D292 continues Western Governors University's LxD foundations, moving from understanding the problem to designing and testing a solution.
WGU's program guide says the course covers the third, fourth and final phases of the Design Thinking process. It teaches ideation and rapid prototyping, e-learning storyboards that communicate content and instructional strategy, and "look and feel" mockups using visual design and usability principles.
It ends with usability testing methods and planning a usability test. Learning Experience Design Foundations I is the prerequisite.
It sits in term 1 of the M.S. Learning Experience Design and Educational Technology. The challenge is turning analysis into a concrete design that someone else could build.
Course at a Glance
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| University | Western Governors University (WGU) |
| Course code | D292 (codes can change between catalog versions) |
| Level | Graduate, competency-based |
| Competency units | 3 |
| Prerequisite | Learning Experience Design Foundations I (D291) |
| Typical outputs | Ideation, storyboard, low-fidelity mockup, usability test plan |
What D292 Covers
| Competency (summarized) | What it means in practice |
|---|---|
| Ideate solutions using Design Thinking and learning theory | Generating and choosing between design ideas for the problem |
| Create a storyboard for an e-learning solution | Screen-by-screen plan of content, interaction and strategy |
| Create a low-fidelity mockup | Layout and look applying visual design and usability principles |
| Plan a usability test | How data will be collected, analyzed and used before launch |
Key Concepts Explained
Ideation
Ideation means generating many options before choosing one. Techniques include brainstorming, "how might we" questions and sketching several approaches quickly.
Example: "How might we help new nurses remember the medication-safety checks?" Ideas include a scenario-based branching module, a short daily quiz and a printable checklist with video demos. The designer chooses the branching scenario because it best matches the decision-making the job requires.
Storyboards
A storyboard lays out each screen: on-screen text, visuals, audio or narration, interactions and notes on the instructional strategy. It lets reviewers approve the plan before development.
Usability Test Planning
A plan states goals, participants, tasks, metrics and how results will change the design.
Example: Goal: can learners navigate the module without help? Participants: five learners from the target group. Tasks: start the module, complete scenario 2, find the resources page. Measures: task completion, time and errors, plus a short satisfaction survey. Issues found by several participants are fixed first.
Typical Assignments and How to Approach Them
| Task element | What it tests | How to approach it |
|---|---|---|
| Ideation write-up | Generating and justifying ideas | Show several options and why you chose one |
| Storyboard | Communicating strategy and content | Use a consistent template for every screen |
| Low-fidelity mockup | Visual design and usability | Focus on layout, hierarchy and navigation |
| Usability test plan | Evaluation design | Define tasks, measures and analysis clearly |
Visual Design and Usability in Mockups
The mockup competency asks you to apply visual design principles and usability best practices. Common principles to show in your mockup and explain in your notes:
- Hierarchy: the most important element on each screen is the most visible.
- Consistency: navigation, buttons and colors behave the same on every screen.
- Alignment and white space: content sits on a clear grid with room to breathe.
- Contrast and readability: text is legible for all learners, including on phones.
- Feedback: learners always know what happened after they act.
Example: In a scenario screen, the question and its three options take the center of the screen, a progress indicator sits top right, and "Next" stays disabled until an option is chosen. After a choice, feedback appears directly below the options rather than on a new screen, so learners can compare their answer with the explanation.
Connect each choice to a learner need identified in D291. That link between analysis and design is what makes the work read as learning experience design rather than graphic design.
Where Students Get Stuck
- One idea only. Ideation means real alternatives; show the options you rejected.
- Storyboards without strategy. Each screen should say why it is designed that way, not just what it shows.
- High-fidelity too soon. A low-fidelity mockup should test layout, not polish.
- Test plans without analysis. Say how you will use the results, not just what you will collect.
Study Tips for D292
- Build on the learner and needs analysis from D291 so the design has a clear purpose.
- Sketch on paper first; digital tools come later.
- Check your mockup for contrast, readable fonts and clear navigation.
- Write test tasks as real goals ("find..."), not instructions ("click...").
How We Help with D292
Send the task instructions, your D291 analysis or context, current drafts and any feedback. An instructional design tutor explains the methods, prepares model storyboards and test plans for a similar scenario, or reviews your work for clarity and alignment.
GradeEssays is independent of Western Governors University. Our help is tutoring and model material; you design and submit your own work under WGU's academic integrity rules.
Bring Your E-Learning Idea to Life on Paper
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Frequently Asked Questions
WGU's program guide lists Learning Experience Design Foundations I.
Typically screen content, visuals, narration or audio, interactions and notes on instructional strategy.
The competency asks for a low-fidelity mockup that applies visual design principles and usability best practices.
The competency is to plan a usability test, detailing data collection, analysis and evaluation before deployment.
Use what your course materials suggest; slides or a document template work well.
Yes. Send it with the brief, and a tutor checks clarity, strategy and consistency.