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From Philosophy Teacher to Freelance Learning Designer: Simone's CDLP Journey
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Simone came to the Digital Learning Institute from a background in philosophy and teaching, looking for a structured way into instructional design. He didn't just want more theory about how people learn, he wanted the craft of actually building learning: authoring, prototyping, and shipping real work.
"It took me from someone who understood learning to someone who could really build it."
Hear from Simone directly below!
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Real Projects, Real Deadlines
The CDLP certification was demanding from the start. Simone wasn't watching videos and moving on, he was building real projects against real deadlines.
"It's not about a certificate. If you like learning, here you can learn how to build it. That's exactly what I'd say to a friend."
He came out the other side with a portfolio that genuinely showed how he works.
Taking a Project All the Way to a Working Prototype
Simone's final project stands out to him as a turning point. He built a five-module cybersecurity awareness course, and for one module he went beyond a storyboard and prototyped it as a working interactive app, learners had to spot real phishing attempts and make the call themselves.
"It was one of the first times I took something all the way from analysis to a working prototype on my own."
That mattered beyond the course itself. The same confidence carried straight into his first paying client, where he designed a pre-sales tool from scratch.
"I don't think I'd have trusted myself to own the whole process like that without the program. It was not only about the skill, but also about the confidence I built."
Designing for the Decision, Not the Information
One of the biggest mindset shifts for Simone has been learning to design for the decision people need to make, not the information he wants them to know.
"My first instinct as a former teacher is to explain everything, I want to make sure people know the whole subject. But I really changed my mindset. The most important part to me is what people need to do differently once the training is over."
He now cuts anything that doesn't serve that outcome, which he says makes his work sharper and faster, always working back from the question of what people need to do differently, not what they need to learn.
From Teacher to Freelance Learning Experience Designer
The program gave Simone the language and the confidence to reposition himself professionally. Within just a few months, he went from teaching to working as a freelance learning experience designer with a live client.
"It gave me something concrete, and the best part was the confidence to speak to a client and try to find a solution for their problem."
That confidence is something he comes back to again and again, trusting himself to work end to end, from diagnosing the actual problem through to a finished product.
"I didn't think I was capable of taking on client work and owning the whole thing. Right now I'm working from diagnosing the actual problem and seeing it through to a finished product, I think that's a direct result of the program."
Support That Left Room for Real Responsibility
Simone felt the level of support was well calibrated: enough structure and feedback to keep him oriented, but never so much that it did the thinking for him.
"I was left with real responsibility for my own work, deadlines to hold myself to, decisions to make on my own. That's exactly what I needed, coming from an academic background. The best part was being trained to practice."
A Relationship That Didn't End at Graduation
Rather than staying connected to a specific cohort, Simone's strongest ongoing relationship is with the institute itself. He appreciates that the connection hasn't gone quiet since he finished, he's kept in the loop with new courses and programs.
"It feels less like a course I closed and more like an open door."
Meeting the Need He Came In With
Simone had gone in wanting the craft of building learning, and had worried the diploma might stay theoretical. In the end, it matched his expectations by meeting that need directly.
"It met the professional need I had most directly, moving from understanding learning to producing it."
Scenario-Based Design as a Default
Asked what approach has stayed with him most, Simone doesn't hesitate: scenario-based design — building learning as a situation the learner has to work through and make decisions in, rather than content to read and get quizzed on.
"It's become my default. Every single project I've built has to do with scenario-based design. I love to put the learning into a realistic scenario, let them make the call, and the consequences teach them."
He says it's also the approach clients respond to most, because the result looks like an actual job.
If You’re Considering the Program
Simone would recommend it, with one condition: don't go through it passively.
"Don't just click through the videos to tick modules off as fast as possible. Throw yourself into the monthly challenges, build actual prototypes, and keep building courses even beyond what the institute asks you to do. That's where the real learning happens, not in watching content, but in making things with it. Try to build and work even if you don't think you've learned every part of the theory. I think that should give you the confidence to keep working on it."
FAQ
Is the program practical? Yes. Simone built real projects against real deadlines throughout, including a full interactive prototype for his final project, rather than passively working through video content.
Can it help with a career change? Yes. Simone moved from teaching into freelance learning experience design with a live client within a few months of the program.
Does the support continue after graduation? Yes. Simone describes his relationship with the institute as ongoing, with new courses and programs keeping the connection open rather than ending at completion.
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