Shifting the Dial on Learning Experience Design

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Artificial intelligence is at the forefront of everyone’s mind.

Artificial intelligence is at the forefront of everyone’s mind.

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Since the launch of ChatGPT less than four years ago, our social media feeds, conference agendas, and e-newsletters have been brimming with advice, guidelines, and opinions on how to make the most of this emerging technology. Almost overnight, we’ve experienced a proliferation of self-styled experts in the field, and even the advent of a new role: chief AI officer.

Since the launch of ChatGPT less than four years ago, our social media feeds, conference agendas, and e-newsletters have been brimming with advice, guidelines, and opinions on how to make the most of this emerging technology. Almost overnight, we’ve experienced a proliferation of self-styled experts in the field, and even the advent of a new role: chief AI officer.

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We’ve witnessed the rise of competing chatbots and the shoehorning of generative functionality into everything from photo editors to social networks. AI is so advanced that it can create text, code, images, audio, music, and video. It can create an avatar of you narrating a script, and have you say it in Spanish...or Japanese.

We’ve witnessed the rise of competing chatbots and the shoehorning of generative functionality into everything from photo editors to social networks. AI is so advanced that it can create text, code, images, audio, music, and video. It can create an avatar of you narrating a script, and have you say it in Spanish...or Japanese.

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Amid all the positive energy, of course, have been the warnings that the robots will destroy jobs. And while it’s true they’re displacing humans from some roles—just as machines have been doing since the dawn of the industrial revolution—the rest of us will be affected rather than eliminated.

Amid all the positive energy, of course, have been the warnings that the robots will destroy jobs. And while it’s true they’re displacing humans from some roles—just as machines have been doing since the dawn of the industrial revolution—the rest of us will be affected rather than eliminated.

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The trick, if there is one, is to view artificial intelligence not as an enemy that replaces our own intelligence, but rather as a friend that augments it. Hence, working with the robots is key.

The trick, if there is one, is to view artificial intelligence not as an enemy that replaces our own intelligence, but rather as a friend that augments it. Hence, working with the robots is key.

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From an L&D perspective, that means we need to equip our workforce with a range of technical skills to leverage the technology’s capabilities, thereby reframing the threat as an opportunity. Such skills might include prompt engineering and agent building; and from a mindset perspective, a minimum level of what we might call “digital intelligence.”

From an L&D perspective, that means we need to equip our workforce with a range of technical skills to leverage the technology’s capabilities, thereby reframing the threat as an opportunity. Such skills might include prompt engineering and agent building; and from a mindset perspective, a minimum level of what we might call “digital intelligence.”

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Regardless of how advanced the technology becomes, however, it’s also important to remember that the point of using it is to serve people, whether they’re inside or outside the organization. That means the future remains human, and those humans will continue to have goals, wants, needs, and expectations.

Regardless of how advanced the technology becomes, however, it’s also important to remember that the point of using it is to serve people, whether they’re inside or outside the organization. That means the future remains human, and those humans will continue to have goals, wants, needs, and expectations.

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So, while AI can automate manual processes and generate outputs in a heartbeat, is it automating relevant processes and generating useful outputs? To answer such questions, we need to ensure we’re solving the right things and solving them right. And that is the premise of Human-Centered Design (HCD).

So, while AI can automate manual processes and generate outputs in a heartbeat, is it automating relevant processes and generating useful outputs? To answer such questions, we need to ensure we’re solving the right things and solving them right. And that is the premise of Human-Centered Design (HCD).

What Is Human-Centered Design?

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In a nutshell, Human-Centered Design is a way of working that includes the input of your end user in the design of the service that you provide them.

In a nutshell, Human-Centered Design is a way of working that includes the input of your end user in the design of the service that you provide them.

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It’s an umbrella term that covers a range of disciplines including Design Thinking (DT), User Experience Design (UXD), and Customer Experience Design (CXD). These are all variations on a theme: Everyone serves someone. To improve that service for them, you work with them to solve the problems they’re experiencing—anything from a quick fix through to an innovative feature or even a new product.

It’s an umbrella term that covers a range of disciplines including Design Thinking (DT), User Experience Design (UXD), and Customer Experience Design (CXD). These are all variations on a theme: Everyone serves someone. To improve that service for them, you work with them to solve the problems they’re experiencing—anything from a quick fix through to an innovative feature or even a new product.

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One of the most widely adopted approaches to HCD is the Design Council’s Double Diamond, which comprises four steps: Discover, Define, Develop, and Deliver. With this model, you discover the challenges your end users face; use those insights to define the problem at hand; generate ideas for potential solutions; and test a solution before launch.

One of the most widely adopted approaches to HCD is the Design Council’s Double Diamond, which comprises four steps: Discover, Define, Develop, and Deliver. With this model, you discover the challenges your end users face; use those insights to define the problem at hand; generate ideas for potential solutions; and test a solution before launch.

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The approach improves your chances of success because end users join you at each step of the journey. You take a lot of the guesswork out of the equation, and you might uncover problems that you didn’t even know existed.

The approach improves your chances of success because end users join you at each step of the journey. You take a lot of the guesswork out of the equation, and you might uncover problems that you didn’t even know existed.

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In the modern workplace, Human-Centered Design complements technical skills because it prioritizes people over technology. It ensures that the manual process you automate is labor-intensive or error-prone. It ensures that the report you write is one your intended audience will read. It ensures that the dashboard you build informs the decisions your stakeholders need to make.

In the modern workplace, Human-Centered Design complements technical skills because it prioritizes people over technology. It ensures that the manual process you automate is labor-intensive or error-prone. It ensures that the report you write is one your intended audience will read. It ensures that the dashboard you build informs the decisions your stakeholders need to make.

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To rephrase a popular saying about HCD, it ensures your plane lands at the right airport.

To rephrase a popular saying about HCD, it ensures your plane lands at the right airport.

Implications for Modern L&D

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In the age of AI, Human-Centered Design has morphed from a competitive edge to a strategic imperative. The role of the L&D function is not only to upskill the business, but to practice it ourselves.

In the age of AI, Human-Centered Design has morphed from a competitive edge to a strategic imperative. The role of the L&D function is not only to upskill the business, but to practice it ourselves.

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While consulting our stakeholders has always been essential, in today’s dynamic environment where the nature of the work is transforming at pace, Human-Centered Design becomes a vehicle to keep on top of their changing needs.

While consulting our stakeholders has always been essential, in today’s dynamic environment where the nature of the work is transforming at pace, Human-Centered Design becomes a vehicle to keep on top of their changing needs.

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Simultaneously, it’s important to recognize that the nature of our work as L&D practitioners is also transforming. The most obvious example is content production. With generative AI, it’s easier than ever before to crank out online modules, quizzes, games, and even apps. While they might be quick and convenient for us, the danger is they won’t meet the needs of our target audience. There’s no point flying faster to the wrong airport.

Simultaneously, it’s important to recognize that the nature of our work as L&D practitioners is also transforming. The most obvious example is content production. With generative AI, it’s easier than ever before to crank out online modules, quizzes, games, and even apps. While they might be quick and convenient for us, the danger is they won’t meet the needs of our target audience. There’s no point flying faster to the wrong airport.

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Once again, however, we can reframe the threat as an opportunity. If much of the burden of content production is offloaded to a robot, we can redeploy our capacity toward HCD and escape the “solution first” cycle.

Once again, however, we can reframe the threat as an opportunity. If much of the burden of content production is offloaded to a robot, we can redeploy our capacity toward HCD and escape the “solution first” cycle.

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For example, we might find out our frontline managers don’t need a two-day offsite about situational leadership after all; they actually need a sub-hour workshop focused on how to give difficult feedback to their team members. And a follow-up webinar will be a waste of time because what they need next are interactive scenarios to practice with and a job aid they can use in the moment.

For example, we might find out our frontline managers don’t need a two-day offsite about situational leadership after all; they actually need a sub-hour workshop focused on how to give difficult feedback to their team members. And a follow-up webinar will be a waste of time because what they need next are interactive scenarios to practice with and a job aid they can use in the moment.

Shifting the Dial

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It might be surprising to realize that as a profession, we’ve been on the HCD journey since the 1970s. That’s when Instructional Systems Design (ISD) was born out of the military, and the ADDIE model proved its worth for industrialized, standardized output. This approach may be considered the starting point at one end of a spectrum, whereby the design of the solution is driven by the L&D practitioner—without necessarily any input from the learner.

It might be surprising to realize that as a profession, we’ve been on the HCD journey since the 1970s. That’s when Instructional Systems Design (ISD) was born out of the military, and the ADDIE model proved its worth for industrialized, standardized output. This approach may be considered the starting point at one end of a spectrum, whereby the design of the solution is driven by the L&D practitioner—without necessarily any input from the learner.

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To shake off the command-and-control connotation of ISD and to humanize the process, the notion of Learning Experience Design (LXD) arose to pay more attention to the experience of learning. For example, is it accessible? Is it engaging? Does it work in the context of the learner’s environment? What do they think/do/feel?

To shake off the command-and-control connotation of ISD and to humanize the process, the notion of Learning Experience Design (LXD) arose to pay more attention to the experience of learning. For example, is it accessible? Is it engaging? Does it work in the context of the learner’s environment? What do they think/do/feel?

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Since Learning Experience Design means different things to different people, it invites input from the learner to varying degrees—maybe a little, maybe a lot. Hence, it occupies the middle stretch of the spectrum.

Since Learning Experience Design means different things to different people, it invites input from the learner to varying degrees—maybe a little, maybe a lot. Hence, it occupies the middle stretch of the spectrum.

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At the other end of the spectrum is Learner Experience Design, whereby you apply a Human- Centered Design model to your work. With this approach, the solution is designed by the L&D practitioner and the learner in partnership. Not as a nice-to-do or a sometimes activity, but as a way of working.

At the other end of the spectrum is Learner Experience Design, whereby you apply a Human- Centered Design model to your work. With this approach, the solution is designed by the L&D practitioner and the learner in partnership. Not as a nice-to-do or a sometimes activity, but as a way of working.

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As artificial intelligence and other forces continue to disrupt the workplace, we need to keep moving along the LXD spectrum. By shifting the dial to the right, the L&D function will continue to serve people and remain relevant in the 21st Century.

As artificial intelligence and other forces continue to disrupt the workplace, we need to keep moving along the LXD spectrum. By shifting the dial to the right, the L&D function will continue to serve people and remain relevant in the 21st Century.

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