Introducing Articulate Super Hero: Kevin Thorn

Let’s hear it for Kevin Thorn, Articulate Super Hero! Many of you probably already know Kevin, or at least know of him, through the E-Learning Heroes forums. Without fail, he’s constantly using his superpowers to answer questions, share tips, inspire creative minds, and right the wrongs of the e-learning universe. Quick, hand that superhero a cape!

Though he claims to be an “accidental instructional designer,” his natural strengths, interests, and talents clearly pointed him in the right direction. Early on, when he joined the training department, his new boss showed him the bleak classroom jammed with training binders and a crummy old computer terminal for courses and assessments, and Kevin thought: there’s GOT to be a better way to train people! He made it his mission to completely revamp his company’s training materials and methodology, and realized he was hooked—his passion for engaging learners was born!

Kevin’s been an Articulate community regular since his company first got Articulate Studio licenses about five years ago. Like many, he hovered on the fringe for a while, but then he really kicked it up, connecting and collaborating on projects.

A pivotal moment came when he answered a challenge—a dare, really—from our own David Anderson to enter his work in the annual Guru Awards. Reluctantly, he did so … and “MISSION: Turfgrass” won the Silver Guru Award! Inspired by that success, he entered—and won!—Elearning Guild’s Demofest, and the recognition landed him a slew of freelance jobs. Then, in early 2012, he cut the corporate cord and went out on his own and founded his consulting company, NuggetHead Studioz. He laughs, “It’s safe to say that if not for Articulate, I’d probably still be sitting in a cubicle farm!”

If you missed Kevin’s Guru Award piece, “MISSION: Turfgrass,” then take a moment to check out this screencast. He goes under the hood to show how he built the floating image carousel featured in the course:

View this screencast on screenr.com

Even when Kevin’s immersed in projects, he always keeps a hand in the forums, looking for ways to help and inspire others. “For me, the most satisfying thing is teaching people something that will help them with their work.” Lately, Kevin’s been using the comic format to engage viewers. For inspiration, check out this graphic novel he created entirely in Articulate Storyline:

Always on the prowl for new and innovative design approaches, he’s experimenting with stop-motion animation, whiteboard animation, and sketchnoting in e-learning. To stay current on his explorations, follow his blog at http://learnnuggets.com.

Fun Fact:

Kevin brings as much military-style discipline and enthusiasm to his physical training as he does to his e-learning work. As of this writing, he’s winning an ongoing push-up contest with his son, who’s in the army! Keep it up, Kevin!

To find Kevin:

• Visit his company website: nuggethead.net
• Read his blog: www.learnnuggets.com
• Follow him on Twitter: @LearnNuggets
• Message him in E-Learning Heroes