When you begin an instructional design project, kick off the work with a Savvy Start. This is a ceremony in the SAM (Successive Approximation Model) process where you perform a needs assessment and develop a plan of action.
Presumably, you already completed some light intake and have a broad idea of what the project entails.
I schedule an hour with stakeholders for my Savvy Starts. And during that time, I talk through the following points:
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Background – What prompted the request, and what resources/education exists already?
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Audience – Who is the audience and what are their considerations?
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Content – What should learners know and do after completing the learning experience, and what would you like them to practice?
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Stakeholders – Who is the project sponsor and SMEs, and who needs to approve the scope and final version?
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Environment – When will we have access to an environment and who will provide access?
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Delivery – How will the learning experience be delivered, what will we measure, and what is the timeline?
Each of these categories have MANY sub-questions but this gives you an idea of the broad categories of information you should collect in the Savvy Start. I made a visual with icons of the 6 categories so participants know where the conversation is headed and have something to look at.
I hope this helps you fine tune your Savvy Start and make them as effective as possible!
Day Learning Design 