Here are a few challenges and rewards that I experienced personally and professionally from working on the real world solution:

• Expect your learning design to change. Even up to the last minute. Design and development, in terms of making something operational, is like a tightrope; compromise is required. For example, even with approved UI specs and wireframes, parts of the design and user interface had to flex based on feedback from our users and stakeholders.
• Collaboration is mandatory. Working across disparate teams, business units, and stakeholders, you appreciate the sense of the meaning 'it takes a village' to build a portal. Over communicating is never a bad thing. For example, weekly and daily stand up meetings for all team members involved in design and development was needed to ensure deadlines were met but moreover so everyone had a common understanding of the work to be done and technology required to support the project.
• A balance needs to be struck between the strategic goals or vision of the effort, and resources available, and time constraints. For example, user feedback may provide you with fresh insights on improving the user experience but does not always mean that all changes should be made. Changes incur changes with content or technology which can incur more time with testing and development.

What I gained from this opportunity ...

• From the new hire portal, the real world example, to experience the joys and lows of working 'iteratively': designing and understanding what one is designing through creating it (Ramsay, 2009).

• From MDDE 605, the opportunity to do a competitive analysis and research complete, partial and semi-open outsourced virtual training solutions.