1. Mindmap brain-dump
I always start the course creation process by doing a brain-dump. This allows me to get everything out of my head and into a visual format.
I usually do this by creating a mindmap and by using post-it notes. It’s best to find a place where you can keep the post-it notes up for a while so you can continue to review and refine.


2. Cluster and organize
Next, I begin to cluster items into groups. These groups become the modules in the course. The image below is from one of my clients. They kept the post-its on their closet door to ensure they saw it multiple times per day.

Create a 1st draft
From there, I create a 1st draft of the outline in Airtable which consists of the modules and lessons within the course.
Review and refine
This rough draft becomes an ongoing work in progress as I continue to review and refine the outline.
Create your final outline/project plan.
Eventually the rough draft is transformed into the final outline in Airtable. This then becomes my project plan since I know the components that need to be created for each lesson.
Example from Online Courses Academy
One of the modules is ‘Creating your course content’. From there, I divided the module into smaller chunks, which became my lessons, and for each lesson I outlined 3 main topics I wanted to discuss in that video.
Module: Creating your course content
LESSON 1: The efficient workflow for creating your content
LESSON 2: Creating your worksheets
LESSON 3: Scripting your video lessons
TOPIC 1: Why scripting your videos is important
TOPIC 2: How to structure your video lesson scripts
TOPIC 3: Strategies to script your videos
LESSON 4: Creating your slides for your video lesson
LESSON 5: How to film, edit and host your video lessons