Why do I design workbooks?
It is always curious to meet someone with a strange profession. For example, take me, I am a professional workbook designer. But what does this mean and why do I do it?
What does a professional workbook designer do?
I help experts turn their learning materials into workbooks. Mostly this means taking basic content in a Word or Google Doc and then turning it into an exciting and interesting (and on brand) booklet. Making sure I design workbooks that are flexible for printing or digital on-screen use. There are many different small aspects about workbook design. Things like the page numbers, wayfinding so a viewer knows what workbook they are looking at from a single page. Making sure there are suitable spaces to write content in. There is also a matter of applying certain book structure that a non-book maker doesn’t notice or think to include (contents, copyright info, etc)
How do you become a workbook designer?
For me, I have always designed documents. And for many years, I even designed and typeset big thick textbooks. And then for many years I picked a document type and made as many as I could of that document type for as many clients as I could for six-months at a time. To really understand how different each document type is. The document types were: novels, forms, annual reports, digital letterheads, pitch decks, white papers, policy documents, journal/diaries. Each document type was fun, and I enjoyed the experimentation. I did, however, keep coming back to how much workbooks are the sweet spot on a Venn diagram. They are highly branded, individual, form fields, structured, and has pages of very important content that much be read and understood by readers but should be interesting to look at, inspiring.
Why make workbooks?
As I mentioned it was the sweet spot for me. So many great aspects of document design all rolled into one. But also, for me, I particularly feel joy about the ripple effect. It is humbling knowing how many people can have their life changed by my work. Firstly, there is the expert who is passing their information on. For them, they get back to doing what they do best, stay in their zone of genius. I turn their ideas and content into something much more tangible. They sell these workbooks or use them in workshops. So that means a business is created because of the workbook. Then each participant/student at the workshop, using the workbook gets that information. They get to use it in their life. Their life is transformed by this material. And then, many times, that person is so inspired by what they learnt, that they change their life because of it. They pass the information and good life along. I have heard stories about those people also passing on and sharing their personal knowledge to a new group of people because of what they learnt. Three levels deep.
I can help you with your workbook
The two options are for me to set you up with a basic workbook template that you will use (do-it-yourself) or I can make the workbook for you (done-for-you).
