Oracle Smart Construction Platform
— PMI Learning Program

Designing modular learning at scale while meeting rigorous accessibility and external partner standards. 

Context & Constraints

This project focused on designing a large-scale learning program for construction project managers, delivered in partnership between Oracle and the Project Management Institute (PMI). PMI hosted the course as part of its learning ecosystem, while Oracle developed the content to demonstrate how its Smart Construction Platform supports digital transformation and best practices across the construction lifecycle.

Because the course was distributed through PMI, it was required to follow PMI’s templates and meet a higher accessibility standard than the team had previously worked with. This included providing alt text for all images, ensuring visual contrast met WCAG AA standards, matching on-screen text with audio narration, and designing content that could be fully navigated using either a mouse or keyboard.

The scope of the course was extensive, covering multiple Oracle products across different phases of a construction project. This breadth introduced complexity, particularly where product capabilities overlapped and required careful decisions about how and where specific workflows should be demonstrated.

The Core Problem

PMI and Oracle partnered to address a growing need in the construction industry: helping project managers improve digital efficiency while maintaining alignment with established project management best practices. Many project managers were familiar with industry frameworks but lacked clarity on how modern construction technology could be applied effectively across different project phases.

At the same time, Oracle’s Smart Construction Platform spans multiple applications, each supporting different aspects of the construction lifecycle. Overlapping functionality between products created a risk of redundancy or confusion if content was not carefully structured. The challenge was to design a course that reinforced PMI-aligned best practices while clearly demonstrating how Oracle’s tools could be used to support them—without overwhelming learners or turning the course into a product walkthrough.

Design Goals

The primary goal was for learners to understand high-level construction concepts and how Oracle applications could be applied during specific phases of a construction project. Rather than teaching every feature, the course focused on foundational workflows and practical use cases that aligned with industry best practices.

Consistency across the 60 modules was a critical design goal. Each module followed a shared structure that introduced the core concept, then demonstrated how that concept could be supported through video, interactive graphics, or software simulations.

A secondary goal was to balance PMI’s emphasis on best practices with Oracle’s objective of showcasing how its platform supports those practices. The course needed to feel credible and educational first, with technology serving as an enabler rather than the centerpiece.

Design Approach

The course was organized into seven category modules, each representing a phase of the construction project lifecycle. Within each category, individual content sections were assigned to team members based on product familiarity and availability.

I was responsible for 14 of the 60 content sections, spanning all of the Introduction, Evaluation, and Handover modules, as well as selected sections within the Plan and Build modules—many of which covered products outside my primary area of focus.

To develop this content, I collaborated directly with multiple product SMEs to understand how customers used the software in practice, gather best practices, and clarify where specific tools fit within each construction phase. From this information, I drafted the core concepts for each content section and evaluated whether existing videos could be reused or adapted to support the learning objectives.

Where gaps existed, I designed interactive graphics or captured software screens to build simulations that demonstrated workflows in context. Once content drafts were complete, they were reviewed and validated by SMEs before being built in Storyline. I then recorded narration, ensured accessibility requirements were met, and added alt text and keyboard navigation support.

Late in the project, PMI requested the addition of a knowledge check for each category module. Having recorded narration for three of the seven modules and with available bandwidth, I volunteered to draft assessment questions aligned to the stated objectives of each content section. After review and approval, I built and formatted the knowledge checks in Storyline.

Key Design Decisions

• Phase-based organization: Structuring the course around construction lifecycle phases provided a clear mental model for learners.

• Best-practice-first framing: Leading with industry concepts ensured credibility and prevented the course from becoming product-centric.

• Selective product focus: When overlap existed, content highlighted the application best suited to perform the task end-to-end.

• Strict accessibility adherence: Designing to PMI’s standards ensured the course was inclusive and reusable within their ecosystem.

• Consistent instructional pattern: A shared module structure supported coherence across a large, multi-author course.

Outcomes & Impact

The full course was delivered to PMI within six months of project kickoff, meeting both content and accessibility requirements. Internal Oracle Construction and Engineering sales leadership responded positively to the program and advocated for it to become a mandatory course for employees within the division.

The project was also recognized internally, with the team receiving a nomination for an organizational award in acknowledgment of the scope, quality, and collaboration involved in delivering the program.