Is Learning Experience Design the New Product Mindset?

Learning experience design is evolving, and adopting a product mindset has become a key differentiator in creating impactful and transformative learning solutions. In this episode of The Digital Adoption Show, Antara Dutta, Customer Success Manager at Whatfix, hosts Greg, the founder of Two Circles Design Studio, to discuss how a product design mindset can revolutionize Learning & Development.

Greg’s experience spans industries from oil & gas to pharmaceuticals, and his rejection of off-the-shelf solutions in favor of custom learning experiences provides a fresh perspective for L&D professionals.

In this article, we’ll explore Greg’s journey, how product design thinking differs from traditional L&D, and how businesses can create learning experiences that are both effective and transformative. Read on for the podcast highlights or tune in to the full episode here.

Crafting Custom Learning Solutions: Greg’s Journey to Two Circles

Greg’s career journey led him to found Two Circles Design Studio, a consulting firm that applies product design principles to learning experiences. After working with a mix of good and not-so-good agencies, Greg saw an opportunity to create something better—something that focused on people-first learning solutions.

Key Takeaways:

Customized learning beats off-the-shelf solutions: Generic solutions often fail to meet the specific needs of businesses and learners.
Product design for learning: Greg’s company focuses on solving real problems by combining learning design and product development principles.
“We’re not here to deliver something for the sake of it. Every good product has a purpose.”

The Experience Design Logbook: A Six-Stage Process for Effective Learning

Greg developed a unique process called the Experience Design Logbook, which blends existing learning methodologies with product design thinking. This six-stage process is crucial for creating solutions that resonate with learners and solve business problems.

Key Steps in the Process:

Data-driven analysis: Gathering real-world insights and not relying on assumptions.
Defining the problem: Spending time asking questions and understanding the root cause of issues.
Solution design: Only after thoroughly understanding the problem does design work begin.
Implementation: Ensuring seamless execution with a focus on the learner experience.
Measurement and iteration: Using feedback and data to improve the solution continuously.

Key Takeaway: The first half of the process is critical—if you invest time upfront to gather data and ask the right questions, the design and implementation phases become much smoother and more effective.

Custom vs. Off-the-Shelf: A Real-World Success Story

Greg shared a compelling case study where his team developed a customized digital learning product for a company undergoing significant internal changes. Instead of using a traditional cohort-based classroom model, Greg’s team created a personalized digital journey for tens of thousands of employees.

Highlights of the Success Story:

Personalized learning journeys: The solution allowed teams to work through change together, using a digital platform to track and reflect on their progress.
Scalability: The product reached over 50,000 employees, far outperforming the more traditional classroom-based approach.
Focus on real-world application: Learners were encouraged to apply their learning directly in their roles, which made the learning more relevant and impactful.

Key Takeaway: Customized digital learning products can scale effectively and offer a more personalized and engaging experience than traditional methods.

Shifting Mindsets in Learning Design: From Stakeholders to Learners

Greg emphasizes the importance of focusing on the end user—the learner—over the internal stakeholders when designing learning solutions. Traditional L&D often gets caught up in meeting stakeholder demands, but a product mindset puts the learner first.

Key Points:

Reassessing stakeholders: It’s essential to evaluate why each stakeholder is involved and whether their input truly adds value to the learning process.
Learner-first approach: Designing for the people who will use the product ensures that the learning solution is relevant and practical.
“The most important people in any project are the learners.”

Key Takeaway: Focusing on the needs of the learners rather than the desires of stakeholders results in more effective and meaningful learning experiences.

Balancing Business and Learner Needs

In Greg’s approach, learning products must balance business objectives with the needs of learners. His company uses a concept called trade-offs to ensure that the needs of the business, learners, and customers are all addressed.

Common Trade-Offs:

Business needs vs. learner engagement: Sometimes what the business wants may not align with what keeps learners engaged. Greg’s process helps align these competing interests.
Cost vs. value: While cost-saving measures might be important for the business, it’s crucial to ensure the solution is still valuable to learners.

Key Takeaway: Balancing competing needs requires thoughtful consideration and sometimes creative solutions to meet both business and learner objectives.

Avoiding Dead-End Learning: Solving the Right Problem

Greg warns against dead-end learning, where L&D programs don’t lead to meaningful change. He encourages professionals to focus on the core problem before jumping to solutions.

Signs of Dead-End Learning:

Memory-focused quizzes: Programs that test short-term recall rather than long-term behavior change.
Rushing to solutions: Designing solutions before thoroughly understanding the problem.

How to Avoid It:

Spend time analyzing the problem and identifying root causes before designing the solution.
Ensure learning programs focus on behavioral change and real skill development, not just memorization.

Key Takeaway: By taking the time to understand the true problem, L&D teams can design solutions that lead to real, lasting change.

Conclusion: Embracing a Product Mindset for L&D

Greg’s experience proves that adopting a product mindset in L&D leads to better, more impactful learning solutions. By focusing on the learner, gathering real data, and taking time to define the problem before jumping to a solution, L&D professionals can create learning programs that truly make a difference.

For more insights from industry leaders like Greg, be sure to subscribe to The Digital Adoption Show on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.

Three Key Takeaways:

Focus on the learner, not just the stakeholders: Keep the end user in mind when designing learning solutions.
Don’t rush to solutions: Invest time in defining the problem and gathering insights.
Avoid dead-end learning: Ensure learning programs focus on long-term behavior change, not just short-term memory.