Why is this needed?
Clarify the pressure, risk, behavior, or operational problem creating the learning request.
Use this to avoid solving the wrong problem.Field Guide
Before you build the course, inspect the system.
Use this field guide to pressure-test a learning request before it turns into another content deliverable. Inspect the context, people, tools, support, and measurement around the work so you can recommend the smarter next move.
Spot what is missing before production starts.
Explain the design risk to stakeholders.
Recommend content, support, workflow, or measurement fixes.
What this helps you do
Turn a vague learning request into a stronger design recommendation.
This guide helps you slow down just enough to avoid building the wrong thing beautifully. Use it when a stakeholder asks for a course, job aid, refresh, onboarding asset, or learning campaign and you need to understand what will actually help people perform.
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Make hidden gaps visible
See whether the issue is content, workflow, support, reinforcement, or measurement.
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Ask better stakeholder questions
Move the conversation from “What should we build?” to “What has to work?”
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Protect your production time
Catch weak assumptions before they become expensive revisions.
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Become a better designer
Practice thinking in systems instead of defaulting to isolated deliverables.
What to inspect
The six-part learning system lens
Each lens helps you check one part of the system around the learning. A low score does not mean the project is bad. It means that part of the experience needs more design attention.
Who has to act or reinforce?
Identify the learner, manager, support role, stakeholder, or team that shapes the behavior.
Use this to design beyond the learner alone.What needs to be learned or practiced?
Check whether people need information, examples, scenarios, decision practice, or coaching feedback.
Use this to avoid dumping information.What supports the workflow?
Look for job aids, templates, checklists, systems, references, or interface cues that help at the moment of need.
Use this to reduce memory burden.What happens after completion?
Inspect where people go when they are unsure, rushed, stuck, or facing an edge case.
Use this to prevent post-launch abandonment.How will we know it worked?
Look beyond completion toward behavior, readiness, confidence, transfer, quality, or workflow signals.
Use this to measure capability, not just activity.Field guide tool
Run a quick learning systems audit.
Rate each part of the learning system. The goal is not a perfect score. The goal is to see where the experience needs more support.
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Context
Is the real performance problem or workflow need clearly defined?
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People
Are the learner, support roles, stakeholders, and reinforcement points clear?
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Content
Does the content help people practice judgment, not just receive information?
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Tools
Are usable tools, references, or job aids available in the workflow?
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Support
Can people get help after the learning moment when uncertainty shows up?
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Measurement
Does measurement look beyond completion and toward real performance signals?
Failure signals
Signs the learning is being treated like an event.
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People complete the learning but still feel unsure what to do next.
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Managers or support teams do not know how to reinforce the behavior.
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Resources are technically available but practically invisible.
04
Success is measured mainly by completion, attendance, or launch status.
Design questions
Ask better questions before building more content.
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What does the learner need to do differently?
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Where does this show up in the real workflow?
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What could confuse people?
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What support exists after completion?
Request a Field Guide
What should the Lab build next?
Have a learning design problem, audit idea, checklist, framework, or messy stakeholder conversation that deserves a practical guide? Send it in. The best Field Guides usually start with a real design problem.
Build smarter learning systems
Design the support around the learning, not just the learning itself.
The strongest learning experiences are rarely one object. They are connected systems that help people move with more clarity, confidence, and consistency.