Learner-Centric Design

Every L&D pro starts a project the same way:

"We want to build something really good for our learners."

And they mean it. Until the design process actually begins.

Then the CEO's 47-slide deck "MUST be in there"! The SME wants their entire 200 page SOP referenced word for word (and they're not kidding). Someone wants it to "feel comprehensive," which apparently just means long.

And somewhere in all of that, the learner quietly gets pushed out of the room.

This happens more than anyone wants to admit. 

Because learner-centric design isn't something you say in a kickoff meeting. It's a decision you make over and over again throughout the entire process. Most of those decisions are small. Some of them are uncomfortable.

It means asking "what does the learner actually need to do differently after this?" before anything else.

It means speaking up when a module is packed with content that makes the organization feel better but doesn't actually help the person taking it.

The learner isn't in your design reviews. They don't get a vote when a stakeholder pushes back. That's your job. You're the only one in the room fighting for them.

That's what separates people who build training from people who build something that actually works.

What are some ways you've kept the learner front and center when stakeholders are

pulling in other directions? Drop them below.