I believe that to be truly effective, the learning experience needs to match or exceed the quality of solutions that teams design for customers.
Throughout my learning design and development career, I have taken inspiration from the world outside of work, to design consumer-grade solutions for my clients and employers.
From using the principles of social media influencers to affect change, to designing Netflix-style interactive films, everything I do is to create engagement, learning and long-lasting change.
Ultimately, this has led to a few notable projects (See Brewdog and Lawtech UK below) where I have applied my creativity to learning solutions that are customer-facing. Whilst some of the most difficult projects I have worked on, the experience on these projects has helped me have a much greater understanding of what it takes to design consumer-grade experiences.
From starting with human-centred design and data-informed decision-making to designing solutions that incorporate media production, behavioural economics and consumer-grade UX/UI design... I pride myself on creating incredible, award-winning learning solutions.
During the pandemic, BrewDog wanted to take their legendary Beer School online, to compliment a special selection of their beers to enjoy at home. The website featured interactive activities and short films featuring industry experts from Brewdog and beyond. The public-facing website has now been decommissioned, to focus on the in-person experience to drive football into the bars.
I led this project from ideation through to delivery, working in partnership with the digital development team at Finer Vision. Using user-centred design, we tailored the modality of the content to the end user's needs. The site was built with a customer Content Management System so that subject matter expert and other contributors could author their own content for this public-facing learning platform.
To raise product knowledge, brand awareness, and sales confidence, this domestic appliances supplier historically relied on traditional methods. They would use their training team to visit sales staff and produce a suite of QVC-style training videos.
Unfortunately for them, this was becoming increasingly ineffective. Free time on the shop floor was a scarce commodity, and the videos weren’t having the desired effect. Instead, we used workplace influencers to increase engagement and improve sales.
With over 10,000 views, 633 reactions and 230 comments on the internal social network, sales and advocacy for the brand increased.
The influencers themselves developed skills to help them in their careers: one now works as a content creator and another has pursued a career as a teaching assistant.
Mergers are a tricky time. They involve blending cultures, merging two distinct brands, and providing reassurance on employee’s new roles and responsibilities.
My goal was to capture the authentic stories of a merger between two customer service brands. I devised a workplace influencer campaign designed to mirror the emotional rollercoaster, with influencers from each side sharing their experiences with their respective audiences. We launched this initiative ahead of the actual merger, so the stories would begin with initial reactions to the merger.
The result was a highly successful campaign, garnering over 45,000 views in the first week. It provided a platform for people to express their genuine emotions, fostering open and honest conversations with the business. This approach ultimately contributed to nurturing a positive employee experience throughout the process.
Graduates who begin working at Deloitte not only need to be made welcome and supported, but they also need help in getting used to the world of work and their part in it. This 5-day hybrid event, made the most of regional offices to bring people together for work-based simulations and group activities, with broadcast quality production applied to the virtual aspects of the event.
Deloitte runs their induction every two weeks on a Monday afternoon, providing a morning to ensure they receive their technology and have time to set it up. From then, they join a broadcast, produced live using Restream. The 2-hour event features live panels, fireside chats, prerecorded interviews and even a game show. Providing an experience akin to a live TV like Sunday Brunch or This Morning.
Throughout the pandemic, it was clear leaders at Deloitte would need to be supported in leading their teams in a completely new way. 'Hybrid Working' was a set of over 40 articles and resources that I researched, wrote and designed to be published on the bespoke learning portal at Deloitte. Content focused on not only transferring existing skills to a hybrid environment but also introducing new concepts and approaches for leaders to try with their teams.
With a Film Noir feel, 'Shadows of Crime' was a digital learning module that explored financial crime, from the perspective of 1950's detectives. Using rotoscoping animation, and game design theory, users explored real financial crimes that they may witness at work. Each crime had several pieces of evidence that had to be evaluated and decide the outcome in each case. Depending on the thought process and decision-making, users were provided with a score that went on an internal, global leaderboard.
Based on the concept of interactive Netflix films, such as Bandersnatch and You vs. Wild, I created "Open Mind". An interactive film, using a similar build to Netflix, creating interactive moments that don't pause or interrupt the narrative. Paired with an immersive script and production the film explores unconscious bias. The decisions people made were used to understand human behaviour and mindset, as well as serve personalised curated content after the film finished.