Learning Principle #5: Learning Should be a Harmonious Blend of Inspiring Design and Purpose
- Mike Byrnes
- May 21
- 2 min read
🧠 Principle #5: Learning Should Be a Harmonious Blend of Inspiring Design and Purpose
If it doesn’t look good and feel relevant, it won’t move the needle.
Years ago, I worked on a sales onboarding module packed with solid content—clear learning objectives, real-world scenarios, and measurable outcomes. We checked almost all the boxes but due to aggressive deadlines, we missed one – the visual element. It looked like something repurposed from a mid-2000s slide deck.
During the pilot, as we checked in with reps, one said, “This feels like a punishment, not a launch.”
That feedback stung—but it was honest. Even with purpose-built content, if the design cues don’t match the urgency or value of the message, learners will mentally bounce before they ever log in again.
And while I knew it – it hit me hard:
Even the best learning intentions collapse under the weight of bad design.
If we want learners to engage, we need to sell them—visually, emotionally, and practically in order to move the needle—on close rates, retention, or customer satisfaction.
We must design learning that sells itself!
🎯 The Learning Principle
Purpose without engagement is noise. Engagement without purpose is fluff.
The real power comes when learning is both strategically designed and visually compelling.
Today’s learners are trained by consumer experiences—tools like Canva, Duolingo, and their iPhone. They expect clean, intuitive, and even elegant experiences. Why should learning be the exception?
“We are surrounded by anonymous, poorly made objects. It’s tempting to think it’s because the people who use them don’t care – just like the people who make them. But what we make says a lot about us.”
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