How do some people just seem to command attention the moment they walk into a room? They’ve nailed their personal brand. Dr. Dustin York, who's worked with everyone from the Obama campaign to Nike, breaks down the science behind personal branding and shares actionable tips you can start using today. Today he’s a Professor at Maryville University of St. Louis and a professional speaker for his business Dr. York Training where he shares advice on how to communicate more effectively. He talks about...
Jul 30, 2025•24 min•Ep. 255
What if all that time you spent learning Python on YouTube or mastering Photoshop through online tutorials could actually count toward formal education credits? For this episode, we’re at the U.S. Distance Learning Association’s (USDLA) latest conference, to talk with Dr. Joe Sallustio, veteran higher ed expert and Co-Founder and Host of The EdUp Experience podcast. We chat about how learning has fundamentally changed and why it may be time for higher education to wise up to the trend of video-b...
Jul 16, 2025•14 min•Ep. 254
What makes you click away immediately from a video vs. stay glued to the screen? Maybe it’s overwhelming background music or cursor movements that make you feel seasick. We’ve all seen videos that don’t quite click for us (and perhaps made a few of them ourselves). So, in this episode, we look at common instructional video mistakes to avoid to keep your learners watching. It’s an older episode and one of our most popular ones but is still packed with plenty of must-know tips. Host Matt Pierce si...
Jul 09, 2025•47 min•Ep. 253
Learning and development isn’t just up to the folks in the L&D department anymore. In this episode, we hear how modern workplace communication and learning extend to the wider organization, thanks to technology breaking down barriers in visual communication. Host Matt Pierce sits down with David Kelly, former Chairman and CEO of The Learning Guild, to explore how L&D has changed over his career and why the role of an L&D professional needs to go beyond just creating content. David br...
Jul 02, 2025•32 min•Ep. 252
Want to know the secrets of the L&D content pros? Become an even better visual designer today with these simple, quick tips for improving your approach to creating content. We hear from three visual design and learning strategy experts in part two of our special 250th episode celebration. Hear how to escape the “curse of knowledge” from Abbey Cooke, Director of Training & Onboarding at Effective School Solutions, why visuals should be the supporting act not the star of the show from Jeff...
Jun 25, 2025•18 min•Ep. 251
We like to ask anyone who joins The Visual Lounge, what’s your one take you want to give our audience? It’s an open-ended question so we always get a good variety of unique answers and love hearing the advice, life lessons, and mindset changes we can apply to using video and images in our work. To celebrate our 250th episode milestone, we bring together friends of The Visual Lounge to ask them this question. In part one of this episode, you’ll hear from: Betty Dannewitz, Learning Solutions Archi...
Jun 18, 2025•24 min•Ep. 250
Is video always the best way to teach something? Video has transformed the world of workplace learning and still makes up a huge part of it today. Just about any workplace, big or small, can create training videos with minimal cost. But it doesn’t always make it the right tool for the job. In this throwback episode of The Visual Lounge, host Matt Pierce revisits a conversation with Jonathan Halls, author and head of his own company as a workplace learning and talent development consultant. Jonat...
May 28, 2025•36 min•Ep. 249
In just a few short years, AI usage has boomed in the content creation world. Not just that, it’s also changed a LOT, and in ways many of us never predicted. In this episode, Matt Pierce takes us back to 2023 when many of us were still experimenting with AI and had bold predictions about its future. He asked the audience on LinkedIn for predictions, fears, and insights into how people were using AI for video content. How much has changed since then? Were our predictions right? Matt unpacks some ...
May 14, 2025•28 min•Ep. 248
Have you ever felt a little out of your depth when making an extra complex or brand new video type? Maybe AI could help. Host Matt Pierce shares his experience as someone used to creating training content, adapting to creating content for a commercial. We hear about the script drafting process, the challenges of balancing feasibility, including budget and resources, with creative ideas, and the different stages of storyboarding. Naturally, we should always look at tools to help us out in unfamil...
May 07, 2025•16 min•Ep. 247
What’s really holding your learners back from absorbing the information they need? We’ve all been through training at some point that’s either confusing or too broad, or perhaps the kind that puts you to sleep. The truth is that training and learning design are complicated. It’s a balancing act between the learners themselves (how they learn, their interests and attention span), the designers (their desire to create engaging content), subject matter experts (who have the knowledge but aren’t alw...
Apr 30, 2025•38 min•Ep. 246
You have just five seconds. So hook ‘em in, keep them watching, and make those seconds count. Starting with a clear hook isn’t just for YouTubers looking to make it big. Even if you’re creating instructional videos that people have to watch for their job, you have just a few seconds to grab attention. If you don’t, the video might still play but their concentration will be long gone. When you put all that effort into creating a video, the last thing you want is for your viewer to click away or l...
Apr 16, 2025•11 min•Ep. 245
Here’s a secret… most people aren’t naturals on camera. For many, it can be daunting and can even hold us back from trying to make videos in the first place. But if you’re running training or making content, video is no doubt a part of your job. So how do you look good on camera? It’s a question we hear a lot, so we pulled this 2022 episode from out of the archive, which has some great tips from Diana Howles, the CEO and Co-Owner of Howles Associates. You’ll hear practical tips on how to feel mo...
Apr 09, 2025•50 min•Ep. 244
What do you need to know about the L&D space in 2025? The L&D Global Sentiment Survey is now in its 12th year and records the trends, attitudes, top challenges, and priorities in the L&D space. This year, over 3,000 voters from almost 100 countries participated in the research, sharing their experiences and thoughts on L&D today. We invited the author of the report Donald Taylor onto the show to get his thoughts on the biggest trends and insights revealed by the study. We talk ab...
Apr 02, 2025•32 min•Ep. 243
Can using AI in visual design ever be truly creative? This week’s guest would go one step further and call AI the “future of creativity.” Mike Parkinson, Principal of 24 Hour Company and Owner of Billion Dollar Graphics, joins us for a special live show of The Visual Lounge, hosted at Training 2025, a conference and expo produced by Training Magazine. We chat about where AI can fit into visual design and content creation and why Mike calls it a “friction fixer” or a “smart start” rather than a r...
Mar 19, 2025•24 min•Ep. 242
A while back, we sat down with Edie Clarke, Virtual Video Producer and Editor and YouTube Strategist, to talk about why simpler is often better when it comes to video creation. And guess what? That advice still holds up. So, we’re bringing this episode back for another listen. With AI changing the way we create and edit videos, there’s never been a better time to embrace video content. The latest TechSmith research shows that audiences are demanding more authentic, concise, and engaging content ...
Mar 12, 2025•41 min•Ep. 241
The medium of video transformed drastically since it was first invented, but there’s one thing that hasn’t. Regardless of whether you’re creating entertaining or training content, storytelling is at the heart of video. The CEO of Cinécraft, Dan Keckan, heads up a learning solutions company that’s been around since 1939! As one of the first corporate training film companies, Cinécraft has evolved alongside the technology changes in video to become a training solution truly fitting in with the mod...
Mar 05, 2025•27 min•Ep. 240
Storytelling is the golden ticket to understanding how we communicate and absorb information. It’s already a big focus in the marketing world. But what about learning design and training content? Can we (and should we) use storytelling to get key messages across? Spoiler: yes! And this episode is all about how to do it. Christy Tucker is a learning experience design consultant who forges engaging learning experiences with the power of storytelling and multimedia content. She joins The Visual Lou...
Feb 19, 2025•29 min•Ep. 239
Take your mind back to 2023. Generative AI was still relatively new on the scene, and we were all curious about how it would impact the world. Would it be a short-lived trend or would it signal a new age of tech? From content creation to data analysis, the potential of AI skyrocketed in just a few years and the technology and tools show no sign of slowing down. For this episode, we head back to 2023 to our episode with Josh Cavalier, L&D expert and long-time friend of The Visual Lounge. Whil...
Feb 12, 2025•49 min•Ep. 238
Rarely do we get the chance to hear the C-suite side of things when it comes to content and learning design. What do they really think about the training content they see out in the wild? But in this episode, we hear from business transformation expert and former Chief Learning Officer Christopher Lind on adapting your content creation process for the modern working world. Christopher introduces us to what a CLO really is and offers a peek into his main responsibilities. He explains how L&D ...
Feb 05, 2025•32 min•Ep. 237
Get to the point. That’s the way you entice audiences and ensure they stay. While front-loading instructional videos with the ‘why’ is tempting, it’s the ‘how’ that audiences have tuned in for. Attention spans are getting shorter and shorter, which is why you need to deliver value as soon as possible. This means a clear narrative, great video quality, and authenticity. In this episode of The Visual Lounge, Matt Pierce meets with Doug Brunner, the Customer Education Manager at TechSmith. They dis...
Dec 11, 2024•49 min•Ep. 236
Training videos have a reputation for being dry and boring, but it doesn’t have to be this way! By communicating value and involving your audience, training videos can be an engaging part of your development strategy, as well as, dare we say, something to look forward to? In this episode of The Visual Lounge, Matt Pierce discusses widespread beliefs about training videos and debunks some myths. He highlights ways that training videos can be both useful and fun, and offers some suggestions about ...
Dec 04, 2024•15 min•Ep. 235
Are you overcomplicating your videos? Great editing software comes packed with features that can transform simple videos into an all-singing, all-dancing production. But just because those features are there doesn’t mean you have to use them… Sometimes less is more. Matt Pierce dives into the art of simplicity in video production in this week’s episode of The Visual Lounge. He discusses the fine line between simple and simplistic, and how you can rethink each step of the video creation process. ...
Oct 30, 2024•20 min•Ep. 234
The success of any instructional piece of content is in how well the information is retained, memorized and actioned. After all, we want the lessons we teach to have an impact. So, if you want to level up your instructional design skills, you need to know how people actually learn first and foremost. In this episode, we revisit a fascinating discussion with Julie Dirksen, Learning Strategy Consultant at Usable Learning and author of two brilliant books, Design for How People Learn and Talk to th...
Oct 23, 2024•54 min•Ep. 233
Matt Pierce dishes out exciting updates for Camtasia 2024 in this mini episode. Enhanced functionality around dynamic captioning plus new color labels for the timeline are two features that will help to make your editing experience a lot smoother – something we can all get behind! He also teases an upcoming video mastery workshop at DevLearn in Las Vegas, a great opportunity for those looking to level up their video skills. Matt tops off this short episode with an important reminder about the po...
Oct 16, 2024•6 min•Ep. 232
Have you ever needed a great story to help with your training? This episode focuses on the power of storytelling with Rance Greene, the Founder of School of Story Design and Needastory.com. Host Matt Pierce and Rance explore the essential elements of compelling stories, including conflict and relatable characters, and how they can be used to drive behavior change in training. Rance shares practical tips on using visuals effectively and provides insights into creating engaging characters and scen...
Oct 09, 2024•33 min•Ep. 231
You asked, and we’re here to answer! Host of The Visual Lounge Matt Pierce has collected some of the most burning questions video trainers have about the art and science of making great videos. Ever wondered how to coach a camera-shy subject-matter expert to shine on screen? Matt's got you covered with tips that'll turn even the most reluctant expert into a video pro. And for those battling with stubborn colleagues who think they know better than the "rules of video," fear not! Matt shares diplo...
Oct 02, 2024•30 min•Ep. 230
Who is your audience and what do they need? Whenever we create content, this should be top of mind. Whether we’re creating something fun and entertaining or educational and skill-based, our audience’s response and experience are the ultimate measure of success. But what do people want to see in videos? The good news is you don’t have to guess! We look at what the average video viewer prefers in our Video Viewer Trends Report each year to get an up-to-date picture of how people are responding to ...
Sep 25, 2024•37 min•Ep. 229
Let’s face it, talking to a camera is not something that comes naturally to anyone. And it can be daunting to look at that lens and come up with something coherent, energetic, and valuable to say once you hit record. But just like many things in the world of video, it’s a skill you can learn and this episode breaks down how to improve your on-camera presence. Joining the podcast is Meredith Marsh, an awesome video creator who helps people get better on camera and grow their audiences through her...
Sep 18, 2024•31 min•Ep. 228
Let’s get those creative muscles working! The secret to great learning content is just as much about creativity in your messaging as the content itself. How you deliver your content is key to that information being absorbed and remembered, so don’t be afraid to get a little creative. In this episode, host Matt Pierce sits down with Tim Slade, Founder of The eLearning Designer’s Academy and renowned expert in visual communications. His top tip for creators using images or videos? Tap into your cr...
Sep 11, 2024•23 min•Ep. 227
Did you know that humans process visual information 30 times faster than blinking? And that we’re far more likely to remember things we see than things we hear or read? In other words, there’s a good reason that marketing and educational content have become so visual-centric. Visual content is the very best way to get your audience to consume, understand, and retain your message. But how do we make sure we’re using visuals effectively? Joining this episode of The Visual Lounge is Nicky Pasquier,...
Sep 04, 2024•32 min•Ep. 226
