A stakeholder calls and says they need training. Maybe they want an eLearning course. Maybe they want a workshop. Maybe they want a series of videos.
Many less experienced instructional designers immediately begin thinking about content, activities, and course structure. Experienced instructional design contractors do something different. They start asking questions.
The quality of an instructional designer’s questions often determines the quality of the solution. Before creating a single storyboard, slide, or learning objective, great instructional designers take time to understand the problem, the audience, and the desired outcome.
In many cases, the questions reveal that training is only part of the solution or that training is not the solution at all.
Why Questions Matter in Instructional Design
Instructional designers are hired to solve business problems, not simply create learning content. When designers skip discovery and jump straight into development, they risk building solutions that are well-designed but ineffective.
Consider this example:
A leader requests AI training for the entire organization because employees are not using AI tools consistently. There are two very different ways an instructional designer might respond.
Approach #1
The first approach is to immediately begin designing training. The instructional designer interviews a few stakeholders, creates learning objectives, develops content, and launches a course on AI tools and prompting techniques. The project is delivered on time, employees complete the training, and satisfaction scores are positive.
Three months later, however, AI adoption remains largely unchanged.
Why? Because employees never lacked the knowledge or skills to use the tools. They were hesitant to use AI because managers had not communicated clear expectations, approved use cases were inconsistent across departments, and employees were concerned about compliance, security, and privacy risks. The training was well designed, but it solved the wrong problem.
Approach #2
A contract instructional designer who starts by asking questions is more likely to uncover these issues before development begins. Through conversations with stakeholders, managers, and employees, the designer may discover that most employees already understand the basics of AI. The real barriers are organizational rather than instructional.
Instead of recommending a course as the primary solution, the designer might suggest creating AI usage guidelines, publishing approved use cases, developing manager talking points, clarifying governance policies, and providing quick-reference performance support tools. Targeted training could still play a role, but only after the organization addresses the factors preventing employees from applying what they already know.
The difference is significant. One approach produces a course. The other produces a solution that is more likely to improve performance and support the organization’s goals.
Questions That Separate Strategic Instructional Designers from Order-Takers
One of the biggest differences between novice and experienced instructional designers is their willingness to challenge assumptions. Instead of accepting a request at face value, they explore what is actually happening.
Questions such as these can change the direction of an entire project:
- What business problem are we trying to solve?
- What prompted this request?
- What evidence suggests training is needed?
- What happens if this problem is not addressed?
- What have you already tried?
- How will you know this project is successful?
- What metric would improve if this initiative works?
These questions help move the conversation from “What course should we build?” to “What outcome are we trying to achieve?”
That shift is one reason many organizations are increasingly seeking instructional designers who can think like performance consultants.
From Instructional Designer to Performance Consultant:
15 Questions Every Instructional Designer
Should Ask Before Starting a Project
Business Questions
Understanding the business context helps ensure learning solutions support organizational goals. Ask:
- What problem are we trying to solve?
- Why is this initiative important now?
- What business impact is the organization expecting?
- Who are the key stakeholders?
Learner Questions
The audience should influence every design decision. Ask:
- Who are the learners?
- What do they already know?
- What experience level do they have?
- What challenges or barriers do they face?
Performance Questions
Before recommending training, determine whether a performance gap actually exists. Ask:
- What are top performers doing differently?
- Do employees know what is expected of them?
- Do they have the tools and resources needed to succeed?
- Are there process, system, or environmental barriers affecting performance?
Project Questions
Strong discovery conversations also prevent project misunderstandings. Ask:
- What is included in the project scope?
- What is out of scope?
- What are the major milestones and deadlines?
Success Questions
Success should be defined before development begins. Ask:
- What behavior should change as a result of this initiative?
- How will success be measured?
The Role of Active Listening
Asking questions is only part of the process. Great instructional designers also listen carefully to the answers. Stakeholders often reveal important information indirectly:
- Frustrations with existing processes
- Competing priorities
- Organizational politics
- Resource limitations
- Concerns about learner engagement
The best discovery conversations feel less like interviews and more like collaborative problem-solving sessions. Listening for what is not being said can be just as important as listening to what is.
When the Answers Point Beyond Training
One of the most valuable outcomes of a discovery conversation is identifying situations where training is not the primary solution. Performance problems are often caused by factors such as:
- Unclear expectations
- Poorly designed processes
- Inadequate tools
- Lack of feedback
- Conflicting incentives
- Organizational barriers
In these situations, building another course may create activity without improving results. Instructional designers who can identify these issues become trusted advisors rather than content producers.
Why Asking Better Questions
Matters More in the Age of AI
Artificial intelligence is making it easier than ever to create learning content. AI can generate course outlines, assessments, simulations, job aids, and draft learning materials in minutes. As content creation becomes faster and more accessible, the value of instructional design consultants and performance consultants will increasingly come from skills that AI cannot easily replicate.
Organizations still need professionals who can:
- Build relationships with stakeholders
- Diagnose performance problems
- Clarify business objectives
- Navigate organizational complexity
- Facilitate meaningful conversations
- Recommend the right solution
The ability to ask thoughtful questions may become one of the most important skills instructional designers develop over the next decade.
From Instructional Designer to Strategic Partner
The most successful instructional designers are not simply experts in learning theory or content development. They are curious professionals who seek to understand problems before proposing solutions.
By asking better questions, instructional designers improve project outcomes, strengthen stakeholder relationships, and increase their influence within the organization.
Sometimes the most valuable thing an instructional designer creates is not a course at all.
Sometimes it is the conversation that uncovers what the organization really needs.
Ready to Work with Us?
Does your L&D team have more projects than people?
Many organizations in this position turn to custom eLearning development to scale training without overloading internal teams. If you’re exploring options or comparing learning and development companies, you should learn more about how organizations design and scale these solutions.
TrainingPros is a learning and development company that connects organizations with experienced instructional designers, eLearning developers, and performance consultants. We’ve been named a Top 20 Staffing Company by Training Industry and a Champion of Learning by the Association for Talent Development (ATD), recognition that reflects our commitment to delivering high-quality, tailored learning solutions.
If your learning initiatives require additional support, whether for a single project or a large-scale rollout, our relationship managers can help you find the right expertise quickly and confidently.
When you have more projects than people™, let TrainingPros find the right consultant to start your project with confidence.
Frequently Asked Questions About Questions Instructional Design Contractors Should Ask
What questions should instructional designers ask before starting a project?
Before beginning a project, instructional designers should ask questions about the business problem, target audience, desired outcomes, project scope, and success metrics. Understanding why the project exists is often more important than understanding what deliverable has been requested.
Why are questions important in instructional design?
Questions help instructional designers identify the root cause of a problem before recommending a solution. Without proper discovery, organizations may invest in training that does not address the actual barriers to performance.
How do instructional designers identify performance gaps?
Instructional designers identify performance gaps by comparing current performance to desired performance. This often involves interviewing stakeholders, reviewing performance data, observing work processes, and asking questions about expectations, resources, incentives, and workplace barriers.
What is the difference between instructional design and performance consulting?
Instructional design focuses on creating effective learning experiences. Performance consulting focuses on improving business results by identifying the root causes of performance problems and recommending appropriate solutions, which may or may not include training. Many experienced instructional designers use performance consulting techniques during project discovery.
What questions should instructional designers ask stakeholders?
Instructional designers should ask stakeholders questions such as:
- What business problem are we trying to solve?
- Why is this initiative important?
- How will success be measured?
- What has already been tried?
- What barriers are preventing employees from achieving the desired results?
These questions help ensure learning solutions align with organizational goals.
How can instructional designers avoid becoming order-takers?
Instructional designers avoid becoming order-takers by asking thoughtful questions, validating assumptions, and focusing on business outcomes rather than immediately accepting requests for specific deliverables. Strategic instructional designers seek to understand the problem before recommending a solution.
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