What We Learned at Articuland 2025

Greetings from Articuland! A recap of the first-ever North American tour

2025 marked the first-ever Articuland tour. From Austin to Boston, each stop hosted hundreds of L&D professionals ready to share their wins, take in industry insights, and tackle common challenges.

The result? A unique experience where the community’s enthusiasm for learning matched the quality of the product that connects them. Long-time advocates, curious first-timers, and established e-learning experts alike sparked meaningful conversations and built strong community relationships.

Now, we’re excited to share with you what we learned. Let’s dive into six key takeaways from Articuland 2025!

1. L&D professionals need community

Among their peers, L&D professionals found support in facing the many challenges and uncertainties common to the job. One challenge that attendees mentioned the most was isolation. L&D “teams of one,” who often juggle tasks meant for multiple people, are fairly common in both small and medium-sized organizations.

Articuland 2025 gave these solo professionals the opportunity to connect with others in the same position, reinvigorate their love for the craft, and brew up inspiring solutions. Attendees mentioned that the conversations they had with other professionals impacted them as much as the sessions themselves.

Even better, those valuable discussions don’t stop at the end of the conference. E-Learning Heroes—our online hub for e-learning professionals seeking inspiration, support, and connection—offers a space to jump back into the conversation where Articuland left off.

🗣️From Articuland attendee Yvonne Urra-Bazain: “Large conferences can feel overwhelming, but this one made space for genuine connections.”

2. Good instructional design requires upfront planning

Newcomers and established instructional design experts encounter similar challenges when they start a new learning initiative. They’re crunched for time, pushing for learner buy-in, and working against a budget—all while trying to make courses as engaging as possible. So, what makes the difference between a good project and a great project? We heard it again and again at Articuland—upfront planning unlocks the next level.

David Anderson, Articulate’s Training Program Director, spoke to attendees about the power of design mapping to provide clear creative direction. Community experts Magali Verrengia and Nadia Mandrino spoke about the importance of factoring localization into the plan from the first draft to avoid expensive rework. Tory Hord discussed inclusive design and shared 10 practical ways to plan ahead to ensure Storyline projects meet accessibility standards like WCAG and Section 508 standards.

🗣️From Articuland attendee Starr Holden: “The Articuland Summit wasn’t just about tools—it was about imagination and vision. I left Boston motivated to rethink how I design learning experiences, with a renewed commitment to creating meaningful, engaging, interactive, accessible solutions for ALL learners.”

3. Interactivity is essential to learner engagement

Interactivity has always been a staple of delivering a meaningful e-learning experience. Articuland 2025 showed us how to be more intentional about what that looks like. Real-world immersive learner experiences—360° images, scenario-based learning, and gamification—were once seen as complex, cutting-edge technologies. Now, they’re essential.

At the same time, L&D professionals can feel pressured to do more with less. They need quick ways to create simple, quick, and clean interactive modules. Once again, Articuland’s expert speakers delivered. Community Manager Ginger Swart demonstrated engaging e-learning techniques, starting with basic Rise blocks, but using custom dividers to give your modules a unique look.

🗣️From Articuland attendee Victoria Hantz: “Some of my favorite sessions explored were 360° images, interactive video, and branching scenarios, all of which highlighted the power of designing training that is not only informative but truly immersive.”

4. L&D professionals crave relevant learning experiences, too

Just like the learners they create for, L&D professionals value intentional, relevant learning experiences. We get it! As Articuland attendees noted, it’s difficult to prioritize your own learning when you’re responsible for others’ learning. Knowing where to start can be difficult. And, while you may have missed out on Articuland, you can still find the support and inspiration you need to drive real professional growth.

Want to dive into the topics from Articuland and more? Our robust user-support programs range from on-demand tutorials and live training webinars to weekly challenges to sharpen your skills, get creative, and learn from your peers. Join our online community, E-Learning Heroes, and share something you’re proud of, learn from the experts, and discuss all things e-learning with your peers.

🗣️From Articuland attendee Rob Auchenpaugh: “How to Plan for Content Localization was the lesson I really needed but didn’t really want…[N]ow I have the tools and understanding to plan better from the start and do a much better job going forward.”

5. As the industry evolves, so will the product

Articuland attendees expressed their gratitude for having a product that evolves with the industry. That’s why we’re here! To not only support your journey as an instructional designer, but to provide the right tools at the right time and prepare you for the future. Count on us to always be ready for what’s around the next corner, and know that as your needs change, so will the product we deliver.

🗣️From Articuland attendee Yvonne Urra-Bazain: “I came away from the event learning many new tips and tricks and felt excited about the future of the tools I use every day.”

6. The “conference effect” is real

As much as we love the benefits of e-learning for learner engagement, we can’t deny that there’s also something special about being physically present with other learners. Articuland attendees couldn’t agree more.

For some, the focused, undistracted environment motivated them to rethink their design process. It served as a reminder that good design is equal parts strategy and storytelling. It uncovered process gaps they’d ignored for too long and gave them a relevant pathway forward.

Articuland built a renewed enthusiasm for the craft—an injection of fresh energy, momentum, and joy in one’s career. Whether you call it a “conference effect” or just a good time, we can’t wait to do it again.

🗣️From Articuland attendee Mike Warner: “Thank you for a great Articuland event in Boston, I truly enjoyed everything that took place and improved my L&D knowledge and skills.”

Articuland Tour of 2025 was phenomenal—and we’re back in 2026!

The success of Articuland 2025 has instructional designers across the country asking us to visit their city, and we don’t blame them. Articuland is making a comeback in 2026, and we are taking it global! We’re looking forward to hearing from next year’s speakers, sparking inspiration, and fostering new community connections!

Check out this video highlighting what this year’s attendees loved the most about Articuland 2025, and follow us on LinkedIn to get the latest news.