Developing experiences
Your job as a learning designer is to create experiences that address the problems you found in your discovery. Experiences are particularly useful for solving multiple audience problems, helping move them from one mindset to another.
For example, an induction programme can create a sense of belonging with some powerful, purposeful films. The same induction can get people to practice an important process using in-person simulation. If the induction also includes intentional networking time, then attendees may feel better connected to their team.
Download our experience design playbook (PDF) for more inspiration: Experience Design Playbook
- 01
Create a BrandThe best experiences have powerful brand messaging.
Even a good name for your experience will go a long way to increasing buy-in. Calling a leadership training programme “The Leadership Training Programme 2026” is less engaging than: “Lead the Way: Become a more confident leader in 30 days.”
Consider how a unique brand can help people engage in different ways with your experiences. - 02Create a Journey
Good experiences take into account how people feel at the beginning, how they develop through the experience, and how you want to leave them feeling at the end. Create experiences with the journey in mind and guide your audience through the change you want them to experience.
- 03Use the Space
Whether digital or physical, be mindful of how and where your experience is experienced.
If you’re asking a group of leaders to sit at a screen for four hours for an online event, make sure you create opportunities elsewhere for interaction and networking. Help them feel part of something. Set design and how you present the space are really important for physical experiences.
How does your experience make use of the senses? A neglected training room may be all you have to work with but think about lighting, sound, and how users are expected to interact with the space. - 04Vary your Modalities
Be diverse in the modalities you use. The best experiences have a consistent feel across multiple approaches. For example. installations in the lobby can advertise the face-to-face induction event happening upstairs - creating a sense of importance for your experience.
For people unable to attend a face-to-face event, organise watch parties and live streams to widen your reach globally. Make use of post-experience comms to maintain relevance. Set challenges at 30, 60 and 90 days after your experience ends. - 05Design for Longevity
A great experience should be designed so that its message resonates for years to come. Consider how you’ll remind people of the key messages once they’ve finished the experience.
For example, badges and certificates are often held in high regard. Leaving your audience with a sense of accomplishment, something of value, is a great way to enhance the longevity of your experiences.
SPEAKING FROM EXPERIENCE…
Experiences are not the right answer for all use cases. However, if you’ve got an audience that you need to take on a journey and inspire change, then you should seriously consider an experience.
If your goal is simply to make an audience aware of something, then comms and resources may be all that’s needed. Using experiences in the wrong context can annoy users and disengage them, despite your good intentions.
