This paper addresses some of the challenges and dilemmas faced by two instructional designers as they incorporated visual imagery and audio components into the design of two distinct interactive multimedia products. Each instructional product was designed as a professional development seminar or series of instructional seminars for two distinctly different groups of adult learners. One product was designed for preservice teachers who spend a significant amount of time on campus and in classes, while the other was designed for practicing social workers who are employed in isolated, rural areas where access to professional development is extremely limited. The following considerations which were identified as essential to any improvement of instructional design guidelines are discussed: (1) how the visual elements of hypermedia should be structured; (2) proper uses of visual metaphors; (3) formidable questions inherent in the presentation of content and images; (4) when design supersedes content; (5) the importance of the instructional designer's familiarity with new models of instruction and learning theory; (6) theoretical elements appropriate for the graphical-user interface; (7) images, language, and content that are free of cultural and gender bias; (8) how images, language, and content accurately represent the cultural and gender variables; and (9) how formative and summative evaluation should occur. (Contains 40 references.) (AEF)