In this episode of The EBD Show, Steve reads Chapter 5: Justin Case from The Enough Bucket.

Meet Justin Case — the overly cautious learning designer who can’t stop adding just in case content. He’s the voice in your head saying, “We should probably include that… just in case someone needs it.” And before you know it, your neat five-minute module has turned into a 45-minute labyrinth of definitions, disclaimers, and double-ups.

This chapter dives into how Justin Case thinking infects good design. It’s driven by care and fear — fear of missing something, fear of being wrong, fear of leaving a learner unprepared. But instead of clarity, it creates confusion. The learner doesn’t walk away confident — they walk away buried under everything you might have needed to say.

Steve unpacks the psychology behind over-preparation, the subtle ego that hides under “just being thorough,” and why designing for the exception is the fastest way to lose the majority. You’ll hear real-world examples of how to stop feeding your inner Justin and start designing for what’s actually needed — not what might be needed someday.

Because great design isn’t about preparing for every possible scenario — it’s about creating enough space for people to think, act, and learn.

Join the conversation after the show on LinkedIn using #EBD — and share your own encounters with Justin Case.