This is my personal learning experience (LX) design philosophy, and it is continually evolving. If you are interested in LX design, check out my LX design definition and explore which learning theory is the best fit for you.
LEARNING CONCEPTS
Humans learn collaboratively, collectively, and in a context. We create meaning through interaction with information and each other; “information” includes sensory and emotional responses. Even when we experience learning individually, we are still drawing on internal conversations and previous social experiences. As we share information with each other, either in person or digitally, we grow and change collectively. Learning and knowledge are always situated in a context; being aware of and naming that context helps us identify inequities and move towards social justice.
LEARNING BY DESIGN
I facilitate learning experiences that draw on personal and collective experiences with information, including input from our senses and emotions. As a designer, I scaffold the learning experience and offer multiple pathways so each learner can navigate their own learning journey. I work as a liaison between subject matter experts and learners, in an iterative design cycle that leaves room for reflection, change, and improvement; collecting feedback is an important part of this cycle. Hands-on making in both physical and digital spaces can ignite and sustain interest. My goal is to spark a spiral of learning, starting with a question or experience and circling outward through self-directed exploration.
I pose questions and offer multiple ways to search for the answers, using sensory (look, listen, touch, taste, smell) and past experience (memory and emotion) exploration to personalize inquiry. Co-creating in a small group and sharing decisions or learning artifacts with a wide group is a way to bridge personal and social learning. As a designer rather than a teacher, I observe and gather feedback in order to adjust and improve future learning experiences.
LEARNING FOR THE FUTURE
My work has always challenged me to be holistic, systematic, and human-focused. As a visual designer and web designer, I learned to identify and design within constraints and be attuned to the human experience. I continued this approach in systems and workflow design, information design, and finally experience design. My goal as a learning experience designer is no less than learning as becoming. I continually learn and evolve as I strive to create learning experiences grounded in meaning, sharing, and collective growth.
Design for Experiences 