Training Programme in Custom Content Development Process

Here's how our Custom Content Development process works.
1. Pre-sales
Our Marketing and Sales team, together with senior members of our Custom Content Solutions team, interact with you to understand your requirements and propose a solution that meets the desired outcomes. In some cases, we may develop a demo course to give you an idea of the type of solution you could have.

2. Project Management and Communication
2.1 Project Planning and Initiation
In the project planning and initiation phase, Project Managers put together a team to analyze the inputs and requirements, identify risks, and tailor a process suited to the project.
They ensure that project scope and specifications are defined, and draw up a complete project plan. Once resources are assigned to the project, a kick-off meeting is held to initiate the project.

2.2 Prototype Development

The activities within prototype development depend on the nature of the project.
Our inputs can vary from a complete storyboard that needs to be developed as a course, to a topic for which content has to be sourced.
The input is studied and a portion selected for the prototype.
Where applicable, prototype content is then analyzed, and a prototype instructional design blueprint is created, followed by a prototype storyboard.
The visual interface (GUI) and the course framework are then designed. Once the storyboard and GUI are approved, prototype pages are developed, quality checked, and delivered.
There are often several rounds of feedback and changes during the prototype phase, until both client and Upside are satisfied with this mini-version of the course.
Once the prototype is signed-off, the project's development processes are frozen and corresponding documents updated.

2.3 Production

If instructional design work is involved, the complete content is analyzed. An instructional design blueprint is created, followed by a storyboard.
Once the storyboard is approved by the client, the complete course is developed, quality checked, and delivered. We generally have three rounds of delivery until sign-off of the project.


2.4 Project Closure

Project metrics are analyzed and project team members send in their contributions for the project's learning document. This is then discussed in a project closure meeting for furthering organizational learning.

Systems and Tools

We use Whizible, a complete project management system, for project planning, scheduling, and tracking; resource management; and issue logging and tracking.
We also use an online project management tool called 'Lighthouse' to bring transparency to our project processes. Lighthouse tracks the email communication between our clients and us, including document attachments. It monitors progress against defined milestones, and flags slipped milestones.

Our courses are developed using the latest tools and technologies:

Tool Version
Adobe Flash 8, CS3
Adobe Dreamweaver CS3
Adobe Presenter >6
Lectora 2006, 2007
Articulate Studio [Presenter, Quizmaker, and Engage] 9 and 5
Adobe Flash Media Server 2.0
Adobe Photoshop CS3
Adobe Acrobat 8
Rapid Intake ProForm Studio 3.0
Adobe Authorware 7.0
Adobe Director 10
Adobe Fireworks CS3
3D Studio MAX 2009,2010
Corel Draw 14
Adobe After Effects CS3
Adobe Captivate 2, 3
Adobe Illustrator CS3
Adobe InDesign CS3
XML
HTML 4
CSS 2
JavaScript
Action Script 1.0, 2.0, 3.0