Buyers aren't done with online courses. They're done with glorified video vaults that promise transformation and deliver content. Here's what's actually killing course sales, and what learning science says you should be building instead.

Nothing is guaranteed, but let’s walk through how to get the BEST idea of what people will buy.

Course doesn’t actually mean a collection of videos and a workbook.

Prior learning experiences impact current ones. We can design courses for that.

Creating learning and creating marketing aren’t the same. Don’t get course creation advice from a marketer.

Courses should be a learning experience; let’s design them that way.

Accessibility in your course can feel like a huge undertaking; we can get there one step at a time.

I was accused of plagiarizing in high school because my writing was "too good." That moment followed me through two advanced degrees. Your learners bring baggage too; here's how to design for it.

Whether you got into course creation to make an impact or make money, the learner experience matters. Get it right and you get engagement, great reviews, and return customers. Get it wrong and... well, don't be like those for-profit colleges that ruined it for everyone.

In 16 years of teaching, I've always made a distinction between designing a course and delivering it. But good learning design goes further—it's about how real people actually experience what you've built. And that changes everything.