Opening the Hood: Why I am Building the Tofte Design Journal

I have spent the last several years operating as a performance-first designer, moving from K-12 classrooms into digital learning enablement and formal Instructional Design. During that time, I have developed frameworks, storyboards, and AI-accelerated workflows that I’ve largely kept behind the scenes. Today, I am making those systems public.

I’ve noticed that the current Instructional Design landscape is often filled with noise. I found that I had much more success in my own career transition when I shifted my focus from simply using tools to articulating the instructional judgment behind them. By documenting my "Design Decision Trail," I am creating a visible bank of evidence that bridges the gap between pedagogical theory and high-velocity production.

To maintain a consistent professional rhythm, I am structuring this journal around three recurring series:

Tofte Tuesdays (The $0 Tech Stack) I am focusing these deep-dives on achieving high-end results using open-source or low-cost tools. Next Tuesday, I am sharing a workflow I’ve been testing with NotebookLM. I have found a way to synthesize my professional background, a specific job description, and deep company research into a 30-minute deep-dive podcast. In this audio artifact, the AI "hosts" explain exactly how my specific skills align with an institution's unique pain points. It has become a primary tool for my own interview preparation.

Throwback Thursdays (The Reflective Practitioner) I will be reframing my past projects—including my Minecraft literacy units and my Graduate Capstone on AI-powered coaching—through the lens of my current work in Higher Ed and EdTech. I find that looking back at these earlier "builds" helps me prove long-term pedagogical stability.

Saturday Deep Dives (The Artifact) I will provide technical analysis on the job market, ATS patterns, and accessibility engineering. These are the systems that allow me to ensure my work meets the "Performance, Clarity, and Inclusion" triad I value so highly.

My Current Insight

I found that I moved much faster in my career once I stopped writing generic "about me" summaries and started documenting one specific "Decision Point" per week. Explaining why I chose a specific interaction or accessibility standard over another has proven to be my most valuable networking asset.

I look forward to sharing these workflows and seeing how they might help other practitioners refine their own systems!