Smart Tech Choices for Learning Designers: UX Insights and AI Lessons
As an L&D professional, I subscribe to the UX Collective newsletter for a few reasons.
The ideas I get from their articles and posts help enhance my understanding of design thinking, I get to stay up-to-date on emerging best practices, and they inspire me to mindfully adopt a human-centered approach to how I build out projects, programs, and products.
The overlapping theme in UX Collective’s content is to provide meaningful experiences for users, which, in my case, translates to creating valuable learning experiences for learners. This user-centered approach helps ensure that every aspect of the design process is aligned with the needs and preferences of the audience.
AI Put The Cart Before The Horse
One of their recent posts set off a light bulb for me. In Patrick Sharbaugh’s “Fire, Ready, Aim” article. they discuss the unfortunate trend of rapidly integrating AI features into products without considering the end user.
They explain that this phenomenon is a result of trying to keep up with competitors and stay “on trend”, but also notes that this approach often fails to meet user expectations.
Sharbaugh's observation matches what I've noticed in eLearning. There's a lot of talk about how automatic opt-ins to AI tools in programs like Articulate Rise, are creating tension between the users and the brand, and might not be effective in the long term.
Most people were excited about AI because it could actually be super helpful - but ever since it became an SEO keyword, companies have been creating and using it counterproductively and without regulation.
AI has the potential to be a great tool for learning designers, but it is on us to mitigate risk to our organizations and reduce harm to our users.
So what can we, as Learning Designers, learn from this backlash that many SaaS products are facing when deciding on what technology to implement?
One: Pause.
Take a moment to step back and assess whether the latest technology or trend genuinely aligns with the objectives and needs of your learners. Rushing to adopt new tools without thorough consideration can lead to ineffective solutions and take you down an expensive and time-consuming journey.
It is okay to breathe before making a choice.
Two: Watch Out For Marketing Tactics That Push Urgency Or Trend-Chasing
Watch out for those marketing tactics that create a sense of urgency or push scarcity. You know, the ones that say stuff like:
“AI will take your job” or “AI won’t take your job, but someone using AI will.”
These slogans are crafted by marketing teams who know that fear can make us act impulsively and rush into buying something.
It’s easy to get caught up in the hype when marketers play on our fears or try to make us feel like we need to jump on the latest trend. But it’s better to be cautious and focus on solutions that genuinely offer value rather than getting swept up in what’s trendy or being pressured to purchase.
Three: Keep Your Goals In Sight
When you’re looking into new tech or methods, make sure they actually improve the learning experience and reference your project’s main goals often.
It’s easy to get distracted by all the flashy additional features, but those might not always fit with what you’re trying to achieve and could even make things more complicated.
I love charts and will normally sketch up something like this:
Stick to what truly helps your project and keeps things on track!
Four: Decide If The Solution Fits The Problem
You’ve probably been in this situation before: your boss or a client is all set on using a certain tech solution, hoping it’ll fix a problem. But when you ask for more details to try and pinpoint what the problem even is, both your heads start to spin.
We are seeing this in how AI has been integrated without there always being a need for it. It’s like a hammer that sees everything as a nail when sometimes what you really need is a wrench for the nuts and bolts.
Before jumping into implementing a new technology, it’s worth digging a bit deeper to figure out if this solution is the best fit. Oftentimes, there might be other, better solutions—or the problem you think you have isn’t the real issue that needs addressing!
Do your research and see if this solution makes sense - or if you’d get a better ROI by investing your time and resources elsewhere.
Five: Research And Empathize With Your Audience
No matter what you are designing or making a decision on, you ALWAYS want to make sure you get to know your end user. Find a way to empathize with their needs by doing some research, getting their feedback, and creating empathy maps.
When you keep your design choices focused on them, you’ll pick tech that actually helps them overcome their challenges and meet their goals. If you don’t, you might end up making things more complicated in the long run and will ultimately lose their interest and engagement.
Putting learners at the center of every choice helps you pick the solutions that will benefit them and support their growth!
When it comes to picking the right tech for learning design, it’s all about staying focused and not letting all the noise cloud your judgment.
Take a moment to check if new tools really fit your goals, be critical of all the marketing hype, and make sure the solutions tackle real problems.
By keeping your learners’ needs in mind and focusing on a learner-centric approach, you’ll be able to choose tech that improves their learning experience.
Following these strategies will help you make smart tech decisions and create learning environments that are both impactful and engaging.
