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Applied Instructional Design Certification

The Applied Instructional Design Certification (AIDC) is the credential Learning Strategy & Design awards to graduates of the Applied Instructional Design Academy (AIDA).

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Applied Instructional Design Certification

Learning Strategy & Design

Issued by
Learning Strategy & Design
Earned through
AIDA, the Applied Instructional Design Academy
Created by
Jill Davidian
Held by
1,200+ AIDA graduates since 2019
Verify on
Certifier (Credly for earlier credentials)
The credential

What is the AIDC?

The AIDC is the credential you earn when you finish the Applied Instructional Design Academy (AIDA) with a portfolio that passed review. Every AIDC holder went through the Applied ID Portfolio Method and came out with finished, reviewed work a hiring manager can open.

Along the way, holders learn the LEAD AI Framework, so they use AI in their design work with the instructional designer in charge.

The Applied ID Portfolio Method
  1. ThinkHow instructional designers think, then how to work with AI as an ID
  2. Build + IterateReal samples, reviewed until each one is approved
  3. ProveA polished portfolio website that shows the work and how you use AI
  4. LandThe job search, with Job Search HQ and career services
See the whole method →
The path

How do you earn it?

You climb the ID Skill Ladder in AIDA, one module at a time. Each one ends with a piece of your portfolio, and nothing moves forward until it's approved.

ID Fundamentals and AI for IDsHow adults learn, what makes eLearning work, and the LEAD AI FrameworkYou start your AI Log
Intro to Rise and Advanced RiseYour first authoring tool, then a code block interaction built with AIYour Rise course
Content MappingTopic, audience, objectives and assessments for your Storyline sampleYour content map
Storyline and Visual DesignStoryline start to finish, the design principles, then advanced interactions and audioYour Storyline course
Instructional Design ProcessHow a real project runs, start to finishYour design document, storyboard and job aid
Job ReadinessYour portfolio website, resume and LinkedIn, all reviewedYour finished portfolio and the AIDC

See the full curriculum →

The portfolio

What has every AIDC holder built?

A portfolio website a hiring manager can open and evaluate, with:

  • An eLearning course built in Articulate Storyline
  • A course built in Articulate Rise
  • A design document and a storyboard
  • A job aid
  • How they work with AI, shown on their portfolio website
"
I would say there's just a level of polish. [...] Just the organization, the visual aspect was easy to navigate and to get a glimpse of in a quick amount of time.
Sara HarjoDirector of Curriculum Development, Career CertifiedOn what stood out in AIDA grads' portfolios

Portfolios AIDC holders built.

Four grads, four starting points. Click through any of them the way a hiring manager would.

Preview of Megan Gonzalez's portfolioMegan GonzalezFormer speech-language pathologistNow: Instructional Designer, Penn State→Preview of Paris Carter's portfolioParis CarterFrom mortgage and insuranceNow: Instructional Designer, Career Certified→Preview of Meredith Birdy's portfolioMeredith BirdyFormer teacherNow: Learning Experience Consultant, TaskUs→Preview of Agnes Szoltysek's portfolioAgnes SzoltysekFrom retail managementNow: Instructional Designer & Learning Experience Developer, Scale Instruction→

See all the AIDA portfolios →

The standard

How is each piece reviewed?

Experienced instructional designers review every piece, with unlimited feedback. When something needs more work, it comes back with feedback, the graduate revises it, and it goes back for another review. Nobody moves on until the work meets the rubric. It mirrors how work gets reviewed on a real ID team.

"
She said, I was always very hesitant to hire someone who had come from education. [...] And she said, and you've proven me wrong, she said, I would absolutely go through someone who has an education background but has been through AIDA.
Holli HurtHolli HurtMiddle School English Teacher → Instructional Designer, Sodexo
Jill Davidian
The creator

Who created the AIDC?

Jill Davidian has worked in instructional design since 2002. She started in higher education while earning her M.S. in Instructional Systems Technology at Indiana University, then spent ten years full-time in corporate instructional design at companies including Discover, Sysco, Vestas and BP. At BP she was an instructional design manager, leading ethical leadership and inclusive leadership programs for supervisors up through vice presidents across North and South America, and hiring for her team.

She founded Learning Strategy & Design in 2014, went remote in 2016, and has designed training for clients including Chevron, Deloitte, Hilton and Lockheed Martin. She started AIDA in 2019 to teach career changers what she looked for when she was the one hiring.

Read Jill's full background →

FAQ

Questions about the AIDC.

Is the AIDC accredited?+
No. There's no accrediting body specific to instructional design certifications. What stands behind the AIDC is the portfolio. Every piece was reviewed until it passed, and anyone can open it and evaluate the work.
How do you verify an AIDC?+
Each AIDC comes with a digital credential the holder can share. Newer credentials are issued on Certifier. Earlier ones were issued on Credly, and both still verify. Ask the holder for their credential link, or for their portfolio link, which shows the work itself.
Who holds the AIDC?+
Every AIDA graduate, more than 1,200 people since 2019. That includes graduates from before the certification had a name. The requirements were the same, so it's the same credential.
How is the AIDC different from a certificate of completion?+
A certificate of completion shows you finished the lessons. The AIDC shows your portfolio passed review by experienced instructional designers.
Does the AIDC cover AI?+
Yes. Every portfolio website shows how the grad works with AI, and AIDA teaches the LEAD AI Framework for working with AI while the instructional designer stays in charge.
How do you earn the AIDC?+
You earn it in the Applied Instructional Design Academy (AIDA) when your portfolio passes review. An experienced instructional designer reviews every piece against a rubric, and you revise until it's approved.
How long does it take to earn the AIDC?+
On average, about 6 months at 15 hours a week. AIDA is self-paced, and you have up to 12 months to finish.
Where do AIDC holders work?+
AIDA grads have been hired at 760+ employers, including Salesforce, Google, Disney, Cleveland Clinic and the United Nations. The AIDA Outcomes Report has the full breakdown.
"
Even if you already have a MS in the field, this program helps because it gives you a better feel of how the work is actually done. Having this program greatly increased my confidence in my ID skills.
June GavettJune GavettTraining Specialist → Instructional Systems Specialist, United States Department of Defense
Jill Davidian

Jill Davidian is the founder of Learning Strategy & Design and creator of the Applied ID Portfolio Method. 20+ years in instructional design, including time as a hiring manager. 1,200+ AIDA graduates. More about Jill
Last updated: November 2026

The credential behind every AIDA graduate.

You earn the AIDC in AIDA, with every piece of your portfolio reviewed until it's approved. November enrollment closes Tuesday, November 17.

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See how AIDA works · The Applied ID Portfolio Method