1.3

Your AI Toolkit

Overview of tools and when to use each one

🛠️ Tools ⏱️ ~15 minutes

The AI Landscape for IDs

There's no single "AI tool for instructional design." Instead, you'll likely use 3-5 different tools depending on the task. Think of it like your current toolkit: you don't use PowerPoint for everything—you use PowerPoint for slides, Word for documents, Excel for data, Articulate for eLearning. Same principle applies to AI tools.

The good news: You don't need to master every AI tool. Start with 2-3 tools that address your biggest pain points, then expand as you get comfortable.

Text-Based AI Tools (Conversational AI)

These are the workhorse tools for content creation, brainstorming, and drafting.

Claude (by Anthropic)

  • Best for: Long-form content, detailed explanations, following complex instructions, maintaining context across long conversations
  • Strengths: Nuanced understanding, careful with sensitive topics, excellent at following detailed prompts, strong at structure and organization
  • ID use cases: Course outlines, facilitator guides, scenario development, content adaptation, rubric creation
  • Access: Free tier available (Claude.ai), paid Pro plan for higher usage, API for integration

ChatGPT (by OpenAI)

  • Best for: Quick drafts, brainstorming, simple content generation, conversational tone
  • Strengths: Fast, versatile, good at creative variations, widely accessible
  • ID use cases: Learning objectives, assessment items, scenario ideas, content summaries, casual explanations
  • Access: Free tier (GPT-3.5), ChatGPT Plus for GPT-4, API available
Practical advice:
"I use Claude for anything requiring careful thought or structure—like building a course outline or creating a detailed scenario. I use ChatGPT for quick tasks—like generating 10 variations of a learning objective or brainstorming engagement ideas."

Gemini (by Google)

  • Best for: Research-heavy tasks, fact-checking, integrating with Google Workspace
  • Strengths: Can access current information via web search, integrates with Gmail/Drive/Docs
  • ID use cases: Research for content accuracy, finding current examples, pulling data for courses
  • Access: Free tier available, integrated into Google Workspace

Image Generation Tools

For creating custom visuals without a graphic designer.

DALL-E 3 (by OpenAI)

  • Best for: Illustrations, conceptual images, workplace scenarios, infographic elements
  • Strengths: Understands complex prompts, good at text in images, consistent style
  • ID use cases: Course graphics, scenario illustrations, workplace scenes, process diagrams
  • Access: Available through ChatGPT Plus, API, or Bing Image Creator (free)

Midjourney

  • Best for: High-quality artistic images, stylized visuals, professional-looking graphics
  • Strengths: Beautiful aesthetics, consistent characters across images, style variations
  • ID use cases: Course covers, module headers, stylized illustrations, branding visuals
  • Access: Subscription required (~$10-30/month), works through Discord

Adobe Firefly

  • Best for: Commercial-safe images (trained only on licensed content), Adobe Creative Cloud integration
  • Strengths: Legal clarity for commercial use, integrates with Photoshop/Illustrator
  • ID use cases: Client projects requiring copyright clarity, professional design workflows
  • Access: Free tier available, included with Creative Cloud subscriptions

Audio and Voice Tools

For creating narration when professional voiceover isn't in budget.

ElevenLabs

  • Best for: Realistic AI voiceovers, multiple languages, consistent narrator voice
  • Strengths: Very natural-sounding, emotional range, clone your own voice
  • ID use cases: Course narration, scenario dialogue, video voiceovers, audio content
  • Access: Free tier (10k characters/month), paid plans for higher usage

WellSaid Labs / Murf.ai / Play.ht

  • Best for: Professional voiceover alternatives, multiple speaker voices
  • Strengths: Business-focused, multiple accents and languages, collaboration features
  • ID use cases: eLearning narration, training videos, microlearning audio
  • Access: Subscription-based, free trials available

Specialized Tools for IDs

Synthesia / D-ID (AI Video)

  • Best for: Creating video content without filming, AI avatars delivering content
  • Strengths: No camera/studio needed, consistent presenter, multilingual
  • ID use cases: Video-based courses, presenter-led training, multilingual content
  • Limitations: Can feel uncanny, best for straightforward presentation content

Notion AI / Taskade / Mem.ai

  • Best for: Project planning, content organization, knowledge management
  • Strengths: Integrated with productivity tools, context-aware assistance
  • ID use cases: Course planning, organizing SME interviews, managing course development

How to Choose Which Tool to Use

💡 Decision Framework

Ask yourself: What's the primary output I need?

  • Text content → Claude or ChatGPT
  • Images → DALL-E, Midjourney, or Firefly
  • Audio → ElevenLabs or similar voice tools
  • Video → Synthesia or D-ID

For text tasks, choose based on complexity:

  • Quick and simple (learning objectives, assessment items) → ChatGPT
  • Complex and nuanced (course design, detailed scenarios, rubrics) → Claude
  • Requires current info (research, facts, recent examples) → Gemini or web-enabled ChatGPT

For image tasks, choose based on use case:

  • Quick illustrations (course graphics, diagrams) → DALL-E via ChatGPT Plus
  • High-quality visuals (course covers, professional graphics) → Midjourney
  • Commercial projects (client work, resale) → Adobe Firefly

Cost Considerations

Here's a realistic budget framework:

Minimal investment ($0-20/month):

  • Free tier of Claude or ChatGPT for text
  • Bing Image Creator for images (free DALL-E access)
  • ElevenLabs free tier for occasional audio

Professional setup ($30-60/month):

  • ChatGPT Plus ($20/month) for GPT-4 + DALL-E
  • Claude Pro ($20/month) for extended usage
  • ElevenLabs paid plan ($5-22/month) for more audio
  • Midjourney Basic ($10/month) for high-quality images

Full toolkit ($100+/month):

  • Multiple AI text tools for different tasks
  • Professional image generation subscriptions
  • Video creation tools (Synthesia starts ~$30/month)
  • Voice generation at scale

🎯 Start Here

For your first month, stick with free tiers: Claude.ai (free) + Bing Image Creator (free DALL-E). This gives you text generation and image creation at zero cost. After you've proven value, invest in paid tiers for the tools you use most.

A Typical ID Workflow with Multiple Tools

Here's how an experienced ID might use different tools for a single project:

  1. Planning: Claude to outline course structure and create module breakdowns
  2. Content: ChatGPT to draft learning objectives and assessment items quickly
  3. Scenarios: Claude to develop detailed, nuanced workplace scenarios
  4. Visuals: DALL-E to create custom illustrations for each module
  5. Audio: ElevenLabs to generate narration for video content
  6. Research: Gemini to fact-check and find current examples

Notice: different tools for different tasks, based on their strengths.

What About Future Tools?

The AI landscape changes rapidly. New tools emerge, existing tools add features, pricing models shift. Here's how to stay current without getting overwhelmed:

  • Master the fundamentals first — Skills in prompting and quality evaluation transfer across tools
  • Follow one source — Find one newsletter or community that tracks AI for L&D (not 10 sources)
  • Experiment cautiously — Test new tools on low-stakes projects before using them for critical work
  • Don't chase every new release — Wait until a tool proves useful to other IDs before investing time

Looking Ahead

You now know what AI can do, and which tools to use. The final topic in this module addresses the elephant in the room: how do you maintain quality and ethical standards when AI is generating your content?