You know your business goals. You know what skills your employees need. But when it comes time to design training that actually moves the needle, the challenge begins.
Choosing the right instructional design services partner can make the difference between a program that inspires performance and one that simply checks the box. With so many vendors, agencies, and freelancers offering learning solutions, it can be tough to know who’s truly equipped to deliver results and who’s just repackaging slides.
Here’s a practical guide to help you evaluate potential partners and find one who can transform your training vision into measurable success.
Step 1: Look for Industry and Domain Expertise
Every industry has its own learning challenges and your instructional design partner should understand yours. A healthcare compliance module isn’t the same as a retail onboarding simulation or a cybersecurity refresher for financial services employees. When a partner understands your learners’ environment, terminology, and regulatory context, you save weeks of back-and-forth and avoid costly rework.
Ask potential partners for examples of projects they’ve completed in your industry and what business results those solutions achieved. You’ll get a sense not only of their creativity but also of their ability to solve real performance problems.
Pro tip: Choose a company that can match you with consultants who already “speak your industry language.”
At TrainingPros, that matching starts with our Relationship Managers (RMs), many of whom are former clients themselves. They’ve led corporate learning teams, managed multimillion-dollar rollouts, and understand firsthand the challenges you face. Because they know what you’re trying to accomplish, they can quickly identify the right instructional design consultant for the job.
TrainingPros has provided instructional design consultants and learning and development consultants across virtually every major industry, including healthcare, financial services, technology, manufacturing, and retail. That depth of experience means you get a partner who already understands your world and can hit the ground running on day one.
Client Testimonial:
Step 2: Evaluate Their Design Process
A clear design process separates true professionals from order takers. Your instructional design services partner should be able to explain how they move from business goals to learning experiences that drive behavior change.
But here’s the nuance: when you work with TrainingPros, our consultants are independent professionals who bring their own proven design processes, whether ADDIE, SAM, Agile, or other models. Our Relationship Managers vet those consultants carefully, ensuring their methods align with your project scope, culture, and deadlines.
Ask these questions early:
- How do you analyze learning needs and define success?
- What does the prototyping and review cycle look like?
- How do you handle stakeholder feedback and revisions?
- Does the instructional design service partner just do eLearning development, or do they understand the full performance consulting range, helping identify when training is the answer and when it isn’t?
A strong partner connects design with business outcomes, not just deliverables.
Pro tip: Ask to see a sample storyboard or project plan. Seeing how a consultant documents decisions tells you a lot about how your collaboration will flow.
Step 3: Review Their Portfolio and Client Results
A polished website or a long list of authoring tools (Articulate, Captivate, Vyond, Rise) isn’t enough. What you want to see is evidence of results.
When reviewing a potential partner’s portfolio:
- Look for variety. Have they built both instructor-led and eLearning programs? Do they know microlearning, scenario-based learning, gamification, and simulations?
- Check for modern design. Outdated templates or stock visuals can signal that a company hasn’t kept up with current learning trends.
- Ask about accessibility. Compliance with WCAG or Section 508 is non-negotiable.
And here’s a crucial question that many clients forget to ask:
“Do we own the source files and materials, or will we need to come back to you for every update?”
Some vendors retain ownership of instructional materials, meaning you have to pay them each time you want a small edit. Make sure you understand file ownership and intellectual property rights before signing a contract. You should be able to manage, update, or repurpose your own learning assets once the project is complete.
Another tip: Ask not just what they built, but what problem it solved. Did the course reduce safety incidents, improve customer satisfaction, or shorten onboarding time? Those metrics show whether a company delivers real business impact, not just attractive slides.
Client Testimonial:
Step 4: Assess Communication and Cultural Fit
Even the most talented instructional design consultants can struggle if communication breaks down. Projects fail not because of a lack of skill, but because of mismatched expectations and poor collaboration.
Pay attention to your early interactions:
- Are they responsive and transparent?
- Do they listen before offering solutions?
- Do they understand your stakeholders’ priorities?
- Are their updates timely and proactive?
The right partner should feel like an extension of your internal learning team, not an outside vendor.
One advantage of working with TrainingPros is that you’ll have a dedicated Relationship Manager, a seasoned L&D professional who serves as your single point of contact. They coordinate everything from consultant selection to project communication, so you don’t have to manage multiple freelancers or worry about losing continuity mid-project.
Client Testimonial
Step 5: Check the Company’s Stability, Values, and Financial Health
The L&D services market has a low barrier to entry. Many small agencies or solo providers pop up, deliver a few projects, and disappear. When evaluating instructional design services, look beyond creativity. Consider long-term reliability and values alignment.
Start with these questions:
- How long has your company been in business?
- Can you share client references from recent years?
- How large is your consultant network?
- Do you pay your consultants before you get paid?
- Is your company certified or recognized for diversity in ownership or leadership?
A company’s structure and values often reflect its approach to partnership. TrainingPros, for example, is a certified woman-owned business, a distinction that represents both stability and diversity. Working with diverse suppliers not only supports inclusion goals but also brings broader perspectives to your projects.
Then, take a closer look at financial stability:
- How does the company pay its consultants? Are they paid as they work, or only after you pay the invoice?
- Does the company have sufficient operating capital to handle a large, multi-phase project?
If a company relies on your payment to pay their team, your project could experience delays or consultant turnover. Established firms with solid financial foundations, like TrainingPros, ensure consultants are paid promptly and projects stay on schedule, regardless of client payment timing.
Finally, ask whether the organization is designed for longevity. Is this a company that’s been around for decades, or a short-term venture? Longevity usually means strong processes, loyal clients, and a proven ability to weather economic shifts. As of the date of this article – TrainingPros has been in business for 28 years.
Step 6: Confirm Flexibility, Scalability, and Support
You want a partner that grows with you. Today, you might need three short eLearning modules; next quarter, it could be a global rollout with translation and localization across 12 markets.
Ask how the company scales its resources:
- Can they add instructional designers, eLearning developers, and project managers quickly?
- Do they provide maintenance for existing courses or LMS migrations?
- How do they handle change requests and last-minute updates?
A truly flexible instructional design partner can adjust timelines, scope, and team size without compromising quality. That adaptability keeps projects moving smoothly, especially in enterprise environments where priorities shift fast.
Client Testimonial:
Step 7: Know the Red Flags Before You Sign
Not every vendor operates with transparency. Keep an eye out for these warning signs:
- Fast and cheap promises with no clear process behind them.
- No portfolio or examples of previous work.
- Unclear ownership of source files or intellectual property.
- Late payments to consultants could jeopardize your project’s consistency.
- No clear project management framework or milestones.
- No testimonials or client feedback available to review.
Pro tip: Always ask for testimonials or references from clients who’ve done similar projects. Their feedback can tell you more than any sales pitch ever could.
Trust your instincts. If something feels off during the sales process, it’s likely to be worse during development.
Final Thoughts
Choosing the right instructional design services partner isn’t just about creativity; it’s about trust, capability, and alignment. You want a company that understands your industry, communicates clearly, and has the financial stability to support large or long-term projects.
You also want a partner that reflects your organization’s values. TrainingPros is a certified woman-owned business, proudly supporting supplier diversity initiatives while connecting companies with experienced consultants nationwide. Working with diverse suppliers strengthens innovation, promotes equity, and brings a richer set of perspectives to every learning solution.
A good partner feels like an extension of your team: flexible, responsive, and invested in your success. A great one helps you prove that learning drives performance.
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Does your L&D team have more projects than people? TrainingPros has been named a Top 20 Staffing Company internationally by Training Industry and recognized as a Smartchoice® Preferred Provider by Brandon Hall Group for 2025. We’re also proud to be named a Champion of Learning by the Association for Talent Development (ATD)—an international honor that reflects our dedication to excellence in corporate learning. These accolades underscore TrainingPros’ unwavering commitment to delivering high-quality, tailored training solutions.
If your projects need instructional designers, virtual classroom producers, facilitators, or other L&D consultants for your leadership development design projects, reach out to one of our industry-expert relationship managers today.
When you have more projects than people™, let TrainingPros find the right consultant to start your project with confidence. Schedule a consultation today.
