Realtor Safety
The audience for this eLearning solution are Realtors showing properties to clients in person. My responsibilities include analysis of problems related to Realtor safety, designing a solution that focuses on behaviors rather than knowledge delivery, storyboarding, and building the scenario-based project. I used Articulate Storyline 360, Vyond animation software, and Twine story planning software to create this eLearning deliverable.

The Problem:
For this concept project, I interviewed Realtors and read articles about criminals who target people in this profession in order to understand the scope and the tactics that predators use to victimize Realtors. I narrowed down the focus of the scenario to encompass only one very typical client interaction and designed this scenario to assess the specific choices a Realtor must make to prioritize their own safety.
The Solution:
The main behavior that I identified was a learner’s instinct to prioritize their client’s requests/ demands over their own safety in order to give the client an excellent customer experience. While trying to accommodate a client’s schedule, preferences, and urgency to visit a property, many Realtors set aside common personal safety protocols in order to meet their client’s expectations and close a sale. The branching scenario allows the learner to make their own decisions based on their own ideas of personal safety. The end of the scenario will indicate whether the actions they took resulted in their safety, or made them less safe. A tip sheet is provided for the learner to review as needed to ensure they are making the best choice for their safety. Opportunities for the learner to try again are afforded until they achieve the scenario that is deemed most safe. A success meter is provided that helps the learner gauge whether the decision they made has helped them to become more or less safe. This meter can indicate for the learner whether they need to reassess their choices as the scenario continues.
My Process:
​The process included a Twine Story Map that I used to create a visual map of the branching scenario, including the problems and solutions. I followed the Twine map with a detailed storyboard that would steer the overall planning and execution of the project. Next, I worked on the visualization of the project using style guides and wireframes to solidify the look and feel of the project.
Twine Story Map:
Using the branching scenario mapping software Twine, I created a map that outlined the question-and-answer format of the story and plotted the various directions that the learner could take and the outcomes that those choices would lead to. Having a visual like this in place helped me to build the story of the Realtor and their client and design the story arcs that would lead the learner to less safe outcomes and more safe outcomes.

Text-based Storyboard:
The storyboard was the foundation of the project. Not only did it establish the story of my branching scenario-based project, it organized the visual information and the programming for the overall project into one reference document that I used to guide its design and construction. I wrote an immersive story in which the learner is placed in the position of a Realtor who is faced with a potentially unsafe client interaction. I included two to three consequences for each client interaction, designating a consequence for each action. Though the story’s progression might indicate whether the learner made a safe choice or an unsafe choice, there was no overt language that told the learner that they were more or less successful until they reached the Results page. Here, the learner was encouraged to seek the help of the Tip Sheet and begin the scenario again, or Exit Course because they were completely successful in its navigation.


Full Development:
After collecting and applying the feedback I received on my prototype, I completed the fully developed branching scenario-based eLearning project. I used Vyond to illustrate all Realtor and client interactions. It is possible to animate each interaction, but I opted to keep the illustration static in order to keep the complicated storyline more streamlined. I adhered to a few on-brand color choices and relied on the Twine Story Map to guide the interactivity of the Storyline 360 slides. Using variables and triggers, I programmed the slider at the top of the slides to indicate a gain or loss of points to give the learner an indication of their progress through the scenario.


Takeaways:
The result of the project is to give the learner the opportunity to assess their own instincts and choices when it comes to their own safety. Illustrating a strong connection between a Realtor’s choices and the requests/ demands of their clients highlights the fine balance they sometimes have to achieve in order to have successful client interactions while prioritizing their safety. A key takeaway that I had designing this is that organization of information is key when dealing with a complicated branching scenario. Using story mapping software and maintaining a detailed master storyboard made the process of designing and developing this branching scenario simple and fun.
