I design learning experiences that improve performance and build practical tools and products people actually use.
ATD 26
New: Funny, agenda-inspired conference bingo. Each visitor gets a different card.
Play Bingo ->Book Me
Book Nick for sessions on communication, empathy, team connection, accessibility, and energizing your people without wasting their time. Attendees leave with clear goals, useful tools, and momentum that keeps going long after the session ends.
Why these sessions land
This isn't your father's training. When you learn from a learning professional, you get an experience built to stick.
People have fun. People walk away with tools. Teams leave with a clear next step, not a stack of notes that disappears by Monday.
Fast, practical communication sessions that help people be clear, confident, and easy to work with.
Walk away with
Turn empathy into a real workplace skill so people listen better, respond better, and collaborate like humans.
Walk away with
Not generic team building. This is about stronger connection, accountability, and momentum that still show up weeks later.
Walk away with
High-energy, interactive sessions that are genuinely fun and packed with tools people can use right away.
Walk away with
Make accessibility practical, approachable, and built into how your team communicates, designs, and delivers work.
Walk away with
If you want a keynote, workshop, or team session that feels alive in the room and still matters after it ends, this is the work. The goal is not a one-hour hype moment. The goal is to help people leave better equipped than they arrived.
Articles
This is where the Nick side of the brand publishes ideas, reflections, and useful experiments across learning and development, digital problem-solving, and creative side projects. Read more on Medium →
A reflection on ATD's Learning Operations session and why L&D teams should prioritize business outcomes, workforce enablement, and experimentation over perfectionism.
Mentorship is not coaching. Advising is not mentorship. A reflection on values alignment, growth, and the people who shape who we become.
A reflection on Holly Burkett's ATD26 session and why learning impact grows when evaluation is treated as a shared habit before, during, and after learning.
A reflection on Zack Kass's ATD26 session that reframed AI as a human challenge—exploring how AI reshapes work, identity, and what makes us distinctly human beyond efficiency.
A reflection on Megan Torrence's ATD26 session about AI implementation for L&D professionals—cutting through the chaos and finding practical approaches.
Research in psychology and neuroscience shows that tactile engagement, like using a fidget cube, can improve attention, retention, and creative thinking in adult learners.
A practical breakdown of how I used ChatGPT, GitHub Copilot, Next.js, VS Code, GitHub, Vercel, and a custom domain to build and launch my own website without starting from scratch.
Work & Experience
I design and research digital solutions that connect learning, product thinking, and real-world performance.
How I Work
Whether I’m designing a digital learning program, researching a product problem, or building something in the workshop — the thinking behind it follows the same five-step approach.
Before designing anything, I dig into what's actually broken — whether that's a workflow gap, a learning barrier, or a physical need that hasn't been solved well yet.
I sketch the simplest solution that solves the real problem — not over-engineered, not under-thought. Whether it's a curriculum framework, a digital workflow, or a 3D model, clarity comes first.
Speed matters early. I get something tangible into the world fast — a draft module, a printed part, a working demo — so I can learn from something real instead of spending weeks on assumptions.
I build with the end user in mind — whether that's a learner, a team, or a person holding a printed object. Testing is built into the process, not tacked on at the end.
The first version is rarely the final version. I measure what's working, listen to feedback, and iterate — whether that's a reprint, a revised module, or a redesigned system.
Learning & Development
Whether you need to assess learning impact, diagnose barriers to transfer, or build a culture of continuous improvement, I design frameworks based on Thalheimer's research that go beyond satisfaction surveys to uncover what actually matters.
Measure learning outcomes, on-the-job transfer, and ROI with Thalheimer-backed frameworks proven to predict performance.
Uncover what's actually blocking learning transfer, from motivation to environment to skill.
From survey design to frameworks to integration with your existing tools and platforms.
Contact
Open to collaborations, commissions, and interesting conversations. Whether you want a custom 3D printed product, a Pi-based solution, or just to chat about the work — reach out.
Typically responds within 24 hours.
nicktillem@gmail.com