Rise makes it easy to build a course quickly. Its prebuilt blocks, templates, and interactions let you focus on the learning experience without building every screen from scratch. But that convenience can also lead to a familiar look: one course starts to resemble the next.
In Artha Learning’s Articulate Rise on Steroids webinar with Training Magazine network, we explored a practical challenge: how do you keep the speed and simplicity you love about Rise while creating something that feels distinctive and purposeful?
Our answer is a framework with four levels of development. You can use one level or combine several in the same course. The goal is to choose the least complex approach that serves the learning objective.
level 1
Get creative with existing blocks
Before reaching for custom code, take a fresh look at Rise’s existing blocks. A quote block can introduce a character. A labeled graphic can become an intentionally designed scene. A small visual change can make a familiar interaction feel much more connected to your content.
You will need multimedia assets and a basic design tool. Canva is one option we use, and PowerPoint can work for simple graphics. Start by asking what the block needs to communicate, then design the visual around that purpose.
Make images work harder
In an image-and-text block, a relevant GIF can demonstrate a concept or process. The image area can also hold a custom header. Give meaningful images appropriate alternative text, and avoid relying on text inside an image as the only way to convey essential information.
Matching an image’s background to the block colour (or using transparency) helps neighbouring sections feel connected. For a labeled graphic, create dedicated spaces for the hotspots so the labels look intentional and the illustration provides context.
Rethink familiar interactions
Use a quote block to introduce the people or characters learners will encounter. Add graphics to accordions and tabs to support text-heavy content: icons and examples can clarify what should happen and what should not.
For flashcards, you can create the appearance of shapes Rise does not offer directly, such as circular cards, by matching the card background to the surrounding block. Keep the clickable area and instructions clear.
A text block with columns can also support a different composition. Use one column for a quote beside a character in a background image, or use both columns to compare statistics.
Bring in Storyline when the interaction needs it
Storyline blocks give you another way to work within a Rise lesson. In the webinar, we saw an example of a complex scenario, but it could also be a simple “meet your guides” select and reveal interaction. . Style the embedded interaction to fit the surrounding lesson so it feels like part of the course. See Articulate’s Storyline blocks guidance.
level 2
Build custom layouts and blend your blocks
When an existing block’s layout does not give you enough flexibility, Rise’s visual Custom Block feature lets you build a composition from a template or a blank canvas. Templates help you get started quickly; a blank block gives you room to explore an idea beyond the supplied layouts.
This level is useful for distinctive titles, section dividers, diagrams, resource sections, custom transitions, and immersive full-width experiences. A design tool such as Figma, Canva, or Illustrator helps you create the supporting graphics. Expect some trial and error, especially around padding, spacing, and sizing.
Designing thoughtful transitions
A custom block can look good on its own and still feel disconnected from the rest of the lesson. The transitions between blocks deserve the same attention as the blocks themselves.
Try an image in a Divider–Spacer block to connect sections visually. Use a block’s background-image option where available to extend the design. In the webinar, we showed three ways to design a transition: creating a rounded corner block, creating a gradient effect between two blocks, and adding a graphic overlapping two sections.
Check how those compositions behave on smaller screens. Rise’s visual Custom Blocks and its Code Blocks are different features; a responsive setting for one does not automatically make a coded interaction responsive. Articulate’s Responsive Custom Blocks guidance explains the Labs option for visual layouts.
level 3
Vibe code a focused interaction
Vibe coding means describing what you want in plain language and using AI to help write the code. It opens up options for custom interactions and decorative features without requiring you to write everything yourself. You still need to judge the result and test how it works.
A generative AI tool such as ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini can support this process. In the webinar, a swipe-card interaction illustrated how a description can become a working activity. Begin with something small enough that you can explain its behaviour and recognize when it is working correctly.
01
Start with context
Tell the AI what learners should do, what feedback they should receive, and where the code will run. Explain whether you plan to paste it into a Rise Code Block or upload a packaged project. For a first experiment, a small interaction that can be added directly to the code editor is a manageable starting point.
02
Build the ugly first draft
Get the core behaviour working before polishing the design. Can the learner make a selection? Does the correct information appear? Can they try again? A beautiful interaction that does not work is harder to diagnose than a simple working draft.
02
Refine one thing at a time
Once the interaction works, share screenshots, relevant code snippets, brand guidelines, or a precise description of the design you want. Ask for one change at a time so you can see what changed and test its effect.
Brainstorm with the AI before building and ask it to clarify missing information. If it gets stuck repeatedly fixing the same bug, start a fresh conversation with your last working code and a clear explanation of the problem. Keep that working version as a backup.
Test again after every change. Check the published course on the devices and browsers your learners use, including keyboard operation and screen-reader behaviour. Keep the source files and a short set of maintenance notes so another person can update the activity later.
Be precise about tracking: activity completion and detailed performance reporting are different requirements. Rise’s documented code-block completion mechanism can support progression; broader reporting needs its own implementation and testing. See Articulate’s code-block guidance.
level 4
Make AI part of the learning experience
At this level, AI becomes something learners interact with. A tutor can help them understand course material; a coach can give them a place to practise a conversation, explain a decision, or work through a scenario.
Rise’s AI Tutor provides course-aware help for learners. Articulate’s AI Tutor guidance describes how learners can use it to ask questions and get help with course content.
In the webinar, we also demonstrated AIReady, our customizable AI coaching tool for L&D. It is designed to support practice and feedback grounded in the material you provide. Define the coach’s purpose, give it useful reference content and examples, and evaluate its responses before learners use it.
AIReady can support realistic roleplays, personalized coaching, and feedback on open-ended responses. You can use policies, rubrics, or expert examples to evaluate learner decisions; create fresh practice questions and scenarios; and use learner interactions to gain progress and performance insights.
The quality of the learning design still matters. Specify what a good response looks like, test realistic and unexpected learner inputs, and have a subject-matter expert review the feedback. Learn more at AIReady.
Choose the level that fits the work
Before you start building, ask three questions:
Time: Do I have enough time to create and test a custom block?
Purpose: Is a code block necessary to demonstrate this concept?
Expertise: Do I have the prerequisite knowledge to create and maintain the interaction, including Storyline if that is the approach?
Choose the least complex level that serves your purpose. A course can use creative native blocks for most content, a custom layout for a key section, and a coded interaction where learners need a particular kind of practice. You do not need to work at the highest level throughout.
Try It For Yourself
Pick a module you already have and make one contained change.
Replace a static image with a relevant GIF.
Rebuild a section header as a custom block and blend the block below it with a Divider–Spacer image.
Or vibe code a small select-and-reveal activity or knowledge check, starting with the ugly draft.
Show it to someone who was not involved in building it. Ask whether it still looks like Rise, and whether the change makes the content easier to understand or the practice more useful. That second question will help you decide what to keep.
Keep learning with Artha Learning
Explore our masterclass series at AIwithGG, learn about the AI Accelerator Certificate for L&D at AI for L&D, or see how AIReady supports coaching and practice. If you would like to discuss your course, book a 30-minute conversation. You can also explore Artha Learning’s custom eLearning, blended learning and workshop design services.
Your webinar questions, answered
Here are all the questions and answers we got from the Artha Learning Rise on Steroids webinar. We have kept the questions as asked and grouped them by topic. Where a question depends on a specific demo or a detail we have not confirmed, we have made that clear.
Answers current as of September 15, 2026.
Vibe Coding & AI Capabilities
Coding Languages: What code language does it use?
The code uses HTML for structure, CSS for styling, and JavaScript for interactivity.
Prompting & Branding: How do you ensure it matches the look and feel of your brand? Can you give it screenshots too?
Yes – Share your brand guidelines, including colours, fonts, logo rules, and examples of the tone and layout you want. If your AI tool accepts images, you can also provide screenshots as visual references. Be specific about which details it should follow, then review the result against your guidelines.
AI Imagery: Do you have good luck with imagery when it's not provided to the AI? Like the AI creating the imagery for you?
The result depends on the AI tool and the kind of image you need. Code-generated visuals can work well for simple graphics; more detailed imagery may need a separate image-generation or design tool. For a Rise code project with image files, package the assets with an index.html file at the ZIP’s root. Ask AI to explain the file structure and setup steps. Source: Articulate code-block guidance.
Interaction Types: What kind of interactions does vibe coding work best for? Are there any limitations? Could you create a game like Jeopardy or a branching scenario?
Our suggestion would be to start with the learning objective and not create a vibe code block for the sake of it. Native Rise blocks may already meet the need; custom code is useful when you need different behaviour, visual design, or practice activities. You can build quiz-board games, branching scenarios, and calculators, but the complexity affects development, testing, accessibility, and maintenance. Prototype the core interaction before committing to a full build.
Platform Limits: Is there any limitation to the amount of code that Rise can process? Can a software simulation of an application be contained in Rise?
Articulate documents a 5 GB limit for uploaded code-project ZIP files; that is not a guarantee of browser performance or a maximum line count. A software simulation may be feasible, but its dependencies and behaviour need testing. A Storyline simulation embedded in Rise is another option. Sources: Articulate code-block guidance; Storyline blocks.
Advanced Logic: Can the code access an array? Can the triggers in Rise or Storyline detect user interactions with the code block?
Yes, JavaScript can work with arrays. Rise code blocks can signal completion to a Continue block when completion requirements are configured. That is different from exposing every interaction to triggers. Any Storyline communication needs a separately designed and tested integration. Source: Articulate code-block guidance.
AI Feature Integration: How do these tips align with the AI now available with Rise? If I use the new feature that makes the course from PDFs automatically, how do I do these things with that?
The AI-generated course is still a RISE course. Use the AI-generated course as a starting draft, review its content and structure, and then decide where a custom interaction would add value. AI Course Drafts can generate course content from source material; it does not remove the need to design and test your custom additions. We have not yet validated the exact PDF-to-course workflow with the examples from this session. Source: Articulate AI Course Drafts.
I'm interested in trying out vibe coding more, and one potential challenge I could foresee is course maintenance. What happens if you create a terrific code block, but months down the road, the content needs to be updated. How easy is it for me or someone else maintaining the course to make edits when needed?
Maintenance is an important consideration when choosing custom code. Simple text changes may be straightforward; changes to the interaction’s logic or dependencies can take more work. Keep the editable source and assets together, with notes explaining what the code does, where it is used, how to publish it, and what has changed. Clearly mark the content that future editors are likely to update. Version control such as GitHub can help, but a shared folder with dated versions and a short handover document is a practical starting point, in addition to inline comments in the code itself. AI can assist with updates when given the current code and clear instructions. Keep a working backup, review the changes, and retest the published interaction, including keyboard access and completion behaviour, before replacing the live version.
Articulate Rise & Storyline Functionality
Web vs. Desktop: Is Rise ONLY available via the internet, or is it a desktop app?
Rise 360 is a browser-based authoring tool, so you create and edit courses online. It is not a desktop application. Source: Articulate web apps.
Storyline Blocks: What is the value of adding SL blocks within Rise? Are there any web objects that convert some of these features for Storyline?
Storyline blocks let you bring Storyline-built interactions into a Rise lesson when you need capabilities beyond the native blocks. Storyline also supports web objects for web content. A web object is an embedding method, not an automatic converter: whether a particular interaction will work inside a Storyline block in Rise needs testing in the published course. Sources: Storyline blocks; Storyline web objects.
Native vs. Custom: What is the difference between doing this and using the native Rise flip cards?
The main difference is control over the appearance and behaviour. Native Rise flip cards are a good choice when their built-in options meet your learning objective. Custom cards make sense when you need something those options cannot provide, but they also bring additional accessibility, testing, and maintenance work. For example in the activity I showed, we could swipe the cards left and right to show our preference and that turned a flip card activity into a mini-assessment.
Dimensions & Responsiveness: Are custom blocks responsive? Is there a recommended size for a custom block, transition graphics, or shapes?
It helps to distinguish Rise’s visual Custom Blocks from Code Blocks. Articulate documents a Labs option for responsive Custom Blocks; check whether it is enabled in your account. For coded interactions, design and test the layout for different screen sizes. There is no single size that suits every activity or transition graphic. Check readability, cropping, and controls on your learners’ target devices. Source: Responsive Custom Blocks.
Audio/Video Overlaps: Any way to allow the audio to play at the same time as a video played on top?
If your audio and video must stay synchronized, one approach is to combine them into a single video before adding it to the course. For separate learner-controlled playback, test the specific setup.
UI Issues: Any way to create a space at the bottom of using a Tabs block and adding audio? The audio covers up the lower section of the image and covers up content.
You would need to inspect the affected Tabs block to identify the cause. As a first troubleshooting step, check its available spacing and media settings, then test the published lesson at the affected screen size. If the controls still obscure essential content, consider moving the audio to a separate block or adjusting the image composition. These are options to test, rather than a confirmed fix.
Option 1: Move the audio player above the text and image.
Option 2: We left some white space below the image to accommodate the audio player.
Accessibility & QA
Screen Readers & Code: Is AI code accessible? Does it have an accessibility feature?
AI-generated code is not automatically accessible. Specify accessibility requirements, then check the implementation: semantic HTML, meaningful labels, keyboard operation, visible focus, and understandable screen-reader output. Test the interaction within the published Rise course using a keyboard, screen reader, and zoom; an automated checker alone is insufficient. Source: Articulate code-block guidance.
Keyboard Navigation: Can that interaction be done with a keyboard? Or only a mouse?
For the examples described here, the flip cards, swipe cards, and calculation simulator support keyboard interaction. The drag-and-drop mini-game does not currently offer a keyboard alternative. It would need an equivalent way to select and place objects before we could describe that activity as keyboard accessible.
Browser Testing: If creating custom code blocks, how do you QA and test to confirm that the code will display in different browsers?
Do not assume custom code will behave identically in every browser. Test the published course in the supported browsers and devices your learners use, covering layout, interaction, media, completion behaviour, and keyboard access. Include small screens and zoom, record any issues, and retest after changes. Source: Rise browser support.
Security, Copyright & Buy-In
Confidentiality: Curious if it's appropriate to put a client's forms into an open-source AI model to provide code to use in Rise. Seems like it could be a client confidentiality breach.
Content confidentiality is of utmost importance to us and we check and discuss potential AI uses with our clients ahead of use. In this case the only thing that is provided to AI is the user interface of the form as general guidance and all the data was fictional. The goal was to create a simulation of the approved environment. My recommendation is always to check explicitly when in doubt.
Copyrights: How do you all navigate copyrights for Jeopardy, Monopoly, etc.?
We haven’t actually used any of such games in a production environment. In general I would recommend using your own game name, artwork, wording, and branding. In the U.S., game ideas and methods of play are generally outside copyright protection, while expressive elements such as artwork and rule text may be protected; names may also raise trademark issues. Simply renaming a copied game does not address all of those concerns. For a close adaptation or commercial release, have the relevant rights reviewed for the jurisdictions involved. Sources: U.S. Copyright Office on games; names and trademarks.
Stakeholder Pushback: Do you get pushback from L&D managers on these cutting edge designs/ideas?
It is natural to sometimes encounter hesitation. We connect the idea to a clear learning objective and explain why the interaction should help learners practise or perform better. A small prototype can make the discussion more concrete, alongside an honest assessment of accessibility, development effort, and ongoing maintenance. The goal is to demonstrate learning value.
AI Coach / AIReady Specifics
Pedagogy: How do you make sure the AI coach is giving good feedback to learners?
AIReady lets you upload reference material, including examples of useful feedback. Define what good performance looks like, provide a clear feedback rubric, and show examples of strong and weak responses. Then have a subject-matter expert test the coach across realistic learner answers and review whether its feedback is accurate, specific, constructive, and aligned with the learning objective. Extensive testing helps too. (We often run hundreds of automated + human tests before any interaction goes live).
Here is a look at our AIReady dashboard, where you can upload documents such as feedback examples.
Backend: What model you used for AIready? Are you using a private key to create the chatbot for these?
Each AIReady subscription comes with its own key(s). These are secure AIReady access keys, and tied to the account/domain as needed.
Specific Demo Questions
What tool did you use to create the image?
We use a mix of design tools and licensed assets. Our graphic designer will often create custom assets for each project. In addition, our toolkit includes Vyond, Canva, Unsplash, and Shutterstock, and we also create graphics in Canva and Figma. Asset licensing depends on the source and intended use.
What are code snippets?
Code snippets are small, reusable pieces of code that perform a particular task. You can adapt them within a larger project instead of writing everything from scratch. Before using one, check what it does, whether it suits your environment, and whether its licence permits your intended use.
What is AIReady?
AIReady is a tool we created to help L&D professionals build custom learning interactions. It is the easiest secure way for learning professionals to create highly customized practice layers on top of their existing tools and LMS. You can learn more about it at useaiready.com. It supports uploading reference documents and tracking learner performance, in addition to providing scalable ways to add AI interactions inside of your current tools.
