Instructional Design | Video Production | Accessibility
To address low attendance at live orientation sessions and minimal engagement with hour-long recordings, I created a concise, accessible, and engaging orientation video for the Kent State University Honors College.
Using a backward design approach, I distilled the most impactful parts of our live sessions into a focused script, layered it with custom visuals aligned to Kent State University’s brand, and built in interactive features like chapters and hotspots through Kaltura.
This project began with a challenge: attendance at our live sessions was low, largely because incoming students and their families were juggling end-of-high-school events. We were also recording the sessions, but the videos were nearly an hour long and most people were only watching about 10 minutes.
We needed a more concise and accessible way to share essential information about the Honors College - something that respected our audience’s time while still delivering meaningful content.
As the sole designer and developer, I created a 10-minute video that introduces students and their advocates to our academic community in a clear, engaging, and accessible format. Using backward design, I pulled the most effective and important elements from the live sessions and used them as the foundation for the video.
I began by outlining the video structure in Microsoft PowerPoint, aligning each scene with key messages drawn from the live orientation. This helped visualize the pacing, flow, and content.
I identified essential learning outcomes and reverse-engineered the script to ensure the most important information was delivered clearly and efficiently.
Custom graphics and visuals were created in Adobe Express, Firefly, and Photoshop, all aligned with Kent State University’s brand guidelines to maintain a cohesive look and feel.
The initial narration was recorded in a studio, but after script revisions, I transitioned to Microsoft Clipchamp’s text-to-speech tool for flexibility and control over tone and timing.
I used TechSmith Camtasia to combine screen captures, narration, visual assets, and animations into a polished, professional video with smooth transitions and visual consistency.
The final video was hosted on Kaltura, where I enhanced the user experience by adding chapters and interactive hotspots to improve navigation and engagement for viewers.
I embraced an accessibility-first mindset, ensuring that all design and content decisions supported inclusive access. From careful attention to color contrast and navigable chaptering to built-in captions and a transcript, accessibility wasn't an afterthought - it was a core design principle.
Following the replacement of live session recordings with the new video, the Honors College observed a 169% increase in play count during the first week of orientation - from 144 in 2024 to 387 in 2025.
In terms of engagement, the completion rate increased by 82% - from 34% in 2024 to 62% in 2025.
This project reflects my commitment to creating purposeful learning experiences that balance creativity, accessibility, and strategic design.