How Do You Actually Start an eLearning Project?

When I continued working on my entry for Tim Slade’s eLearning Challenge, I decided to throw caution (and ADDIE) to the wind. 😅

I didn’t start with a needs analysis. I didn’t outline objectives or build a storyboard. Instead, I asked myself a very different kind of question:

👉 “What would make this project so fun, I won’t wanna stop?”

Because here’s the thing: this wasn’t a corporate course. This was a gamified learning experience—and that meant the rules were different.

I Started With Joy

If I wanted learners to feel excited, I had to be excited first. So I flipped my process upside down and started with the stuff that sparks joy:

🎭 Characters – Who are they? What do they sound like?
🍻 Setting – Where does the story take place? What does it feel like to be there?
🎨 Visual Style – I went full Simpsons-inspired, because honestly, why not?

Building Baillies Brewery

With that vision in mind, I fired up ChatGPT and a few image editing tools, and got to work building the world of Baillies Brewery.

👴 I designed the senior beertender—a charming MKO who guides the player through their first day.
🏠 I created the taproom, a cozy and colorful space where the entire course unfolds.

And yep—if you hang around long enough, the beertender does reveal his name. 😏 (No spoilers.)

About Those Visuals...

Let’s be real—getting the art style right took multiple tries. Generating images with the exact vibe I wanted wasn’t a one-click solution. I spent hours tweaking prompts, refining outputs, and doing just enough editing to bring everything to life.

But in the end, it all came together. And while the course is bold, playful, and totally cartoonish, I still kept everything within the brand guidelines outlined in the challenge. Because fun doesn’t have to mean off-brand.