SME Collaboration and Other Content Mastery Strategies

March 16 • Written by Anna West

Follow these strategies for collaborating with your SMEs and avoiding roadblocks during your instructional design process.

As designers, we often have to design learning around subject matter that we are not very familiar with. This can be one of the hardest parts of our job, but I’ve found some successful strategies for getting past roadblocks in this process.

First, let me introduce you to a common roadblock: The Designer SME. This SME is an expert on the subject but tends to focus on other aspects of the design and not give me as much of what I really need: input on the content.

I worked with a Designer SME with medical expertise as I designed eLearning and ILT content for social workers and counselors. This SME was very busy so I expected some delays in their response. When they did give input, it would be about my color scheme or the font choice, but not as much feedback as I needed on the actual content. 

Eventually, I realized they saw this first review as an invitation to comment on everything. They didn’t realize we were only in the alpha phase and the design would evolve. They were getting distracted by the visual design and losing focus of the content.

Strategy #1: Share the big picture.

I decided to try something different. For the next module, I scheduled a special pre-review meeting with the SME to walk through the purpose of this review. I emphasized how important they were in my process because of their expert-level knowledge. I also showed them how much the design changes from the alpha phase to the final — due in large part to their valuable feedback on the content! 

I also realized my Designer SME was not operating with a clear schedule. When I provided them with the full schedule instead of just the isolated reviews, they could see the big picture and realize where they were in the process. As they started to make improvements and focus their review on the content, I made sure to recognize and comment on their great feedback and how much it would help me improve the module.

Next, let me introduce you to the Elusive SME. This SME is often unaware they are a SME because they weren’t informed about the end goal and the importance of their role in the process. The learning objectives were decided for them, and they didn’t have a chance to participate in the design process. As a result, I end up chasing them with review-related tasks, but they don’t have time set aside for me and don’t feel ownership or connection to the project. 

An example is when I was tasked with creating education about a product in the renewable energy field backed by scientific research that I was completely unfamiliar with. There were a few different SMEs I was instructed to contact, but they would either not respond, or their responses would be more confusing than helpful. The disjointed nature of the review process and the information coming from multiple sources was slowing me down and impacting the design.

Strategy #2: Design together.

In this case, I realized that we all needed to sit down, (re)define the learning objectives together, and plot out the experience. I had been warned that these people were really busy, but taking time to align and rework the design saved us so much time in the long run. As we brainstormed together, I could see them become invested and energized by the project. Their great ideas helped shape a much better module with nuanced content and interesting activities.

Now, even when I am working with busy SMEs — they’re all busy! — I schedule time upfront to design together so they can be part of the process and help make those big-picture decisions. I also set up regular touchpoints throughout the project to review our progress and make any adjustments together. 

Finally, there is the Ghost SME. In this case, nobody is designated as a SME for that particular content, so I need to become one. 

This situation is common when you are a full-time designer for an organization, and you are expected to understand and eventually master the subject matter. For example, I design education for software users. I am familiar with the software, but when a new product feature is released, I need to understand the ins and outs of it immediately to create content around it.

Strategy #3: Find the comfort level with the subject matter you need to move forward.

I find that the best strategy for me when I am dealing with a new subject matter is to avoid going down a rabbit hole before I begin the design process. I prefer to do a little bit of research and dive into design. As I move forward with the design, I go on deep dives specific to the section of the content I am designing. This strategy helps me not to become overwhelmed by the subject matter while also maintaining a good design cadence.

I also have learned to trust my feelings as a learner and use that to improve the experience. If something is confusing, I spend more time designing that part of the content and add additional support or practice as needed. My rule of thumb is to operate from the perspective that if I am overwhelmed, the learners will also be overwhelmed.

I have become more confident in my learner-as-designer process over time. I can confidently say that you do not need to be an expert to create quality education.

These strategies help me to create high-quality content quickly and efficiently without getting overwhelmed. I now work much better with my SMEs and am able to confidently lead them through the process. We’re all learning together.