Building the idea of an innovative LMS using visualization

Challenge

For the last few years, I work as an Instructional Designer for an e-learning company,  which offers digital learning solutions to a variety of stakeholders around the world. Few  months ago, the company started thinking that we need to design and develop a new  product, a fully customizable Learning Management System (LMS), which will help  businesses deliver effective online training to their employees and customers. Currently,  our aim is to develop the main idea for an innovative and powerful learning  environment that will provide learners/trainees with an absorbing and engaging  learning experience through gamification mechanisms and motivation empowerment  processes.

Selection

Since our team consisted of people from different areas of expertise (business analysts,  HR officers, instructional designers, UI & UX designers, developers, etc.), whose way of  thinking and expressing their ideas verbally usually differs, we decided to use  visualization in order to establish a common language and achieve a mutual  understanding. Additionally, our mission was to brainstorm about innovative features  and tools that doesn’t yet exist. Therefore, we thought that visualization would be the  most appropriate design tool in our case.

Visualization is a way of representing data in a graphical context in order to extract  information and make it accessible. It’s a powerful design tool and can be used in  every stage of a design process.

Application

Our brainstorming sessions start by defining the modern businesses’ learning/training  needs. So, the more business-oriented team members, in collaboration with the  instructional designers, lead the discussion, and create and present some diagrams  and mind maps. Through the diagrams (e.g. flowcharts), they demonstrate and try to  explain to the rest of the team how the Learning and Development (L & D)  departments of the companies work. The mind maps help them visually organize the  information they possess (what is missing from the corporate online training, what are  the main learning needs of the target audience, etc.), structure their ideas and present  them to the other team members in an easy-to-understand, yet effective, way.

Afterwards, it’s the designers’ turn. Based on the data presented before, the  instructional designers, together with the UI & UX designers, start creating some low- fidelity wireframes, which are the launching point for their initial thoughts on the main  structure and elements of the LMS. Those wireframes are also very important to the  software developers because they help them gain a first idea of the technical  requirements of the project.

When we end up to a more concrete and integrated idea, the development team will  create a prototype of the LMS. That prototype will help us test our idea with actual users  and find out what works for them and what doesn’t before we start designing and  developing the new product.

Insight & Approach

Discussion and ideas exchange are key parts of our brainstorming sessions and the  visualization tools significantly improve the communication between our team’s  members. They not only help us establish a common language and understanding but  also expand our imagination, boost our creativity and reinforce our team’s bond. Our  productivity and efficiency have also been increased.

Our brainstorming sessions are still ongoing. However, I’m already impressed with how  much the visualization technique has offered to our design thinking process. Since our  meetings with our clients usually include design thinking activities, I’m planning to use  visualization in order to create a more effective communication channel between us,  help them understand my ideas and picture the solution I suggest, and encourage  them to express their own ideas and thoughts or concerns.


Building the idea of an innovative LMS using visualization Challenge For the last few years , I work as an Instructional Designer for an e - learning company , which offers digital learning solutions to a variety of stakeholders around the world . Few months ago , the company started thinking that we need to design and develop a new product , a fully customizable Learning Management System ( LMS ) , which will help businesses deliver effective online training to their employees and customers . Currently , our aim is to develop the main idea for an innovative and powerful learning environment that will provide learners / trainees with an absorbing and engaging learning experience through gamification mechanisms and motivation empowerment processes . Selection Since our team consisted of people from different areas of expertise ( business analysts , HR officers , instructional designers , UI & UX designers , developers , etc . ) , whose way of thinking and expressing their ideas verbally usually differs , we decided to use visualization in order to establish a common language and achieve a mutual understanding . Additionally , our mission was to brainstorm about innovative features and tools that does n’t yet exist . Therefore , we thought that visualization would be the most appropriate design tool in our case . Visualization is a way of representing data in a graphical context in order to extract information and make it accessible . It ’s a powerful design tool and can be used in every stage of a design process . Application Our brainstorming sessions start by defining the modern businesses ’ learning / training needs . So , the more business - oriented team members , in collaboration with the instructional designers , lead the discussion , and create and present some diagrams and mind maps . Through the diagrams ( e.g. flowcharts ) , they demonstrate and try to explain to the rest of the team how the Learning and Development ( L & D ) departments of the companies work . The mind maps help them visually organize the information they possess ( what is missing from the corporate online training , what are the main learning needs of the target audience , etc . ) , structure their ideas and present them to the other team members in an easy - to - understand , yet effective , way . Afterwards , it ’s the designers ’ turn . Based on the data presented before , the instructional designers , together with the UI & UX designers , start creating some low- fidelity wireframes , which are the launching point for their initial thoughts on the main structure and elements of the LMS . Those wireframes are also very important to the software developers because they help them gain a first idea of the technical requirements of the project . When we end up to a more concrete and integrated idea , the development team will create a prototype of the LMS . That prototype will help us test our idea with actual users and find out what works for them and what does n’t before we start designing and developing the new product . Insight & Approach Discussion and ideas exchange are key parts of our brainstorming sessions and the visualization tools significantly improve the communication between our team ’s members . They not only help us establish a common language and understanding but also expand our imagination , boost our creativity and reinforce our team ’s bond . Our productivity and efficiency have also been increased . Our brainstorming sessions are still ongoing . However , I ’m already impressed with how much the visualization technique has offered to our design thinking process . Since our meetings with our clients usually include design thinking activities , I ’m planning to use visualization in order to create a more effective communication channel between us , help them understand my ideas and picture the solution I suggest , and encourage them to express their own ideas and thoughts or concerns .