Before the pandemic, digital experiences were often seen as the poor relation. At People Lab we’ve designed and delivered digital learning and online experiences for many years – but for clients, it was often only considered IF we couldn’t physically get people in a room together. One of the unexpected positives of the global pandemic, is that it’s challenged us to get really good at designing digital experiences.
Back in March 2020, we were working with LNER on a company-wide employee engagement programme. We’d planned in face-to-face workshops and events across the length and breadth of the UK. Overnight these plans had to change.
The project involved working with employees who traditionally weren’t used to the tech, or learning digitally (at least not at work). This included train drivers, train conductors and suchlike. So, we knew we had to design a digital experience that would engage and energise this audience. And so we did.
Here’s what Jennie Pitt, Engagement Inclusion Manager at the time, said about the project:
“People Lab helped us to engage with our people digitally, in a way few others have managed to do. Always professional experts but still personable, we wouldn’t hesitate to work with them again.”
Over the last 12 months, we’ve learned so much about making things work in a digital world. We’ve delivered virtual festivals, online workshops, digital world-cafes, online training, digital design sprints… and much more.
What we realised early on, is that whatever we did online had to be part of a wider experience. For example, virtual learning has so many positives, but it really comes into its own when it is part of an overall learning journey. And these insights helped us to get really creative and design learning experiences, which were way more impactful than anything we’d done before.
On our recent Reset Show we were joined by Karen and Ruth from the Ministry of Justice, who talked about their journey in making online learning work. They talked about the potential for using peer to peer learning, and the need to just get on and do it. They have found that this new approach to online learning has levelled the playing field and helped to breakdown silos. You can also find out more about the work they have undertaken in our recent blog.
If you are looking at designing digital experiences, it’s useful to consider the following:
- Finding your why – Understanding your purpose is the starting point, that way you can create digital experiences that will deliver what you need
- Empathy is a super-power – It’s tempting to go for a one-size-fits-all approach… but don’t! Understanding what will work for your people will enable you to design impactful digital experiences
- Access all areas – This isn’t just about the tech, although that is important. This is also about the content too, it has to be simple and easy for people to digest
- Collaborate and co-create – Get your people involved wherever possible, you’ll not only design a much better digital experience, but you’ll contribute towards their engagement along the way
- Look at the full picture – Digital experiences can be great, but they are even better when viewed as part of an overall experience. Use a journey map to plot the overall experience you want your employees to have, and then evaluate where digital will work, and what else you need to deliver your objectives.
Ultimately whatever cool technology we have at our disposal, it should be a means to an end, not the end itself. No matter how advanced (or not) your technology is, it’s only ever as good as the experience your people have using it.
So always put your people at the heart of your digital experience design.
If you’d like to find out more about designing brilliant digital experiences then download our paper here – we share lots of the lessons we have learnt over the last year.
