As the creative lead for this project, I worked directly with the Dean of the ICCA, to design and develop the Trauma-Informed Advocacy online course. The project took around three months from concept to launch and included collaboration with subject matter experts and a graphic designer.

I was responsible for the instructional design, video editing, and the creation of all interactive activities in Articulate Storyline. I also shaped the structure and user experience of the course, ensuring it aligned with both the learning objectives and the sensitive nature of the content.

The course is free to access and supports barristers working across all areas of the justice system. It raises awareness of the impact of trauma on memory, behaviour, and wellbeing, and provides practical strategies for avoiding re-traumatisation and managing vicarious trauma.

Endorsed by the Attorney General and Lord Justice Edis, the course builds on previous ICCA training in advocacy for vulnerable people and children, offering a research-informed, trauma-sensitive approach to advocacy that also promotes advocate wellbeing.

Techniques

I was provided with a storyboard containing the course content, which I used as the foundation to plan and build the course in Moodle. The material was broken down into topics and activities, following ICCA’s preferred structure. We used the Tiles course format in Moodle, alongside the Generico plugin, to organise and present each activity in a clear and consistent way.

I built the initial course structure using a combination of Moodle’s built-in tools and custom HTML. I added placeholders for images, infographics and videos to guide the next phase of development.

I had approval to work with a graphic designer on selected elements of the course, including imagery for Storyline activities, supporting documents and infographics. I created the main trauma-related visuals using ChatGPT and a series of image generation prompts. Because the subject matter is abstract and not easily illustrated (unlike, for example, fire safety training), I decided on a more conceptual, loose illustrative style. I created a set of images using the course’s red and black palette, which were used throughout the documentation, course tile graphics and screencasts. The graphic designer helped refine this imagery, removing extraneous AI-generated elements and using the style as a basis for additional illustrations where needed.

Once the core visuals were in place and the course structure was built, I created one infographic, one animated video and three Storyline activities. Two of these were short scenario-based multiple choice quizzes, and one was a more traditional content-driven interaction. All were designed in line with ICCA’s branding guidelines.

The animated video was developed in Camtasia, with visuals created to follow the course script. I used the ICCA’s brand assets to ensure consistency across all elements. Subtitles were added using Rev.com to provide human-verified captions with 99% accuracy.

Challenges

There were not many hurdles in creating this course, as it was relatively short and had been thoroughly storyboarded. The main challenge was producing imagery that accurately reflected the content while maintaining a professional and appropriate tone. Given the abstract nature of the subject, it was important to ensure that the visuals were both sensitive and aligned with the course’s message and style.

Summary

I am proud to say that I worked on this project. Overall, I feel that this course has brought together thoughtful design, clear structure, and creative problem-solving to deliver a sensitive and well-crafted online course. Working from a detailed storyboard, I led the development of the course in Moodle, created supporting visuals and multimedia content, and collaborated with a graphic designer to ensure a cohesive and professional learner experience. By combining instructional design with AI-generated imagery, custom interactions, and branded video content, the final result reflects both the depth of the subject and the ICCA’s commitment to high-quality, accessible advocacy training.

Skills Demonstrated

• Instructional design and course planning
• Visual design direction and collaboration
• AI-assisted image generation and creative concept development
• eLearning development in Moodle and Articulate Storyline
• Video production and audio editing (Camtasia)
• HTML and multimedia integration
• Accessibility considerations and captioning

Tools Used

• Moodle
• ChatGPT
• Canva
• Articulate Storyline 360
• Camtasia

You can find out more about this course via the ICCA’s website.