I’m Caitlin.

I’m an L&D Professional and Instructional Designer, currently living in the vibrant city of Chicago.

I have always had a deep interest in design and enjoy finding creative ways to break down complex concepts into simple solutions. This unique blend of creativity and analytical thinking has guided me on an incredible journey in the field of instructional design.

Additionally, I recently started my Master’s in Instructional Design and Technology at Walden University. I look forward to broadening my knowledge of IDT best practices and exploring new ways to leverage instructional technology, ensuring I consistently deliver purposeful and engaging learning experiences.

Beyond my passion for design and learning, I am deeply committed to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). As a board member of Citywide Pride, a nonprofit committed to fostering safety and inclusivity in the workplace for the LGBTQ+ community, I engage with organizations throughout Chicago to enhance workplace equity. Our mission focuses on advocating for constructive change by offering educational programs and valuable resources and raising awareness of best practices. We aim to create environments where all individuals feel respected and empowered. In addition to my board responsibilities, I find immense joy in designing impactful graphics and managing the social media accounts for Citywide Pride. This dynamic role allows me to blend my creative expertise with my commitment to driving social change.

My philosophy in instructional design is centered around making learning a fun and interactive experience that inspires and engages learners. To achieve this, I constantly stay at the forefront of educational technology, incorporating innovative eLearning platforms and multimedia tools into my courses and training materials. My goal is not only to inform learners but to captivate them, fostering a genuine desire for knowledge.

In my quest to deliver engaging learning experiences, I am adept at Articulate Storyline and constantly seek novel and innovative ways to present information. This continuous exploration drives me to create trainings that are not only informative but visually stimulating, making the learning process an enjoyable journey.

My design philosophy

One area that particularly excites me is animation mapping in PowerPoint. I find that this innovative technique enhances the learning experience, making complex concepts easily digestible. Creating visual, learner-centered trainings that leave a lasting impact is a passion I cherish. I've discovered that this innovative technique significantly enhances the learning experience by simplifying the comprehension of complex concepts. Crafting visually immersive, learner-centered training experiences that leave an indelible impact is a passion I cherish.

Here is a behind-the-scenes look at my animations that bring a powerpoint scene to life. As you can see from the animation pane, there are dozens of movements that depend on each other. My goal when I’m animated mapping is to make the scene look similar to an animated short.

Here is the final product. To explain one concept, I used three slides and over 80 animation rules but the result is a smooth design that clearly explains the content.

Thank you for visiting my portfolio! I invite you to explore my work and see how my dedication to design, problem-solving, and fostering inclusivity merges to create engaging and impactful learning experiences.

Here's to a journey of learning, design, and creative solutions!

What People Are Saying

For the intro to Tableau training, Caitlin did a phenomenal job putting together the self-paced materials. The course definitely looks professionally made and something that Tableau themselves couldn't have done.

She also did a great job putting together the data-informed decision making collateral. The content looked great and it was a great way to take the lesson material into a digestible format

Nicklas Ankarstad, Sr. Director, Data Science & Analytics

Caitlin approaches each training with a level of care that consistently leads to an effective, learner-friendly, and enjoyable training. She is constantly looking for ways to increase engagement and her methods have become norms at M1. She is extremely thoughtful of how learners experience anything she creates.

She can take complicated topics and build an engaging trainings accessible for all learners, through content, but also her signature 1-pagers (now requested if we don't have them for a training!). I have seen teams model their trainings based on best practices that Caitlin uses and she has provided feedback to help teams marry their expertise and learning design techniques.

Haley Hammond, Director of People Development & DEIB

I believe Caitlin really excels at working to find a positive solution to problems we are trying to solve in the DEIB space. Specifically as a part of the mental health erg, she has been able to bring her experience from other ERGs and also tie that into what is best for the culture of the company. The co-leads and I highly value her input in discussions and look forward to growing the group and increasing engagement in the following year!

Andrew Delso, Software Engineer II, Android

Caitlin coordinated an entire group learning session with my team at M1; she helped us ID the course we should take, assisted everyone with registration, set up weekly group reviews on course items completed and helped us ensure we were able to successfully dedicate time to the course in the midst of a particularly busy time for the team. The energy she brings to work is always warm and welcoming; she's an asset wherever she decides to work.

Lindsay Jernigan, Senior Creative Operations Manager

Caitlin exceeded the Borrow Operations team's expectations with the swiftness in which she created and presented the Personal Loan Financial Literacy Training.

With the launch of Personal Loans imminent, we knew financial literacy was necessary as this was a new product for M1, however, our time was occupied by day-to-day responsibilities in ensuring a successful launch. Caitlin was able to jump in right away and give us the guidance we needed to make sure accurate information was included and that it would be presented in a timely manner. We also appreciated the feedback Caitlin gave us to guarantee an impactful and engaging presentation. As we continue to offer new features and products related to lending, I am confident that our partnership with L&D will be successful thanks to Caitlin!

Max Dinse, Associate, Borrow Operations

I've observed Caitlin make tremendous strides in her ability to effectively communicate a broad range of topics to an audience. Caitlin's role requires her interactions with members of the Operations team to be as impactful as those with the Engineering team. This is no easy task. And having personally worked with her in support of multiple teams at this point, I am in awe of her ability to provide value across the organization.

Holden Price, Data Scientist