This week only · Doors close Friday, Oct 30
Join the membership free until January
Build your instructional design portfolio with my step-by-step HARPER Method. Pay $0 today. Your first payment isn’t until January.
See how it worksFor teachers moving into instructional design
From Teacher to
Instructional Designer.
Build a portfolio that shows how you think, get honest feedback from someone who made the move herself, and step confidently into your first instructional design role.
Everything is self-paced and on-demand, so it fits around your teaching schedule. Start with the free Storyboard-to-Portfolio Checklist, or get expert eyes on your portfolio this week.
Get the free checklist
Start where you are
Four ways to build an AI-ready instructional design portfolio, all on your schedule.
Free
Storyboard-to-Portfolio Checklist
44 practical checks that take you from storyboard to a finished, AI-ready portfolio piece.
$0 until January
The Membership
The HARPER Method, Portfolio Pit Stop and Career Hub, at your own pace. Doors close Oct 30.
$197
Portfolio Review
Recorded feedback on your portfolio, résumé and LinkedIn, plus your top 3 fixes, in 5 business days.
Waitlist open
AI-Ready Portfolio Sprint
Ship one AI-ready portfolio piece in 6 weeks, with feedback at every milestone. Starts January 11.
From the community
What members say
“Crystal has created an easy-to-follow method that, in my opinion, should be adopted more. … As soon as you join, you will feel right at home. I feel this is one of the best investments I’ve made.”
Charles Parker
Instructional Design & Tech Specialist, Delaware Technical Community College
“The community is wonderful and comprehensive. It includes everything an up-and-coming instructional designer needs.”
Reba Martinez
eLearning Project Manager
Free mini-course
Not sure what to learn first?
The Free ID Kickstart helps you understand the instructional design field, recognize the strengths you already bring from teaching, and choose your next steps without trying to learn everything at once.
Free · Delivered by email · Start today
In three short lessons, you will:
- Understand what instructional designers actually do
- Identify the skills you already have
- Create a clear plan for your next steps
New & free for 2026
The Storyboard-to-Portfolio Checklist
Building your instructional design portfolio? This free, interactive checklist walks you from your first storyboard to a finished, AI-ready portfolio piece, with 44 practical checks for what hiring managers look for in 2026.
- Pick the right 1–3 projects and write case studies that get noticed
- Show your storyboards, design decisions and AI skills, with your judgment visible
- Check items off as you go. Your progress saves automatically.
Free reading
Three articles to read first
A short path from “Is this career right for me?” to a portfolio piece you’re proud to share.
Step 1 · Explore
Instructional Design: A Great Career Path for Teachers
The skills you already use in the classroom, from writing objectives to engaging learners, and how they carry straight into instructional design.
Step 2 · Build
Step-by-Step Guide in Creating Storyboards
How to plan the content, visuals, media and flow of every screen before you build anything.
Step 3 · Showcase
What Should You Include When Building Your Portfolio?
What to include, and how to show your design process so employers can see how you think.