You there! Are you ready to feel motivated? Are you ready to be hit with a buncha instructional design quotes that will make you feel like you could deadlift Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson over your head or travel back in time to save the RMS Titanic?! Or, ya know…design and develop really engaging eLearning content. That too.

You’re in the right spot, friend! Find a cozy spot, grab a tasty snack, and let these motivational instructional design quotes wash over you! If any of these quotes really speak to you, consider jotting them down for a rainy day. We always find it helpful to keep our personal favorite quotes nearby, whether that’s tucked in a pocket or hanging in the office.

Let’s get to the list!

21 Instructional Design Quotes To Inspire You:

1. “Know your audience! Great eLearning design isn’t universal.” | Bianca Woods

2. “The basic DNA of good learning experiences is trying to do something and getting feedback.” | Julie Dirksen

3. “Throw out some of that instructional design language and speak like a human being.” | Cammy Bean

4. “You are worthy. You are doing the best you can. And if you feel like you aren’t doing the best you can right now, there’s always time to get where you need to be.” | Nyla

5. “No one is watching out for your professional growth except you!” | Emily Stone

6. “The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.” | William Arthur Ward

7. “Don’t you want a little taste of the glory? See what it tastes like?” | Nacho Libre

8. “Design is thinking made visual.” | Saul Bass

9. “People expect to be bored by eLearning. Let’s show them it doesn’t have to be like that!” | Cammy Bean

10. “This above all: to thine own SME be true.” | William Shakespeare

11. “In visual design for eLearning, less is more.” | Connie Malamed

12. "Boring and effective are mutually exclusive attributes in learning.” | Michael Allen

13. “Learning is more effective when it is an active rather than a passive process.” | Kurt Lewin

14. “One of the key parts to having a portfolio that stands out is imagery. Make sure that the images used are impactful and your layout is clean.” | Tammy Knoll-Anderson

15. “In order to create an engaging learning experience, the role of instructor is optional, but the role of learner is essential.” | Bernard Bull

16. “Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.” | Benjamin Franklin

17. “The most important principle for designing lively eLearning is to see eLearning design not as information design but as designing an experience.” | Cathy Moore

18. “When it comes to eLearning, content means everything. If eLearning content is not masterfully designed, all the rest will just go down the drain.” | Christopher Pappas

19. “Online learning is not the next big thing, it is the new big thing.” | Donna J. Abernathy

20. “We need to bring learning to people instead of people to learning.” | Elliott Masie

21. "So, never worry about failure. It's gonna happen. But that's okay: go ahead, take chances….and you might just find that what feels like failure isn't failure at all, it's what inspires you to dream even bigger.” | Kermit The Frog

Conclusion

We don’t know about you, but we’re feeling super pumped from these instructional design quotes! Whether you’re just starting out on your ID freelie journey, or are a seasoned pro, we could all use some words of encouragement from time to time!

It can be stressful to navigate the ever-changing, fast paced world of instructional design, so think of these quotes as tiny, bite-sized motivators to help inspire you along the way.

Now if you’ll excuse us, we have a date with these biceps and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.