Creating meaningful learning experiences is a relational act.
If you asked a random group of people which careers require strong interpersonal skills and empathy, I doubt instructional design would make the list. Top answers might include therapist, nurse, or minister. But I believe instructional designers belong on that list.
Creating meaningful learning experiences is a relational act. Yes, it’s important to master authoring tools, structure courses well, and know your instructional models. But if we fail to see learners as people with unique abilities, preferences, and histories, we miss the point. The course may check all the boxes, but still fall flat. Learners might complete it, but walk away unchanged.
We can do better.
Humanizing our designs doesn’t mean changing the label from “instructional design” to “learning experience design,” or creating detailed learner personas for every possible audience. That’s not always practical. But what is possible, and deeply important, is asking this:
“How do we want learners to feel at the end of this course?”
We’re good at asking what learners should know or be able to do. But we rarely ask how we want them to feel. And that question might be just as essential.
Here’s why: kids are born curious. But over time, through schooling, work, and life, many lose that spark. By adulthood, learning often feels like a chore. It may come with dread, avoidance, or even resentment.
I think it’s a shame that so many people equate learning with going to the dentist (no offense to dentists). I know not everyone will walk away from a course I design suddenly in love with learning. But I do hope they walk away feeling something positive. That it was worth their time. That it made sense. That it felt accessible. And maybe, just maybe, it reignited a bit of curiosity they didn’t expect to feel again.
Because learning should feel human. And design should honor that.
📩 Let’s Connect
If this post resonated with you, or if you’re working on a learning project where care, clarity, and inclusivity matter, I’d love to hear from you.
Email me or visit my Agencies page to explore how we might work together.