CASE STUDY
BOWLINE KNOT JOB AID
A just-in-time performance support job aid designed to help field staff tie a reliable bowline knot correctly, even under pressure.
Visual job aid designed for quick, on-the-job reference. (Shared with permission for portfolio use.)
THE AUDIENCE
Boat crew who need to tie a secure bowline knot during operations
MY RESPONSIBILITIES
Instructional Design,
Visual Design, Illustration
TOOLS I USED
Adobe Illustrator
THE PROBLEM
Crew members are taught to tie a bowline knot informally, typically using the familiar “rabbit and tree” story. While the story helps with recall, it does not clearly communicate direction, which makes it easy to remember the steps but still loop the rope the wrong way.
Because the knot is used intermittently, confidence fades over time, and there was no quick, reliable way for crew members to confirm they had tied the knot correctly while on the job.
THE SOLUTION
I designed a single-page visual job aid that breaks the bowline knot into clear, directional steps. Each step pairs a short action phrase with a simple visual, removing ambiguity around how the rope should move.
To support confidence at the moment of use, the job aid also includes a quick visual check that helps crew members confirm they have tied the knot correctly without relying on memory or verbal confirmation.
DESIGN DECISIONS
This job aid was designed with intention, balancing simplicity with the need for clear, reliable performance support.
Modality Choice
When a crew member needs to tie a bowline knot, it is often needed immediately in situations where stopping to ask for help or recall training is not practical.
Formal training was not effective in this context, as it still relies on memorization. A visual job aid allows crew members to quickly reference the steps, confirm direction, and verify correctness at the moment of need without interrupting their work.
The goal was not to teach the knot, but to provide immediate, reliable performance support.
Visual Design
The visual design prioritizes clarity and quick recognition, allowing the task to be completed primarily by referencing the illustrations.
Text is included as secondary support, using a single clear action verb per step to reinforce what the visuals already communicate without adding cognitive load. Stories and mnemonics were intentionally avoided, as they do not clearly communicate direction. Action verbs provide precise guidance and reduce ambiguity during execution.
Hands are shown as outlines to provide necessary context without competing for attention. The rope is visually divided into two sides, one shown in blue with a dotted line, and the other in green with a solid line, making direction easy to follow and accessible for colorblind users.
The final knot check section provides a quick visual reference of a correctly tied bowline, allowing users to confirm accuracy before moving on.
Tool Selection
Adobe Illustrator was used to design the job aid, as it allows for precise control over visual layout, line work, and hierarchy. This made it well suited for creating clear, simplified illustrations that could be quickly interpreted at a glance.
Illustrator supports precise visual control for a static job aid, which was more appropriate for this use case than interactive or animated formats.
DESIGN PROCESS
While designing this job aid, I focused on defining the task clearly, developing clear content, and refining the design through review before sharing it with end users.
1
Task Analysis
I met with a subject matter expert to identify common challenges crew members face when tying the bowline knot and to define what correct execution looks like. Together, we broke the knot into clear, observable steps.
Rough notes from a SME meeting identifying common challenges and defining the six steps of the bowline knot.
2
Content Development
I took photos of the subject matter expert tying the bowline knot to capture clear references for what each step should look like. Using these photos, I illustrated each step in Adobe Illustrator, allowing me to simplify the visuals and emphasize clarity.
Based on the steps defined with the subject matter expert, I wrote concise, action-oriented instructions to pair with each illustration. During this stage, I also made deliberate decisions about what information to include and what to exclude, keeping the content focused only on what was essential for correct execution on the job.
Using photo references of the knot being tied, I created simplified step-by-step illustrations in Adobe Illustrator.
3
Visual Design
At this stage, I focused on arranging the steps on the page and establishing a clear visual hierarchy. Illustrations were positioned and sized to be easy to see at a glance, with unnecessary detail removed to support fast scanning and clarity.
The layout was refined to ensure the most important information draws attention first, allowing the viewer to quickly understand what to do without needing to study the page. The visual design also aligns with existing brand guidelines, using the organization’s color palette and visual style to ensure consistency with other materials used on the boat.
Layout iterations exploring different arrangements to improve visual hierarchy and scannability.
4
Peer Review & Refinement
Before passing the job aid on for use on the boat, I wanted to validate how clear the instructions were, especially for people with little or no experience tying this knot. I shared the draft with my instructional design network on LinkedIn to gather feedback on clarity, accessibility, and ease of use, which informed refinements that strengthened the final version before it was introduced to end users.
FEEDBACK & ITERATION
Peer feedback highlighted opportunities to improve visual clarity and accessibility. Based on this input, I updated the rope visuals to use both color and line style, combining solid and dotted lines so direction could be understood even by users with color vision differences. I also strengthened the instructional text by making all step wording bold to improve readability during quick reference.
Initial version shared for peer feedback and the revised version refined based on that input.
Some feedback suggested removing the hands to further simplify the visuals. I tested this approach, but found that removing the hands reduced important context around how the rope should be handled. Instead, I kept the hands but adjusted the composition so the rope is larger and more visually dominant, ensuring the primary focus remains on the knot rather than the hand position.
To evaluate the job aid with end users, I plan to collect informal feedback from crew members on their confidence and perceived proficiency tying the bowline knot before the job aid is posted. After the job aid has been in use, I will gather follow-up feedback to understand how it supports performance in practice and identify opportunities for further refinement based on real-world use.
RESULTS & TAKEAWAYS
At this stage, the job aid addresses known points of confusion around tying the bowline knot, particularly around direction and verification of correctness. Peer feedback confirmed that the instructions are clear and easy to follow, even for individuals with no prior knot-tying experience.
Designing this job aid reinforced the importance of clarity and ease in performance support. A job aid’s primary function is to support correct action on the job, not to teach background knowledge or provide extended explanation. Although there was additional information about the bowline knot that was interesting and informative, it was intentionally excluded. Including only essential information was critical to keeping the job aid effective at the moment of need.
This project also reinforced that simplicity is the result of deliberate design decisions. Creating something that looks easy to use required careful consideration, testing, and refinement. Peer feedback was especially valuable in highlighting areas I had not initially considered and strengthening the final design.
