The Post-it Note Course Outlining Process

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.

Outlining Process in Images

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.