We’re turning the page on another Project Spotlight! Today is all about compliance training…but halt right there (before you finish that groan)! Compliance training doesn’t always have to be the villain in the world of learning and development. Rules and regulations can actually be real page turners and — dare we say it — even fun. All you need to do is get a bit creative with a touch of ka-pow and zing!
A Comic-Al Spin on Compliance Training
You know what they say — “with great power comes great responsibility.” That’s why we chose to take an overwhelming, heavy-handed topic like compliance training and put our own comic-al spin on it! Our superhero Innovators created an action-packed, engaging storyline to introduce learners to a three-part system that protects their financial institution against the bag guys (regulation issues).
Our partners in crime (clients) came to us wanting an interactive PowerPoint. Having seen us flex our iPPT muscles in the past, they knew our superhero Innovators were up to the challenge! Wanting something unique, “out of the box,” and fun that would offer a high-level overview for complex compliance training — the idea of a comic book came to mind. What if we could introduce our learners gradually to this concept by telling them a tale where sneaky regulations try to take over, and then Regulatory Change Management comes in to save the day? BAM!!! Our clients marveled at the idea!!!
And so, we combined this simple (yet effective and entertaining) storyline with outstanding cartoon illustrations and relatable captions to create this comic-al compliance training!
Plot Twists, Challenges, and a Surprise Ending
Like any good story, this one had some plot twists, challenges for our superheroes to overcome, and, of course, a surprise ending that shocked us all! One of the biggest challenges our team faced was learning the ins and outs of comic books. Knowing that we needed to tell the tale expertly, we called in our very own comic book subject matter expert (Tambra Garsnett), who helped our team learn everything there is know about designing comic books, including:
- text hierarchy
- speech bubbles
- creative captions
- splash page designs
- panel spreads
- gutter layouts
- cartoon illustrations and more!
We think we did a BANG-up job, but this client caption says it all!
I’m in love with this. Thank you to the both of you for making this happen. Christy, this was a wonderful idea to bring a very dry topic to life…and Debbra, thank you for bringing it to life! I’ve already shared it with my team – they love it. A few SMEs have already responded to me directly with “It’s great, I’ve never seen it before either and don’t like comics so much but it’s an alternative angle on learning that actually sticks in the mind!”
– Vice President, Learning Consultant | Top 5 Financial Institution
Although the line of business (our internal partners in crime) gave our comic book glowing reviews, it was eventually decided that this idea was best saved for the drawing board. Now you might think this surprise ending was a bit of a cliffhanger for us — but much to our delight, our brilliant designers repurposed the comic book style of using text hierarchy and speech bubbles in a new system training course that is leaving this same client BOOMing with praise!

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Our Superhero Innovators
The moral of this story is that some endings can actually be new beginnings! Thanks to our champion Innovators for saving the day yet again!
If you’re looking for some help turning the page for your next compliance training, contact us today! As your trusted partners in crime, we’re ready to collaborate and WOW your learners!
