ID Atlas ID Atlas

Training built for mission-driven work.

Custom learning design, microlearning, and serious games for nonprofits, universities, and mission-led startups. Small enough to put a senior designer on your project start to finish, with a bench deep enough to scale it up when the work grows.

Hand-drawn learning design map showing a structured framework for course development

Past partners and clients

University of Maryland College Park, Higher Education Partner of ID AtlasUniversity of Maryland Global Campus, Higher Education Partner of ID AtlasTexas State University, Higher Education Partner of ID AtlasJohns Hopkins University, Higher Education Partner of ID AtlasIllinois Institute of Technology, Higher Education Partner of ID AtlasHoward Community College, Higher Education Partner of ID AtlasInternet Security Research Group, Non-Profit Partner of ID AtlasHebrew Immigrant Aid Society, Non-Profit Partner of ID AtlasLutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, Non-Profit Partner of ID AtlasNational Tooling and Machining Association, Non-Profit Partner of ID AtlasWashington State Department of Transportation, Government Partner of ID AtlasTexas Department of Transportation, Government Partner of ID AtlasGrow With Trees, Small Business Partner of ID AtlasQmedix, Small Business Partner of ID Atlas

Why ID Atlas

We start with the problem, not a product.

Most agencies sell you the deliverable they already know how to make. We start one step earlier, by figuring out what is actually breaking for your learners, then designing the fix around that. You get an honest read, grounded in pedagogy and tied to outcomes you can measure.

Diagnosis before build

We ask the hard questions before recommending anything. Sometimes that means the course you asked for. Sometimes it is a smaller, sharper fix that gets you further for less.

Scales up or down with you

A senior lead runs every project, backed by a mentored bench we can grow for a full curriculum or keep lean for a single module. Same people either way, and you never pay for an org chart you do not need.

Tied to outcomes, not output

Before we build, we pin down the KPIs and the behavior change you are after, then write the evaluation plan to check it. We would rather prove the training moved performance than ship something polished that changes nothing.

Before you reach out

The questions we hear most

Straight answers to the things most teams ask first. Anything else, just ask on the call.

How much does a project cost?

Two ways, depending on what fits you. Open-ended and advisory work is hourly at $70. A defined build is a fixed price, quoted up front so there are no surprises later. We help you scope the project first, then turn it into a flat number you can budget against. Short microlearning sequences usually run $3,000 to $5,000, a full onboarding or course build typically lands between $10,000 and $15,000, and larger custom programs with simulations or heavy media start around $20,000. For nonprofits, we are glad to scope the work to a grant budget and provide the cost detail and narrative your funder needs, and the first 30-minute discovery call is always free.

How long does it take?

A focused piece like a microlearning sequence or a single interactive module is usually a few weeks. A full course or curriculum runs two to four months, depending on how much content already exists and how quickly reviews come back. We set a realistic date once the scope is clear, and we would rather give you a date we can hit than an optimistic one we cannot.

What kinds of training do you build?

More than courses, and sometimes not training at all. Alongside custom eLearning, scenario-based and microlearning modules, serious games and simulations, full curricula, and live or train-the-trainer workshops, we build just-in-time performance tools: job aids, decision support, and custom web apps that give people the answer at the exact moment they need it. Often the right fix is a small tool in the flow of work rather than a course someone has to remember later. The format is the last decision, not the first. We start from the behavior you need to change, then build whatever gets there.

Can we get advice instead of a full build?

Yes, and it is some of our most useful work. Advisory engagements cover needs analysis, content and accessibility audits, a second opinion on a vendor or authoring tool, and strategy for teams that build in house. Consultation is $70 an hour, and the first 30-minute discovery call is free. Sometimes the most valuable thing we do is tell you that you do not need the course you came in asking for.

Do you work with our LMS?

Almost certainly. We deliver SCORM 1.2, SCORM 2004, and xAPI packages for the major platforms, and have built directly in LearnWorlds, Canvas, and others. With xAPI we can go past pass, fail, and completion to capture the specific metrics you care about: which decisions learners make, where they hesitate, and how they use a tool in the real flow of work. When an LMS is the wrong home for the content, we build a standalone training site instead.

I don't have an LMS. Can I still track learners?

Yes. You do not need an LMS to know whether training worked. For a light setup, a Google Form can capture quiz results and feedback. For something more automated, we wire the training to Google Sheets with Apps Script so completions and scores land in a spreadsheet you already use, and we can even automate completion certificates the way an LMS would, generating them from the sheet with Autocrat and a Docs or Slides template and emailing them out, with no extra software cost. When you need more, we can stand up a custom database or a tailored tracking dashboard. We match the tracking to the question you are trying to answer and the budget you have, not the other way around.

Do you design for accessibility?

From the start, not as a final-step checklist. We build to WCAG 2.1 AA and Section 508, and we offer audits, remediation, and VPAT documentation for courses you already have. Designing for keyboard, screen reader, and cognitive load early makes the training better for everyone, not only the people who need an accommodation.

Do you use AI to build training?

Where it genuinely helps, with a senior designer reviewing everything that ships. We use AI for drafting, media, and first-pass production, which lets us move faster and keep costs down. You get the efficiency without handing your training to a model and hoping for the best.

What if we are not sure what we need yet?

That is the normal starting point, and exactly what the discovery call is for. We dig into what is actually breaking before recommending anything, then map the smallest fix that gets the outcome you are after, even when that turns out to be less than you walked in planning to buy.