand Canyon University (GCU) adjunct instructor, as she explores instructional design, e-learning, and AI integration. Expect actionable tips, real-world insights, and conversations with students, alumni, and industry leaders shaping the future of learning.

Information

  • Creator
    Jackie Pelegrin
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    135
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Designing with Love
  • Show Website
    Designing with Love