Instructional designers are the quiet drivers of digital learning innovation, but constant change can lead to burnout. This informal coffee chat offers space to decompress, share real experiences, and explore strategies for restoring balance and creativity. Come connect with colleagues, swap ideas, and leave recharged for the work ahead.

Instructional designers are often the quiet catalysts behind teaching innovation, balancing faculty partnerships, technology transitions, and continuous change in higher education. Yet in a field defined by service and creativity, burnout has become all too common.

This informal, conversational session offers a space for instructional designers to pause, decompress, and connect with peers who “get it.” Together, we’ll share what it’s like to be an ID in today’s rapidly changing landscape, where the work is meaningful but the pace can be unsustainable. Through open discussion, participants will reflect on their experiences, explore strategies for protecting creative energy and well-being, and consider how to foster healthier work cultures within their institutions.

Bring your coffee, curiosity, and honesty! No slides, no pressure, just a supportive space to talk, listen, and recharge.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this session, participants will:

1. Reflect on personal and professional experiences related to burnout and resilience in instructional design.

2. Identify factors that contribute to burnout in higher education design roles.

3. Share and collect practical strategies for restoring balance, setting boundaries, and maintaining creative motivation.

Elisabeth Stucklen

Instructional Designer at Online Learning Consortium

Kaitlin Garrett

Instructional Designer at Online Learning Consortium

Cindy Schanke

Instructional Designer at Online Learning Consortium