Carmel Consultants is a TRAINING Development & COMMUNICATIONS Design company.
My name is Rich Miller, and I am a Lead Solutions Designer, a mix of Designer and Director for media projects. I may be called upon to do a solo contract, such as copy writing or video editing, . . . or I might lead a project as a consultant and collaborator with outiside technical and creative talent. I can recruit and direct freelancers as part of a project . . . or I can work with an organization, as a liaison between the subject matter experts and your internal creative staff.
What sets me apart and what's in it for you is my experience in developing "Designer Needs Assessments." The Needs Assessment is the first step to establishing the measurable learning and behavioral objectives for media projects. Having a definitive TARGET is the foundational objective for designing integrated media solutions. Understanding the WHY behind the project is what drives the who, what, where, when, and how. Ironically, this mission critical component and first step of any design is also the most commonly underdeveloped part of the project. If a project misses the mark, it's almost always traced back to a poor initial assessment design. And, yes, . . . custom media projects require DESIGNED assessments. It's part of the work. Assessments are designed, . . . not assumed or "materialized." A weak assessment of the business and the project will adversely effect everything that follows. A solid and well designed needs assessment is multi-dimensional and requires a media designer capable of extracting and documenting the R.O.I. model for the project, an analysis of the performance gaps, and the needs of the target audience. Some of this can be done seamlessly and intuitively, and other parts must be done on purpose. A seasoned lead designer is more than a builder or production level pixel pusher or assembly expert, they must also be a business consultant capable of "seeing," communicating and documenting multidimensional levels of need.
One of my specialties is designing and implementing "boxed" assessments for quickly and effectively acquiring snapshot information. Boxed assessments are for specific situations and specific purposes as "ready and repeat use" templates. I call them "boxed assessments" because they are often used by people who do not design them, but rather metaphorically take them "out of the box" and use them as part of a process when needed.
A simple example of a two step "boxed assessment" would be a questionaire template used as part of a sales process.
Step 1. Know who your ideal clients are and why they buy. Then, right out of the gate, apply a quick and easy assessment (filtering) of sales prospects to determine if they're a fit for your product / solution. This initial prospect assessment, is designed to quickly distinguish buyers from non-buyers, which effectively reduces wasted time, money and energy. To put it in "sales speak," - you'll stop chasing your tail.
Step 2. Once you have determined the prospect is an ideal or good fit for what you are selling, you then hone in on the buyer's needs. This buyer assessment is designed to gather the information needed to direct and deliver what the buyer wants and needs.
Instructional Design and Consultative Sales have a lot in common. Both approach problems with a discovery phase and then seek performance objectives as the goal.
Any media project worth doing needs an acurate assessment process and method in order to design and deliver a valuable solution. This is ridiculously simple logic, but I am breaking the ASSESSMENT process down, . . . because after two decades designing media, even I sometimes vascilate between taking a job without "upsetting" the apple cart. It doesn't matter whether it's a small business owner or a global technology leader, the vast majority of media projects are jammed up before they even hire the designers and developers. People ill equipped to decipher root motivations and consult with decision makers at the top are doling out job requirements and deliverables. And so, the conscientious designer either fits into "the program" and collects a paycheck or he / she swims upstream at the risk of either not getting the job or being ejected from the "design" program. All too often, people would rather throw money at a project and hire a "production" person to just build it, rather than go through the ASSESSMENT process in order to design a targeted, purpose driven media project. And they wonder why the current project is over due, over budget and goes round and round in revisions, . . .wasting far more money and time than had they hired a pro and participated in an appropriate assessment in the first place.
On the flipside, most design contracts begin with contract deliverables and fixed timelines already set. The idealized design process gives way to a pursuit of improvement, which can feel like a continuous loop. In the real world, Instructional Designers must be adaptable, collaborative, and solid project managers. Consulting is an integrated role. And, rarely is a project design linear. The goal is to design and produce with an understanding of return on investment and a design plan to achieve performance objectives.
My intent with all these words is to hold up the value of professional design, vs. all the other cheaper (more costly) ways of getting things done. The moral to the story: hire a design pro!
The primary Instructional and Communications Design Process I follow is:
"A.D.D.I.E." - Assessment, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation
SUMMARY:
See the tab above, "Menu" of services for a short list of project categories.
To schedule a free consultation, I can be reached by email or by phone. I look forward to talking with you about your business and your project.
Rich Miller
(916) 870 3434
confi4miller@gmail.com
- Bridging Human Performance Gaps in Business
- Instructional Video & Multi-Media
- Full Scope Sales and Marketing Solutions
- Niche Solutions, such as Divorce and Custody Coaching. *see the link above "N.R. Coaching"
My name is Rich Miller, and I am a Lead Solutions Designer, a mix of Designer and Director for media projects. I may be called upon to do a solo contract, such as copy writing or video editing, . . . or I might lead a project as a consultant and collaborator with outiside technical and creative talent. I can recruit and direct freelancers as part of a project . . . or I can work with an organization, as a liaison between the subject matter experts and your internal creative staff.
What sets me apart and what's in it for you is my experience in developing "Designer Needs Assessments." The Needs Assessment is the first step to establishing the measurable learning and behavioral objectives for media projects. Having a definitive TARGET is the foundational objective for designing integrated media solutions. Understanding the WHY behind the project is what drives the who, what, where, when, and how. Ironically, this mission critical component and first step of any design is also the most commonly underdeveloped part of the project. If a project misses the mark, it's almost always traced back to a poor initial assessment design. And, yes, . . . custom media projects require DESIGNED assessments. It's part of the work. Assessments are designed, . . . not assumed or "materialized." A weak assessment of the business and the project will adversely effect everything that follows. A solid and well designed needs assessment is multi-dimensional and requires a media designer capable of extracting and documenting the R.O.I. model for the project, an analysis of the performance gaps, and the needs of the target audience. Some of this can be done seamlessly and intuitively, and other parts must be done on purpose. A seasoned lead designer is more than a builder or production level pixel pusher or assembly expert, they must also be a business consultant capable of "seeing," communicating and documenting multidimensional levels of need.
One of my specialties is designing and implementing "boxed" assessments for quickly and effectively acquiring snapshot information. Boxed assessments are for specific situations and specific purposes as "ready and repeat use" templates. I call them "boxed assessments" because they are often used by people who do not design them, but rather metaphorically take them "out of the box" and use them as part of a process when needed.
A simple example of a two step "boxed assessment" would be a questionaire template used as part of a sales process.
Step 1. Know who your ideal clients are and why they buy. Then, right out of the gate, apply a quick and easy assessment (filtering) of sales prospects to determine if they're a fit for your product / solution. This initial prospect assessment, is designed to quickly distinguish buyers from non-buyers, which effectively reduces wasted time, money and energy. To put it in "sales speak," - you'll stop chasing your tail.
Step 2. Once you have determined the prospect is an ideal or good fit for what you are selling, you then hone in on the buyer's needs. This buyer assessment is designed to gather the information needed to direct and deliver what the buyer wants and needs.
Instructional Design and Consultative Sales have a lot in common. Both approach problems with a discovery phase and then seek performance objectives as the goal.
Any media project worth doing needs an acurate assessment process and method in order to design and deliver a valuable solution. This is ridiculously simple logic, but I am breaking the ASSESSMENT process down, . . . because after two decades designing media, even I sometimes vascilate between taking a job without "upsetting" the apple cart. It doesn't matter whether it's a small business owner or a global technology leader, the vast majority of media projects are jammed up before they even hire the designers and developers. People ill equipped to decipher root motivations and consult with decision makers at the top are doling out job requirements and deliverables. And so, the conscientious designer either fits into "the program" and collects a paycheck or he / she swims upstream at the risk of either not getting the job or being ejected from the "design" program. All too often, people would rather throw money at a project and hire a "production" person to just build it, rather than go through the ASSESSMENT process in order to design a targeted, purpose driven media project. And they wonder why the current project is over due, over budget and goes round and round in revisions, . . .wasting far more money and time than had they hired a pro and participated in an appropriate assessment in the first place.
On the flipside, most design contracts begin with contract deliverables and fixed timelines already set. The idealized design process gives way to a pursuit of improvement, which can feel like a continuous loop. In the real world, Instructional Designers must be adaptable, collaborative, and solid project managers. Consulting is an integrated role. And, rarely is a project design linear. The goal is to design and produce with an understanding of return on investment and a design plan to achieve performance objectives.
My intent with all these words is to hold up the value of professional design, vs. all the other cheaper (more costly) ways of getting things done. The moral to the story: hire a design pro!
The primary Instructional and Communications Design Process I follow is:
"A.D.D.I.E." - Assessment, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation
SUMMARY:
- I use the words; media designer, instructional designer, communications designer and solutions designer interchangably.
- I have a passion and super power skills for designing assessments and developing contract deliverables that make sense and work.
- If you have a media or training project that has been in redesign mode for a while, there is no time to waste, you need a targeted project plan and qualified designer.
See the tab above, "Menu" of services for a short list of project categories.
To schedule a free consultation, I can be reached by email or by phone. I look forward to talking with you about your business and your project.
Rich Miller
(916) 870 3434
confi4miller@gmail.com