About Us
The Knowledge Forge LLC is owned and operated by Sae Schatz.
Sae works at the intersection of human cognition, technology, and data. She specializes in bridging the gap between scientific principles and applied human-centered design. Her unique, design-centric approach to “strategic storytelling” has garnered professional awards and seen her work translated into multiple languages. From 2015 to 2022, Sae served as the director of the Advanced Distributed Learning (ADL) Initiative, a Defense Department program for research, development, and policy stewardship. Under her leadership, the program grew its impact across the US and international defense sectors. Before joining the civil service, Sae worked as an applied human–systems scientist in both business and academia. She formerly held an assistant professorship with the University of Central Florida’s Institute for Simulation and Training, and she was an instructor in the UCF Digital Media Department. Sae is a prolific writer and professional presenter as well as a graphic designer who often uses those skills to enhance books, presentations, and infographics.
Our Sweet Spot
We work at the intersection of cognition, technology, and data.
So, we approach problems from a unique perspective—combining design with science and technology. That powerful amalgamation can bring value to most verticals, but we specialize in applying these competencies to human and organizational performance, human-systems integration, and the implementation of data and digital applications. The topics below are some of our core application domains.
Learning Engineering
Learning engineering represents an evolution in the practical application of learning science, combining it with principles from human-centered design, software engineering, and data-informed decision-making. In contrast to more traditional approaches to learning and development, such as instructional systems design, learning engineering emphasizes a multidisciplinary approach, places much more importance on data, and uses DevOps-like processes for iterative, continuous integration and continuous deployment.
We can help you develop your learning engineering workforce through training and workshops, help you build plans and benchmarks for maturing your own learning engineering capabilities over time, or directly support your application of learning engineering principles for specific projects.
Check out a few of our publications:
Interconnect learning islands, Talent Development Magazine
Learning engineering, Infographic
Practical guide to learning engineering, I/ITSEC tutorial
The future of defense learning and development, Defense Dossier
Digital and Data Literacy
Digital literacy means having the know-how to confidently use digital tools and to think about how they may affect your organization’s processes. And data literacy is being savvy about data—how to analyze and extract insights from it as well as how data is collected, processed, aggregated, and transported through enterprise systems.
We can help you upskill your workforce in digital and data literacy. Our solutions empower individuals and teams to navigate the digital landscape, understand data concepts, and integrate technology into both tactical and operational processes.
Check out a few of our publications:
AI and learning, eLearning and Software for Education Conference keynote
Software and technology standards as tools, in the Learning Engineering Toolkit
AI and the future of defense learning, Journal of Defense M&S
Strategic Storytelling
You might call it marketing, influence and persuasion, nudge, behavioral economics, learning experience design, or industrial knowledge design. Each of those facets reflects the same core: Strategic storytelling involves communicating complex and serious issues effectively. It leverages an understanding of how our “predictably irrational” brains work, cognitive information processing theory, and user experience design.
We can help you build strategic storytelling capabilities in yourself or your team. We can also advise and coach you as well as offer hands-on support for your most important projects. That direct support may include writing and editing, developing infographics, refining slide shows, and assisting with presentation delivery—just to name a few.
Check out a few of our publications:
Industrial knowledge design, Theoretical Issues in Ergonomics Science
Convey knowledge—not just information, Human Systems Conference
Future world with learning engineering: A story, in the Learning Engineering Toolkit
Human-Centered Design
It comes in many forms. At a micro-level, human-centered design often involves usability and ergonomics. At a macro-level, it may involve stakeholder analysis or human-systems integration into sociotechnical systems. And throughout, it requires an understanding of cognition, human-subjects and qualitative research, user-testing, and user-experience design methods.
We can help you grow your team’s human-centered design capabilities through training and workshops, or we can directly support your projects through the application of human-centered design methods—from more conventional research and prototyping through unique user-experience designs and personalized design experiences.
Check out a few of our publications:
Learning experience design, in Modernizing Learning
Human-centered design tools, in the Learning Engineering Toolkit
Human-systems integration, Infographic