by Jules Damschke, Liberate Learning

When designing learning solutions, it’s easy to only focus on content, structure, and delivery methods. But how often do we stop to consider the most important perspective – the people who will actually use the learning? Too often, organisations develop learning without actively involving end users in the design and development process; this represents a significant missed opportunity.

The ‘missing voice’ in learning design

It’s easy for organisations to fall into a familiar pattern when developing learning initiatives. Typically, a learning and development (L&D) team takes charge, consults with a few subject matter experts, managers, or team leaders to determine what should be included. Yet, what we rarely see is the active involvement of the people who will ultimately use the learning – the employees on the frontlines, the ones actually doing the work.

This oversight represents a huge missed opportunity. The end users have first-hand knowledge of the real-world challenges they face, the workflows they navigate, and the constraints they work within. Without their input, learning solutions risk being disconnected from reality, making adoption and application more difficult.

Why involving end users matters

At first glance, it seems so obvious – when designing something for a specific audience, involve that audience. Yet, in L&D, we don’t always do this systematically. Of course, there are instances where it happens, but it’s far from being standard practice.

It’s important to recognise why organisations may not always prioritise end-user involvement. Tight deadlines, budget constraints, and the need for rapid deployment often push L&D teams to rely on readily available expertise rather than undertaking a broader consultation process. Some organisations may also assume that managers or subject matter experts can adequately represent employee needs, overlooking the unique insights that frontline workers bring. While these factors may make user involvement seem like a challenge, the long-term benefits of more relevant and effective learning outweigh the short-term convenience of bypassing end-user input.

When we bypass the end users, we miss out on:

• Real-world context: Employees ‘at the coalface’ understand how learning will fit (or clash) with their daily responsibilities and systems. Their input ensures relevance and practicality.
• Uncovering unseen challenges: High-level decision-makers may not be aware of all the obstacles employees face. End-user feedback highlights barriers that could impact the success of learning initiatives.
• More effective learning solutions: Learning is most effective when it resonates with the audience. If employees see themselves and their challenges reflected in the learning content, they’re more likely to engage with and apply it.

Beyond the high performers

When involving end users, it’s important to engage a diverse group – not just the top performers. High performers undoubtedly provide valuable insights, but they may also possess innate skills that they struggle to articulate. If we only rely on them, we risk missing the perspectives of employees with different levels of experience and performance.

A well-rounded approach includes:

• Long-term employees who understand the history and evolution of processes
• New starters who bring fresh perspectives and identify gaps in onboarding
• Employees who struggle with certain tasks, offering insights into potential learning roadblocks and what may be needed by those with less confidence.

By gathering feedback from a broad cross-section of users, we gain a richer, more complete picture of what effective learning should look like.

Making user-centred learning the standard

Here’s a challenge to the L&D community: Next time you design a piece of learning, bring end users into the process from the start. Involve them not just at the content curation stage, but throughout instructional design and development. Their insights will help shape learning that is more practical, engaging, and impactful.

Engaging end users doesn’t have to be a complex process. It can be as simple as:

• Running focus groups or surveys before designing learning content
• Testing prototypes with frontline employees and gathering feedback
• Creating iterative design cycles where user insights continuously shape development.

This is an exciting opportunity for L&D professionals to rethink how we design learning. By prioritising end-user engagement, we can create learning solutions that truly resonate with employees and drive meaningful organisational outcomes.

The future of L&D is about more than just training individuals – it’s about equipping entire organisations with the expertise they need to thrive, and that starts with listening to the people who matter most: the learners themselves.