Active Events of Violence eLearning

Client:

My Role:

Instructional Designer/eLearning Developer (Solo Project)

Services:

Needs Analysis, Storyboarding, Audio Editing, Activity Design, Illustration, Motion/Gif Design, Script Writing, Video Editing

Solution:

eLearning

Summary:

Sole designer of a gamified active shooter preparedness course that achieved 98% completion across 1,500 employees — praised as "the most graphically impressive training in years."

Challenge

Every new hire at Benefitfocus sat through a one-hour active shooter preparedness presentation — but the delivery model was unsustainable. The Head of Security led every session personally, pulling him away from strategic work on a recurring basis. The live format meant content varied slightly with each delivery, and there was no way to assess whether employees actually retained what they learned.

Meanwhile, FBI data showed workplace violence incidents rising year over year. The training itself wasn't optional — but an hour of lecture-style content on a topic employees hope they'll never face wasn't exactly designed for engagement or retention. Benefitfocus needed a scalable solution that would standardize delivery, free up senior leadership time, and make the material memorable enough to stick when it mattered most.

Solution

Active shooter training is mandatory — but it's also the kind of content employees tune out because it's uncomfortable and (hopefully) irrelevant to their daily lives. I designed this course to cut through that resistance by making learners participants rather than passive viewers.

The centerpiece is a scenario-based game where learners view a bird's-eye blueprint of an actual Benefitfocus floor and take on the role of a character in a specific location. When a shooter enters the building, learners must quickly assess their options: Where is the threat? Where am I? Is there an exterior exit nearby, or do I need to hide? Immediate feedback reinforces decision-making under pressure.

I also created custom GIF animations to demonstrate practical survival techniques — including how to use a belt to secure a door hinge, preventing a shooter from easily entering a room. These visual demonstrations make abstract advice concrete and memorable.

Throughout the course, I balanced the gravity of the subject matter with interactive elements that keep learners engaged rather than anxious. The goal was to make compliance training that employees actually remember when it matters.

Adobe Captivate, Adobe Illustrator,

Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Premiere Pro, Microsoft PowerPoint, Vyond

Results

The course achieved a 98% completion rate across Benefitfocus's 1,500-person workforce — and the Head of Security got 24 hours back annually. With new hire orientations running twice per month, converting his live presentation into a 40-minute eLearning eliminated a recurring time drain while ensuring every employee received identical, high-quality training.

Learner feedback confirmed the gamified approach worked. Survey responses called the course "engaging from start to finish" and "without a doubt the most graphically impressive training I've completed in years." The course was later added to the official New Hire Orientation program — making compliance training a seamless part of onboarding rather than a standalone obligation.

What I Created

You can explore the full course or watch curated video highlights below. I'd recommend the videos — the eLearning doesn't have a skip option, so they're a faster way to see the gamified activities, custom animations, and scenario-based interactions in action. If you do go through the full course, make sure your audio is on.

Experience the eLearning