My LXD Values
Whether I am working to develop a museum exhibition or helping to refine a course design, I am guided by the following principles:
Learning experiences should be human-centered
Understanding your audiences and designing experiences that meet their wide-ranging needs is essential for anyone working to achieve particular individual or organizational objectives. I start my process by focusing on learning about the primary audiences for a project, building community, and collaborating with that intended audience to develop experiences that meet their needs.
Learning experiences should be accessible
Whether you are browsing a course through a learning management system or navigating a museum exhibition, there should be multiple ways to engage and interact with content. My goal is to minimize barriers to access and ensure that everyone can equitably participate in and benefit from an experience.
Learning experiences should ignite curiosity
The best kinds of learning experiences are those that empower learners to experiment, to discover, and to grow. Throughout my work, I aim to design opportunities for learners to ask questions, try new ideas, and nurture their passions and interests.
Learning experiences should be unforgettable
Every one of us has a story of a learning experience that significantly influenced us. I strive to create learning communities and environments that leave a lasting impression, ones where learners one day say “this was an essential part of my personal and professional growth.”
What is learning experience design?
Learning experience design (LXD) focuses on being intentional about every aspect of a learner’s journey, from establishing the best format to achieve the desired learning objectives to the emotions we hope someone experiences as they navigate a learning experience. It draws on theories and practices from educational psychology, interaction design, communications, and user experience design to think comprehensively around what is the most effective, engaging, and inspiring experience one can create that enables participants and organizations to mutually achieve their goals. Although there are similarities between LXD and instructional design, LXD has particular emphasis on ultilizing principles from human-centered design, understanding audience needs, and adapting and evolving to changing needs and contexts.
My humanities background in rhetoric and writing, as well as my previous experiences in marketing and communications, heavily shape my design methodologies for learning experience design. I always begin with a deep focus on the audience; who they are, what challenges they face, what brings them joy. I love delving into conversations to help better understand a learner’s current experience and discover what opportunities there might be to design an even more impactful, memorable experience for them. From there, I identify strategies that are best aligned to our objectives and goals and design content for a range of modalities and mediums that support student learning.