Working in learning design, you think a lot about the life of the learner a lot. How much time do they have? How do we make this meaningful and manageable? How do we write in friendly, non-waffly manner?
So when I signed up to study through People Potential, using a course designed by Pipi Learning, I had a unique perspective. This time, I would be the very same learner I keep in mind – a full-time worker with a hectic schedule, and a very real need for flexibility.
I didn’t expect to become the target learner for courses designed by my team, but that’s exactly what happened!
Making room for learning (where there wasn’t any)
It was a real juggling act to keep up with a full-time job, parenting a toddler and studying, and I really had all my balls in the air. Not everything worked out as I’d planned - my son decided that me starting my course was the perfect time for him to drop his final nap, so that lost me a couple of hours that I’d hoped to study each weekend. Instead, I sat at my desk in the pre-dawn hours with a pot of coffee most days, as well as typing away over my dinner some nights. Other times, I alternated between creating lessons and learning lessons.
You throw in the start of winter and a kid coming home from daycare just riddled with bugs, as well as a massive workload as Pipi Learning geared up to launch our win-win learning fundraiser, some days were a massive struggle! Even with all that at play, I never felt like the course was working against me.
The reason it worked for me? The learning made it doable. The pacing, tone and structure all reflected a deep understanding of people like me. At Pipi Learning, we are people like me – this design wasn’t by coincidence. We’re parents, partners, and working professionals. We know what it means to learn in the thick of life, not in spite of it.
Built for the busy
The experience felt intentional. Here’s what helped:
Clear structure - I always knew what I had to do next. No confusion, no wasted time hunting through menus or instructions.
Supportive tone - It never felt cold or robotic. The language was encouraging without being cheesy. Professional, but personal.
Bite-sized content - I could make real progress in short bursts. That momentum kept me motivated, even on the messy days.
Interactive elements – As a mostly kinaesthetic learner, I was worried about how I would cope with a lot of reading content and looking at graphics, but the use of interactive and clickable elements made me feel like my learning style was always supported and catered for as best possible.
Walking the walk
I gained a new layer of understanding being both a learner and a learning designer - I was now part of the experience, not just looking at it through professional eyes. When something clicked for me, I could trace it back to a deliberate design choice, and when something felt a bit off or confusing, I considered how we could tweak it in the future.
I had a thought somewhere in the middle of the programme: I’m not just helping design learning for other people - I’m one of those people too.
It was a bit of a realisation as I experienced first-hand what it feels like to be supported by thoughtful learning.
What I took away (besides the certificate)
I walked away with new skills and a formal qualification, but I saw the impact of good learning design in action. I felt what it’s like when studying works with your life, not against it.
It’s reminded me to focus on what really matters: relevancy, clarity, flexibility, accessibility, and overall, understanding. Whether I’m designing a three lesson microlearning or a full suite of modules, I now have more insight on how important these principles are in my design. I understand the stress, the doubt and the satisfaction of progress since I’ve been a learner myself.
I’ve gained so much more confidence in my building. I didn’t realise it at the time, but I really was the person we design for, and I now know the difference that good learning can make.