Hello, I'm Tania Shenk

I design learning that's simple, respectful of people’s time, and built to get results. Whether it’s soft skills, compliance, safety, or onboarding, I focus on creating practical tools that help people do their jobs better, so they feel more confident, and the business sees measurable impact.

Here’s what I build into every learning experience.

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• Learn More About My Process

My approach to designing learning solutions is iterative and collaborative, moving through multiple stages with frequent client touchpoints to ensure alignment throughout the process.

This is how I solve learning problems and create engaging training that helps people do their jobs better.

• See My Learning Solutions

Note: EdTech Solutions is a fictional SaaS company created for the purpose of this portfolio. This project simulates a realistic business challenge and shows how I would solve it through targeted instructional design.

The Challenge

EdTech Solutions is a growing SaaS company that partners with K–12 districts to deliver digital learning platforms, analytics tools, and implementation support. Their mission is to help school systems drive better outcomes through technology that is practical, scalable, and educator-friendly.Within the Customer Success team, a performance gap had started to emerge. While seasoned reps were managing well, newer hires and underperforming Customer Success Managers (CSMs) were struggling to regain trust after client missteps. These moments often led to avoidable churn, low CSAT scores, and missed renewal opportunities. Many CSMs lacked the strategies and confidence to navigate difficult conversations, analyze risk signals, and re-engage clients before accounts were lost.Leadership needed a targeted solution tailored to those managing high-risk accounts. The goal was to reduce churn by at least 5% within six months, improve client satisfaction, and increase long-term account value.

The Design

This eLearning course was designed to give underperforming CSMs practical, repeatable strategies they could apply right away. It targeted three high-impact areas linked to churn risk: handling difficult conversations, writing professional emails, and spotting subtle client cues that signal when to reengage.Each module focused on realistic, performance-based tasks. Learners started with a branching scenario featuring Megan, a CSM navigating a tough client interaction. Every choice led to different outcomes, illustrating how tone, timing, and ownership influence trust and recovery.In the second section, learners honed their communication skills by sorting examples and non-examples of professional email writing. They analyzed how tone, clarity, and content affected client satisfaction and retention–building awareness of how even small language shifts can either repair or erode trust.The final section placed learners in a simulated inbox, where they flagged follow-up tasks and identified risk signals. These quick-hit interactions helped build habits around recognizing client cues and responding proactively, before accounts were lost.Throughout the course, coaching moments helped learners reflect on their choices, and layered feedback explained not just what was right or wrong, but why it mattered. The experience prioritized action over recall, giving CSMs the confidence to apply what they learned in real client situations.

The Development

This course was built in Articulate Storyline using layers, branching logic, and true or false variables to drive interactive experiences and track learner decisions across each scenario.To create a realistic and responsive flow, I used customized visual feedback, dynamic state changes, and conditional triggers to mirror the feel of real time coaching. Coaching audio was layered in at key points to reinforce tone, strategy, and confidence building moments. Closed captions were included to support accessibility.The simulated inbox was built using motion paths, variables, and triggers to allow task tracking and reset behaviors. The branching email scenario and tone matching practice were prototyped and tested to ensure each path felt logical, intuitive, and learner friendly.Throughout development, I prioritized smooth user experience, professional polish, and alignment to real CSM workflows so the course would feel like a natural extension of the learner’s day to day work, not a generic training module.

The Challenge

In any taproom, great service isn’t just about pouring the right beer–it’s about reading the room, matching the vibe, and making guests feel seen. But those soft skills often get skipped in standard onboarding.For this challenge, I focused on a common training gap: helping bartenders navigate different guest personalities while staying confident, conversational, and in control. The goal was to give learners practical tools to improve how they read guests, recommend products, and follow up–all in the middle of a busy shift.Rather than teaching generic hospitality tips, I wanted learners to practice the kinds of decisions that actually show up behind the bar: What do you say to a nervous first-timer? How do you redirect a rowdy regular without killing the mood? What if you offer the wrong beer–can you recover?This course was my way of turning those everyday moments into real learning opportunities–ones that could build trust, boost guest satisfaction, and keep the service flowing.

The Design

This course was built around three distinct guest personas, each based on real-world taproom interactions. I crafted scenarios that would feel familiar to bartenders–managing a first-timer’s nerves, navigating a beer enthusiast’s high expectations, and keeping the party crowd happy without losing control.Each guest interaction included two key challenges. First, learners had to match the right beer based on subtle clues in the guest’s words and tone. Then, they had to choose an appropriate follow-up behavior to keep the conversation flowing. Every choice triggered immediate feedback–both visual and auditory–so learners could see and hear how their decisions played out.To help learners improve, each moment of feedback explained not just what happened, but why it mattered. This gave them space to reflect, adjust their approach, and try again. A token system added a layer of motivation, with up to three tokens per guest earned through accurate and timely choices. These tokens carried through the course and impacted a final debrief with the bar manager.The tone-matching, coaching moments, and decision-based practice were all designed to help bartenders improve their timing, delivery, and confidence–skills that directly affect guest satisfaction and repeat business.

• Visual Storyboard

The Development

This course was built in Articulate Storyline, using layers, branching logic, and variables to create a smooth, decision-based experience. I mapped each guest interaction with a mix of character states, motion paths, and conditional triggers, so every choice felt responsive and natural–like a real conversation happening in the moment.To give learners meaningful feedback, I built in token-based scoring and layered coaching moments. Whether a learner got it right or needed a second try, the course explained why a choice worked (or didn’t) without breaking the flow. All three guests could be revisited during Happy Hour, letting learners reflect and improve their approach based on earlier feedback.Visuals were created with Canva, including custom avatars and backdrops generated with Canva AI to keep the look consistent across scenes. I used ChatGPT to help draft guest personas and dialogue variations, giving each character a clear voice and attitude–from the anxious newbie to the opinionated beer nerd.Sound design was layered in with tools like ElevenLabs and Envato Elements, adding personality and polish without overwhelming the learner. And behind the scenes, a few lines of JavaScript handled things like custom timers, star tracking, and dynamic feedback to elevate the interaction.Accessibility features like alt text, focus order, and closed captions were baked in from the start, so the experience works for more learners. Everything was designed to feel intentional–from the pacing, to the feedback, to the visual flow–so learners could stay focused on what matters: making better choices, one pour at a time.

• Ballies Brewery Challenge Portfolio Course

I’m actively seeking a full-time role in instructional design or learning development. I design training that’s clear, engaging, and aligned with real business goals. I’m also eager to connect with others in the field to share ideas and stay sharp on learning strategy and performance improvement.

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