As organizations rethink how employees learn in an increasingly digital workplace, instructional design is expanding beyond traditional course development. Jacqueline LeFevre, an instructional designer and eLearning developer with a background in science education, is combining accessibility, visual storytelling, UX principles and emerging technology to create learning experiences designed for practical use.

The best digital learning experiences are not necessarily the ones with the most technology. They are the ones that help people understand information and apply it when it matters.

That principle sits at the center of Jacqueline LeFevre’s approach to instructional design.

A former science educator, LeFevre now works as a contract Learning Experience Designer with Emergency Management Services International (EMSI), developing scenario-based emergency management training aligned with Incident Command System (ICS) standards and operational response requirements.

Her career reflects a broader transformation taking place across HR technology, corporate learning and development and eLearning. Training teams are increasingly expected to deliver experiences that are accessible, engaging, measurable and closely connected to real-world performance.

LeFevre’s background in education provides a foundation for that work.

Teaching science gave her experience in curriculum development and an understanding of how learners absorb complex information. Moving into digital learning allowed her to apply that knowledge through multimedia, interactive experiences and technology-enabled instruction.

The result is an approach that treats technology as a means rather than the objective.

LeFevre works with tools including Articulate 360 Storyline and Rise, Vyond, Canva and Figma, using them according to the requirements of each learning problem. Storyline and Rise can support interactive courses and responsive learning experiences, while visual design tools can help translate complex concepts into more accessible formats.

Her focus is less on showcasing software capabilities and more on whether a particular technology makes the learning experience clearer.

That distinction is increasingly important as artificial intelligence enters instructional design.

AI-supported workflows can help learning professionals develop content, organize information, generate initial concepts and accelerate repetitive production tasks. But faster content creation does not automatically produce better learning.

Instructional designers still need to understand the learner, establish meaningful objectives, evaluate accessibility and determine how knowledge will be applied after training.

LeFevre’s portfolio illustrates that human-centered approach across several different subject areas.

Her work has included emergency management simulations, employee onboarding experiences, therapy dog interaction training for healthcare professionals and SharkSmart Learning, an accessibility-focused eLearning project.

The variety is significant.

Instructional design is often described as a technical profession, but successful projects require designers to adapt to different audiences, industries and contexts. Training for emergency responders has very different requirements from healthcare education or employee onboarding.

Scenario-based learning can be particularly valuable in environments where employees need to make decisions rather than simply recall information. Instead of presenting procedures as static text, simulations can place learners in situations that resemble the decisions they may encounter in practice.

That philosophy also extends to accessibility.

Accessible learning design is becoming a central consideration as employers seek to create digital experiences that work for people with different abilities, devices, learning preferences and circumstances. Accessibility can involve everything from visual presentation and navigation to captions, alternative text, keyboard interaction and content structure.

For LeFevre, accessibility is part of designing around the learner rather than adapting a finished product after the fact.

Her interest in human-centered design extends beyond her professional work. She is also a certified therapy dog handler with Alliance of Therapy Dogs, combining interests in education, art and animal-assisted support.

That experience reflects a recurring theme in her professional philosophy: empathy matters.

Digital learning can easily become transactional. A learner clicks through slides, answers questions and receives a completion record. A more effective experience considers what the person needs to understand, how they are likely to use the knowledge and what barriers could prevent them from succeeding.

That mindset may become increasingly valuable as organizations deploy more AI-generated learning content.

Companies such as Microsoft, Adobe and Google are integrating AI into workplace productivity and content creation tools, while enterprise learning platforms are exploring AI-powered recommendations, skills intelligence and personalized development.

The opportunity is substantial, but it also creates a quality-control challenge.

If AI makes it easier to produce training, organizations could end up with more content without necessarily improving learning outcomes. Instructional designers can play a critical role in determining what should be taught, how it should be structured and whether technology actually improves comprehension.

LeFevre’s career also highlights the changing nature of instructional design itself.

Modern learning professionals may contribute to instructional strategy, multimedia, accessibility, user experience, technology implementation, communication and organizational performance. Job descriptions vary significantly, and organizations do not always understand the full scope of the profession.

That creates both a challenge and an opportunity.

Instructional designers increasingly have to demonstrate that their work can solve business problems rather than simply produce attractive courses. A training experience may need to reduce onboarding time, improve operational consistency, support compliance or help employees perform a task more effectively.

Portfolio development therefore becomes particularly important for professionals entering the field.

LeFevre encourages aspiring instructional designers to create projects that genuinely interest them rather than building portfolios exclusively around presumed employer expectations. Authentic projects can demonstrate technical ability while revealing how a designer approaches problems, communicates ideas and responds to learner needs.

She also emphasizes networking.

For emerging professionals—particularly young women entering instructional design—building relationships early can provide access to mentorship, industry knowledge and opportunities that may not appear through conventional job applications.

Her own career has been influenced by that willingness to explore new possibilities. Advice from her mother ultimately encouraged her to investigate instructional design as a career path, connecting her existing interests in education, creativity and communication with a new professional direction.

That story reflects an important characteristic of the learning industry: careers can evolve as technology and professional roles change.

The instructional design profession is itself being reshaped by AI, accessibility requirements, UX practices and changing expectations around digital employee experiences. Designers who continue developing their technical skills while maintaining strong communication and audience awareness may be better positioned to adapt.

For employers, the lesson is equally important.

An effective learning strategy requires more than purchasing an LMS or generating a library of online courses. Organizations need professionals who can translate business requirements into meaningful learning experiences—and determine when technology genuinely helps.

LeFevre’s work offers an example of that hybrid role.

Her combination of educational experience, visual communication, accessibility awareness, emerging technology and practical instructional design reflects where modern Learning and Development (L&D) is heading.

The future of eLearning may ultimately be less about producing more digital content and more about designing better experiences.

When technology is paired with empathy, accessibility and a clear understanding of how people actually learn, digital training can become something more useful than a compliance requirement or online course.

It can become a tool for helping people perform better when knowledge matters most.

Market Landscape

The corporate learning and eLearning market is moving toward AI-assisted content creation, skills-based development, personalization and learning experience design.

Enterprise platforms from Workday, SAP, Oracle and Cornerstone increasingly connect learning with broader talent-management and workforce data, while authoring platforms such as Articulate continue to support interactive digital course development.

AI is accelerating content production, but it also increases the importance of instructional quality, accessibility and governance. Enterprises need to distinguish between generating training materials quickly and designing learning experiences that actually change behavior or improve performance.

This creates an expanding role for instructional designers who understand UX, accessibility, multimedia, AI and business strategy alongside traditional learning theory.

Top Insights

• Jacqueline LeFevre combines instructional design, visual storytelling and accessibility to create practical eLearning for emergency management, healthcare and corporate learning environments.
• Her work demonstrates how scenario-based training can connect digital learning with real-world decisions, particularly in operational environments requiring practical application.
• AI is accelerating instructional design workflows, but human expertise remains critical for learner analysis, accessibility, instructional strategy and quality assurance.
• LeFevre encourages emerging instructional designers to build authentic portfolios and professional networks that demonstrate both technical capability and individual problem-solving approaches.
• The evolving L&D profession increasingly combines learning strategy, UX, multimedia, accessibility, technology and organizational performance rather than focusing solely on course production.

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