Generative AI
Foundations
Safe and Effective Use at First Tech Federal Credit Union
Topics
Program
As Generative AI tools rapidly entered the workplace, First Tech Federal Credit Union needed a way to help employees understand what AI is, how it can be used responsibly, and how to apply it effectively in their daily work.
I partnered with stakeholders to design and develop a foundational learning experience that introduced employees to Generative AI concepts, practical workplace applications, prompt-writing techniques, AI risks, and responsible usage guidelines.
The result was a scalable learning solution that helped establish a shared understanding of AI across the organization while supporting broader digital transformation initiatives.
Artificial Intelligence was evolving faster than most employees could keep up with. While many team members had heard of tools like Copilot and ChatGPT, there was significant variation across the organization.
- Uneven AI knowledge levels
- Low confidence using AI tools
- Limited understanding of AI risks
- Inconsistent prompt-writing skills
- Lack of responsible AI awareness
- Demystify AI for beginners
- Encourage adoption without fear
- Promote responsible usage
- Align AI with organizational goals
- Build confidence in AI workflows
- Design for content that evolves over time
How might we help every employee understand and apply Generative AI responsibly, regardless of their starting level of knowledge?
Lead Instructional Designer
I was responsible for the full scope of this project, from learning strategy through final course development. I worked closely with business stakeholders to ensure content remained practical, relevant, and aligned with organizational objectives.
Before development began, I conducted foundational research to identify the most important learning gaps employees would need to address before successfully adopting AI tools. This research directly shaped the course architecture, topic sequence, and content depth across all 15 lessons.
I designed a 15-lesson self-paced learning experience that progressively guided learners from foundational knowledge to practical application. Rather than overwhelming employees with technical jargon, the curriculum was structured to build understanding incrementally, with every concept grounded in real workplace scenarios.
Introduced employees to the core concepts behind Generative AI and how it differs from traditional AI systems, giving all learners a shared foundation regardless of prior knowledge.
Connected AI capabilities directly to real business scenarios and productivity improvements, helping learners see immediate practical applications rather than viewing AI as abstract technology.
Helped learners understand AI limitations, hallucinations, data privacy concerns, verification requirements, and human oversight responsibilities, establishing guardrails alongside capability.
Explained how bias originates from both training data and model design, emphasizing the importance of critical thinking when evaluating AI outputs and the responsibility to question results.
Designed lessons focused on effective prompting, the foundational skill that separates employees who struggle with AI from those who get results. Learners were taught how prompt quality directly influences output quality and how to structure prompts for better results.
Rather than overwhelming learners with technical jargon, the design approach prioritized clarity, relevance, and progressive skill development throughout the learning experience.
This learning solution helped First Tech establish a foundational AI literacy program that supported broader organizational goals. The course provided employees with a shared framework for understanding and applying AI responsibly across the organization.
This project showed how instructional design can support AI adoption beyond simple tool training. The value was not only in explaining what Generative AI is, but in helping employees understand how to use it responsibly in real workplace situations.
- Reduced confusion around AI usage
- Built employee confidence with emerging tools
- Supported responsible adoption before misuse became a risk
- Created a scalable foundation for future AI training
- Time savings through better prompting, summarization, drafting, and research
- Translating emerging AI concepts into business-friendly learning
- Learner-centered design balancing education and performance
- Helping employees adopt AI tools safely and effectively
- Designing intuitive journeys that simplify complex concepts
- Aligning learning objectives with organizational AI strategy
Protecting Client Confidentiality
Throughout my career, I’ve partnered with organizations across healthcare, financial services, technology, and telecommunications to design learning experiences, digital products, and communication campaigns.
Because much of this work contains proprietary information, internal processes, or confidential business content, the portfolio examples presented here have been selectively edited. Rather than displaying complete courses or full project deliverables, I’ve included representative sections that demonstrate my design thinking, creative approach, and technical execution while honoring the confidentiality and trust of the organizations I’ve worked with.
Protecting client information is just as important as showcasing my work.