Instructional Systems Design · Learning Experience Design · Enablement

Competence doesn't come before opportunity. It comes from it.

Scenario-based eLearning, blended programs, and AI coaching for multilingual, multi-site workforces.

Daria Sur, instructional designer, in her workspace in Napa, California.

The hardest moments at work shouldn't be the first time someone faces them: a tough performance conversation, a situation that's escalating, a safety call at sea.

I rebuilt my career in a new country and a second language. Confidence came from practice, not from waiting until I was ready.

Now I design that practice for others: scenario-based eLearning, blended programs, and AI coaching for teams across multiple sites, 9 countries, and 8 languages.

EdD in progress, Northeastern · M.A. Teaching, Mills College Daria Sur | Instructional Systems Designer

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AI PERFORMANCE SUPPORT

Cultural Compass

An AI coach for navigating U.S. workplace communication.

Built for international specialists relocating to the U.S. for a global automotive manufacturer. It maps home-culture communication styles to U.S. norms, then provides scripts to use and practice challenges to rehearse.

Client: Multinational automotive manufacturer

Results: 35 of 50 pilot users applied a script in real meetings

BEHAVIORAL & COMPLIANCE TRAINING

Workplace Violence Prevention eLearning

Tools: Articulate 360 Rise, Anthropic Claude, Veo 3.1, CypherWorx LMS
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Staff had a required prevention plan but needed to act on it in seconds, often with children in the room. With the Safety team and HR, I designed a 25-minute course built around one judgment call: is this a warning sign or workplace violence, and what do I do next?

Built: 5 lessons, 2 branching scenarios, 11 knowledge checks

Partners: Safety team, Human Resources

Result: 2× completion rate; 40% less time to complete.

CAPABILITY DEVELOPMENT

Growing Together: Rolling Out Leadership Competencies

Tools: Claude Design, Canva, Veo 3.1, Power Point, LMS Administration, ADP

A blended program that turned a new leadership competency framework into goals staff actually write, track, and talk about. Every piece ends in the same place: one real goal, tied to a competency and ready to enter in ADP.

Client: An early education network | 50 sites, ~800 staff

Built: Workshop series, microlearning, resource guide, ADP

Tablet screen displaying a module on SMART goals with color-coded labels for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound, along with example content for goal setting.

INSTRUCTIONAL SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT

A laptop computer displaying an online learning platform with instructional content about observational skills and interpretation in observation exercises.

Learning Architecture for Workforce Onboarding

Tools: Claude Design, Canva, Synthesia, Veo 3.1., ADP

New hires across 50 sites were getting inconsistent onboarding, and every new module meant three rounds of SME review. I built a shared design system so every module follows the same structure, which cut SME review to one round and module design time by 40%. New hires practice real situations through branching scenarios, and support requests dropped 28% after launch.

Client: An early education network | 50 sites, ~800 staff

Result: 40% faster module design · SME review cycles cut from 3 rounds to 1

Skill Up: A Community of Practice for Workplace Reskilling

TECHNOLOGY ADOPTION · ADDIE & AGILE

Tools: ChatGPT, Synthesia, Canva, Adobe Express, Microsoft 365, Copilot, Sharepoint, Workday LMS

A flipped session series for a university ITS department. Short microlearning, hands-on practice, and 1:1 follow-up grew into a weekly community where staff and faculty keep learning from each other.

Client: Global multi-campus higher-ed institution, ~1000 staff.

Result: 30% increase in tool adoption

Modalities: Microlearning · ILT/VILT · Job aids · Hypercare

A tablet displaying a diagram of an agile workflow cycle with steps: Launch, Monitor, Iterate, Evaluate, Align, Scaffold, and Continuous Improvement, along with a text description about regularly updating and refining CoP content for workflow alignment.

Building onboarding or practice-based training?
Let's talk.
daria.sursur@gmail.com