About Tranquil Studio

Learning, creativity, and community

Founded in 2016, Tranquil Studio brings together instructional design, publishing, and creative development. We help educators, organizations, and creators turn ideas into courses, books, and resources people can use.

Explore services, see stories and collaborations, or read about our mission, structure, and policies.

Meet Sonja L. Howell, Ph.D.

Welcome to Tranquil Studio. I’m glad you’re here to explore new ideas for teaching and learning. My own path to learning hasn’t always been straightforward. Living with dyslexia has taught me to be resilient, look for different ways forward, and appreciate how clear, well-organized information can help someone learn. It also shaped my desire to work with others and find creative solutions that make learning accessible, engaging, and effective. As an instructional designer and developer, author, and creator of Tranquil Parenting^™ and the TMID Method, I bring that approach to my work, where I design learning experiences and teach. My focus is on data-driven assessment, using evidence of learning to understand what’s working and where coursework can better align with learning goals.

Through The Instructional Design Brief, I use AI-assisted discovery to find research and resources, then review and curate them into short reads with three useful takeaways and three sources. Each brief connects what we know to decisions about designing, developing, teaching, assessing, and improving learning.

Questions about Tranquil Studio

What is Tranquil Studio?

The original Tranquil Studio, established in 2016, brings together instructional design, publishing, and creative development.

Who creates the learning resources?

Sonja L. Howell, Ph.D. is the instructional designer, author, and educator behind the studio and The Instructional Design Brief.

How can I work with Tranquil Studio?

Explore services for course development, publishing, and workshops, then contact Sonja about your project.

Where can I watch the podcast?

The Podcast & Videos page includes the Tranquil Studio Instructional Design and Learning playlist.