The last two years have taught us a lot of things. Both about our working lives and our personal ones as well. One key lesson I had to learn was to be resilient enough to adapt to any new problems I experienced. I had to learn this as an individual, but also as a Graphic and UX designer.
Like all industries over the last two years Learning and Development have had to totally reinvent how they operate. We at Alchemist have had to massively adapt how we deliver our creative solutions for our clients. And also how we approach creating these solutions internally with our colleagues and facilitators.
The very idea of a working day and working week has entirely changed. There is no one way all companies are operating. Some people work from home, others the office, some even on the go with the kids, or at the airport hoping for a flight not to be canceled. Therefore, the very way we approach design needs to change to accommodate a more remote and immediate world. This leaves us with a challenging question: How do we maintain the benefits great design brings to learning in this new reality?
The answer always lies with the end user. Empathy and understanding of what we are all experiencing now is key. Both as individuals and collectively. We are all human and we are all striving for excellence in what we do. But no one is the same. No one has experienced these last two years in the same way. No one’s work situation is identical to someone else’s. This means we have to ask the right questions in order to fully understand the individual’s full experience. If we are not seeking out the truth in what works for learners and clients alike, then we are not fully committed to giving the best service possible.
I believe good design and intuitive user experience holds infinite potential in providing individuals with positive experiences. No matter what we do day-to-day. When we look closely at how we can achieve this, the answer and question are really the same thing… We just have to ask.
Good design has never meant making the one perfect thing and giving that to everyone. It’s impossible. Everyone is too different. We at Alchemist know that great design is making the perfect thing for one person, one client, one company. That is more important than ever now in a world where everything and everyone’s experiences are so different, and still always changing.
