When you’re a contract instructional designer, you wear all the hats: designer, developer, communicator, project manager, and most importantly, lifelong learner.
Unlike full-time employees with access to corporate training budgets and internal career development plans, contractors have to create their own growth paths. And in today’s ever-evolving L&D world, staying current isn’t just a nice-to-have, it’s how you stay booked and in demand.
So how do successful contractors keep their skills sharp, their tools current, and their knowledge fresh? Here’s how.
Keep Your Toolkit Fresh: The Tools Pros Are Using Now
First, let’s talk tools. Clients expect you to hit the ground running with their platform of choice or at least learn it fast. Here are some of the most in-demand tools across categories:
Authoring Tools:
These are the bread and butter of eLearning creation. Strong knowledge of branching, triggers, and responsive design is essential—along with how these elements function within learning platforms and each other. For example, you might embed a Storyline interaction into a Rise course or use Articulate tools to design standalone programs or courses that fit into broader learning platforms.
AI-Powered Tools:
- ChatGPT or Copilot – Write content (such as scripts, summarized SME notes, quiz questions) and elevate learning with custom GPTs or AI agents.
- Synthesia – Create video lessons without a camera crew.
- Vyond – Build animations for storytelling and scenarios.
- Fireflies.ai – Auto-transcribe SME interviews.
- Notion AI – Organize research, write copy, and brainstorm ideas.
These tools help you work faster and more creatively and clients love when you can save them time and money.
Project & Collaboration Tools:
Trello, ClickUp, Monday.com, Slack, Microsoft Teams, Miro: Being able to integrate into a client’s preferred workflow earns you bonus points.
Design & Multimedia Tools:
- Canva and Figma for visuals.
- WellSaid Labs for voiceovers.
- Envato Elements for templates, icons, and sound effects.
Keep these sharpened, and your deliverables will always stand out.
Stay on Top of Trends: What’s Evolving in Instructional Design
Tools are only one part of the equation. Another important aspect of staying sharp is keeping up with trends in learning design.
Trend: AI in Learning
Clients are experimenting with AI-driven coaching avatars, personalized learning paths, and faster content generation. Some contractors are prototyping entire course experiences with AI before development even begins.
Trend: Microlearning & Just-in-Time Support
Organizations want more than eLearning courses, they want assets that support performance in real time. This includes videos, checklists, and mobile-friendly content.
Trend: Accessibility & Inclusive Design
Compliance with WCAG guidelines and inclusive design practices are now baseline expectations. Knowing how to build for all learners gives you a competitive edge.
Trend: Learning Experience Design (LXD)
More projects are focused on the end-to-end learner experience. If you can speak the language of empathy maps, learning journeys, and user-centered design, you’ll stand out.
Trend: Corporate Demand Shifts
Topics like onboarding, leadership development, and cyber security remain hot. Contractors who can align their expertise with these high-demand areas stay booked.
Download Your Copy of 10 Ways L&D Departments Are Using AI In 2025
Make Continuous Learning a Habit
Successful contract instructional design consultants treat their personal learning like a project. That is they structure their personal development with goals and deadlines. Here’s some of the strategies they employ:
Take Online Courses
Platforms like LinkedIn Learning, Coursera, IDOL Academy, and edX offer certifications and upskilling in areas like gamification, project management, or new tools.
Attend Webinars
Webinars are a low-cost, high-impact way to stay current without committing to a full course. Look for webinars that focus on how and when to use the latest tools as well as webinars that target the major trends in the industry. Many are recorded, so you can learn on your own schedule. These events often cover real-world case studies, highlight emerging tech, and offer sneak peeks into where the industry is going, all in under an hour.
Read Strategically
Books like Map It by Cathy Moore or Design for How People Learn by Julie Dirksen are industry staples. Stay curious about UX, AI, and communication design too.
Listen to Industry Podcasts
Staying current doesn’t always require screen time. Podcasts are a great way to absorb insights while walking the dog, driving to a client site, or cleaning up your Storyline layers. The key is picking shows that go beyond surface-level chatter and offer perspectives from active professionals.
Here are a few great ones to queue up:
- Learning Leader Spotlight – Produced by TrainingPros, this podcast features in-depth interviews with real L&D leaders across industries. You’ll hear what’s top of mind for decision-makers. These are the same people who hire contract instructional designers.
- Train Like You Listen – Quick episodes with practical tips for facilitators, designers, and developers.
- The Mind Tools L&D Podcast – Long-running and packed with discussions around learning science, leadership, and organizational development.
Subscribing to a few go-to podcasts helps you hear what matters most to clients and gives you language to talk about your value with more clarity.
Try Out New Tools in Personal Projects
Use downtime to experiment with tools like Synthesia or to try out Articulate’s new features. That way, you can offer informed opinions when clients ask about them.
Read Industry Blogs
Some contractor-friendly resources include:
- Devlin Peck’s Blog
- Experiencing eLearning by Christy Tucker
- The TrainingPros Blog
Request Feedback
Don’t just deliver and disappear. Ask for client feedback. Feedback helps you improve and signals that you’re invested in partnership, not just project completion.
Build Your Network and Learn from Others
Being a solo practitioner doesn’t mean learning in isolation. The best contractors stay connected to communities, conversations, and consultants just like them.
Professional Communities
Join the TrainingPros LinkedIn Group, your local ATD chapter, or online forums. These are great spaces for sharing challenges, job leads, and tool recommendations.
Attend Conferences
Events like ATD ICE, Learning Guild’s DevLearn, and TechLearn offer trend insights, tool demos, and connection points with other IDs. If you can’t attend live, catch the recorded sessions or follow the conversation online.
Talk with Your Relationship Manager
Don’t underestimate this connection. Your Relationship Manager sees what clients are asking for before it hits the open market. A quick chat might lead you to your next new skill or your next project.
Bonus Tips from the Field
Some extra pro moves that keep contractors at the top of their game:
- Rotate between different types of projects to avoid burnout and broaden your skillset.
- Keep a “Sharpen the Saw” calendar! Block off time every quarter for focused skill-building.
- Save before-and-after examples from projects (with client permission) to include in your portfolio. Alternatively, you can set aside time each quarter to build a small sample showcasing your skills with different tools, techniques, and design styles.
- Track your billable vs. non-billable hours. This will help you price and plan smarter next time.
Final Thoughts: Stay Sharp to Stay in Demand
You don’t need to master every new tool or trend that comes along. But staying curious, staying connected, and making time to grow will set you apart in a competitive market.
Remember: Clients aren’t just hiring a skillset; they’re hiring someone who knows how to keep up.
The lesson: keep learning, keep building, and keep showing up as a sharp, reliable, and modern contract instructional designer.
Download Your Copy of Getting Started as a Contract Instructional Designer : An 8 Step Guide to Launching Your Freelance Career
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