If you’re considering a career in instructional design, one of the first questions you might ask is: What tools and software do I need to learn to get hired?

Instructional designers rely on a range of digital tools to create, deliver, and manage learning content.

Mastering these tools not only enhances your employability but also ensures that the learning experiences you design are interactive, engaging, and effective.

This post will guide you through the essential software and tools you should know to excel in the field of instructional design. 

1. E-LEARNING AUTHORING TOOLS

E-learning authoring tools are essential for creating interactive, self-paced courses. These platforms allow instructional designers to develop multimedia-rich content, quizzes, and assessments.

Articulate 360 (Storyline and Rise)

Why It’s Important: Articulate Storyline is ideal for building customized, interactive courses, while Articulate Rise allows for easy, responsive course creation. A must-learn tool for corporate instructional designers.
Use Cases: Creating e-learning modules, interactive simulations, and assessments.
Industry Demand: Articulate is widely used across corporate, government, and educational sectors. 
Difficulty: 4 (Moderate-Challenging)
Job Requirement Frequency: 5 (Common)

(Oregon State University offers an online Articulate Storyline and Rise Certificate that will help turn you into an Articulate expert over three courses. It's 100% online and open to everyone with no prerequisites. The Articulate software is also heavily discounted for being a student.)

Adobe Captivate

Why It’s Important: Adobe Captivate is known for its ability to create software simulations and mobile-responsive content. Great for creating software simulations and mobile-friendly learning.
Use Cases: Developing software training, quizzes, and interactive videos.
Industry Demand: Popular in both corporate training and educational settings, especially for creating mobile-friendly content.
Difficulty: 4 (Moderate-Challenging)
Job Requirement Frequency: 4 (Fairly Common)

Lectora Inspire

Why It’s Important: A robust authoring tool with advanced accessibility features. Essential for organizations focused on accessibility compliance.
Use Cases: Building courses with compliance for Section 508 and WCAG accessibility standards.
Industry Demand: Often used by organizations that need highly accessible content.
Difficulty: 3 (Moderate)
Job Requirement Frequency: 3 (Occasionally Listed)

2. LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS (LMS)

An LMS is used to deliver, track, and manage online courses. Instructional designers often work with these platforms to upload course content, monitor learner progress, and generate reports.

Moodle

Why It’s Important: Moodle is an open-source platform widely used in education and corporate training. Popular in higher education and non-profits.
Use Cases: Uploading courses, managing learners, and tracking progress.
Industry Demand: Commonly used by universities and non-profits.
Difficulty: 3 (Moderate)
Job Requirement Frequency: 3 (Occasionally Listed)

Canvas LMS

Why It’s Important: Canvas is known for its intuitive interface and flexibility. Often required for positions in education.
Use Cases: Delivering university courses and corporate training programs.
Industry Demand: A popular choice in both higher education and workforce development programs.
Difficulty: 2 (Easy-Moderate)
Job Requirement Frequency: 4 (Fairly Common)

TalentLMS and Docebo

Why They’re Important: Easy-to-use platforms focused on corporate training and onboarding. TalentLMS is common for small businesses and corporate training. Docebo is Often used by companies for large-scale employee training.
Use Cases: Creating scalable employee training programs and compliance courses.
Industry Demand: Frequently used by companies to manage and deliver workplace training.
Difficulty: 2.5 (Easy - Moderate)
Job Requirement Frequency: 3 (Occasionally Listed)

3. VIDEO AND MULTIMEDIA TOOLS 

Instructional designers use video and multimedia tools to create engaging video content, animations, and interactive elements.

Camtasia

Why It’s Important: Camtasia is a user-friendly tool for recording and editing screen capture videos. Ideal for creating screen recordings and tutorials.
Use Cases: Creating video tutorials, product demonstrations, or instructional videos.
Industry Demand: Frequently used in both corporate and educational environments for on-demand video training.
Difficulty: 2 (Easy)
Job Requirement Frequency: 4 (Fairly Common)

Vyond

Why It’s Important: Vyond is a tool for creating animated videos with little to no animation experience required. Great for producing quick, animated videos.
Use Cases: Producing explainer videos, animated training content, and storytelling modules.
Industry Demand: Popular in corporate settings for onboarding and compliance training.
Difficulty: 2 (Easy)
Job Requirement Frequency: 3 (Occasionally Listed)

Adobe Premiere Pro

Why It’s Important: Adobe Premiere Pro is a professional-grade video editing tool with advanced features. Used for high-quality video production, though not always required.
Use Cases: Editing high-quality instructional videos or promotional course trailers.
Industry Demand: Useful for designers creating polished multimedia content.
Difficulty: 5 (Challenging)
Job Requirement Frequency: 2 (Rarely Listed)

4. GRAPHIC DESIGN TOOLS

Strong visuals are a key component of instructional design. Knowing how to create and manipulate graphics helps instructional designers improve learner engagement.

Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator

Why They’re Important: Photoshop is essential for image editing, while Illustrator is used for creating custom vector graphics. Often needed for advanced visual design tasks.
Use Cases: Designing course graphics, infographics, and banners.
Industry Demand: Frequently used across industries to enhance the visual appeal of learning materials.
Difficulty: 4 (Moderate-Challenging)
Job Requirement Frequency: 4 (Fairly Common)

Canva

Why It’s Important: Canva is a beginner-friendly graphic design tool that’s great for creating presentations, social media posts, and quick visuals. A go-to tool for quick, visually appealing graphics.
Use Cases: Designing e-learning course visuals, thumbnails, and infographics.
Industry Demand: Ideal for designers working on tight deadlines or with limited resources.
Difficulty: 1 (Easy)
Job Requirement Frequency: 4 (Fairly Common)
 

5. PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND COLLABORATION TOOLS

Instructional designers often work in teams with subject matter experts, graphic designers, and project managers. Knowing how to use collaboration tools is essential for meeting deadlines and ensuring a smooth workflow.

Trello and Asana

Why They’re Important: These tools help manage projects by tracking tasks, deadlines, and deliverables. Trello is common for managing small to medium projects. Asana is useful for larger, more complex projects.
Use Cases: Organizing design projects, creating workflows, and monitoring course development progress.
Industry Demand: Commonly used across industries for collaborative project management.
Difficulty: 1.5 (Easy-Moderate)
Job Requirement Frequency: 3 (Occasionally Listed)

Microsoft Teams and Slack

Why They’re Important: Microsoft Teams and Slack are essential for team communication and collaboration. Both are essential for remote teams and corporate environments and useful for internal communication and collaboration.
Use Cases: Facilitating communication among project stakeholders, conducting virtual meetings, and sharing files.
Industry Demand: Widely used by corporate and educational teams working on remote instructional design projects.
Difficulty: 1 (Easy)
Job Requirement Frequency: 4 (Fairly Common)

Google Workspace (Docs, Slides, Sheets)

Why It’s Important: Google Workspace offers collaborative document creation and real-time feedback. Universally used for collaborative work.
Use Cases: Co-authoring course materials, sharing project timelines, and collecting input from stakeholders.
Industry Demand: Universally used for collaborative work in both education and business.
Difficulty: 1 (Easy)
Job Requirement Frequency: 5 (Common)

6. ASSESSMENT AND FEEDBACK TOOLS

Instructional designers often need to measure how well learners are absorbing content. These tools help create quizzes, surveys, and assessments.

Google Forms 

Why They’re Important: Google Forms offer simple tools for creating quick surveys and quizzes. Useful for creating simple quizzes and surveys.
Use Cases: Gathering feedback from learners and evaluating knowledge retention.
Industry Demand: Frequently used in education and corporate training environments.
Difficulty: 1 (Easy)
Job Requirement Frequency: 4 (Fairly Common)

Kahoot! and Mentimeter

Why They’re Important: These tools allow instructional designers to create interactive quizzes and polls that engage learners. Kahoot! is often used in classrooms or for fun employee engagement. Mentimeter is popular for live polls and interactive presentations.
Use Cases: Conducting live assessments, collecting learner input, and fostering engagement in webinars or workshops.
Industry Demand: Common in classrooms and corporate settings to boost engagement during training.
Difficulty: 2 (Easy)
Job Requirement Frequency: 3 (Occasionally Listed)

7. DATA ANALYTICS TOOLS

Data analytics tools help instructional designers evaluate the effectiveness of their learning solutions and improve them based on performance data.

Google Analytics and LMS Reporting Tools

Why They’re Important: Google Analytics provides insights into learner engagement and progress.
Use Cases: Tracking course completion rates and identifying content areas where learners struggle.
Industry Demand: Data-driven design is increasingly important in instructional design, especially for corporate training.
Difficulty: 3.5 (Moderate-Challenging)
Job Requirement Frequency: 3.5 (Relatively Common)

Conclusion: Tools to Boost Your Instructional Design Career

Mastering a variety of tools is essential for becoming a successful instructional designer.

From authoring software to project management tools, knowing how to use the right technologies ensures that you can create engaging, effective learning experiences that meet the needs of learners and organizations alike.

If you’re just getting started, focus on the tools most commonly mentioned in job descriptions—like Articulate 360, Adobe Captivate, and LMS platforms—and build from there.

Many instructional design programs offer hands-on experience with these tools, helping you develop the skills you need to succeed. Calibr put together a helpful list of the Best Instructional Design Certificate Programs and Courses.

By developing expertise in these technologies, you’ll position yourself as a well-rounded instructional designer ready to thrive in this growing field.