Case Study: GuestCenter Product Certification
Customer certification: Empowering restaurant staff and teams to master the platform
Scaling customer confidence through certification-based learning.
Tools
Articulate Storyline 360 · Articulate Rise · Camtasia · Adobe Illustrator
Design Foundations
Learning Experience Design · Human-Centered Design · Behavior Learning Theory · Experiential Learning (Kolb) · Cognitive Apprenticeship Model Experiential Learning (Kolb) · Cognitive Apprenticeship Model · UX/UI Principles · Accessibility · Brand Alignment
Soft Skills
Cross-functional collaboration with Customer Education, Product, and Marketing, UX-driven course design and content strategy, project management and stakeholder alignment, video scripting and multimedia production, iterative testing and feedback integration
Quick Facts
Roles: Instructional Designer · eLearning Developer · Project Manager
Deliverables:
Self-Guided eLearning Course (Articulate Rise + Storyline)
Video Demonstrations
App Practice + Assessment Simulations
Certification Badge + LMS Reporting
External learners: Restaurant staff using the OpenTable GuestCenter app (hosts, servers)
Internal users: Sales and Customer Support teams
Challenge + Context
Restaurant customers using OpenTable’s GuestCenter platform needed a scalable way to train and certify in-house staff on key product workflows.
Without consistent onboarding, product usage and confidence varied widely—leading to slower adoption and increased support inquiries.
OpenTable’s customer success and marketing teams wanted a credentialed learning experience that would:
Validate product expertise across customer roles
Improve platform adoption and feature utilization
Strengthen customer trust through measurable skill recognition
One learning experience serving multiple audiences
Once launched through OpenTable’s external customer support knowledge base, the course doubled as a multi-audience enablement asset—repurposed for sales and customer support teams to validate their own platform fluency and boost confidence in customer conversations.
Approach + Solution
I designed and developed the GuestCenter Certification Course, a self-guided, simulation-based learning experience that assessed both product knowledge and applied skills.
The course combined microlearning, video demonstrations, and interactive app simulations to mirror real-world use of the GuestCenter interface—enabling learners to learn by doing inside a safe, guided environment.
Key features included:
Interactive practice scenarios built in Articulate Storyline 360, guiding learners through reservation management, guest communication, and reporting tools.
Short Camtasia video demonstrations that visually reinforced step sequences and UI actions.
Knowledge checks and applied assessments to measure accuracy and reinforce retention.
Modular course design in Articulate Rise, allowing flexible updates as the product evolved.
Certification badge and completion data tracking, giving both restaurants and OpenTable visibility into skill achievement.
