Designing Training Materials That Hold Attention

🚨 Nobody Wants to Sit Through Safety Training. eLearning module: they’re clicking through it while answering emails. Interactive training session: they showed up because it's mandatory. Senior management video message: they catch the first 30 seconds before their mind drifts to a task deadline or an overflowing inbox. It’s not because they’re careless. It’s not because they don’t care. It’s because they’re human. Humans are overwhelmed, time-poor, and constantly filtering for one thing: relevance. 🔥This uncomfortable truth changed how I approach safety training. I used to think the problem was the audience. Now I know better. The problem was me. More precisely, my assumptions. I assumed they wanted what I was delivering. I assumed logging in meant learning. I assumed nodding meant understanding. 🧠 Compliance ≠ Engagement. Just because someone completes a module or signs a form doesn’t mean they’re now competent, safer or more prepared to manage risks in the real world. 💡 So what changed? Empathy. The moment I stopped designing training for the 'ideal' learner and started designing for the real one: tired and distracted. That’s when I began designing training using the REAL principles: 🔸Relevant Start with their reality. Talk about their work, their tools, their constraints. Not “Safety is the number one priority.” ➡️ “How do we manage the tensions between safety and production?” 🔸Emotional Make it matter. Safety is personal or it’s forgettable. ➡️ “Imagine calling your partner from the hospital to say you won’t be home tonight because you rushed a job.” That sticks more than talking about a new checklist. 🔸Actionable No theory for theory’s sake. Give them tools they can use tomorrow. ➡️ “Here’s how to better deal with bad news.” ➡️ “Here’s how to spot when ‘normal work’ is drifting into dangerous territory.” 🔸Lightweight People don’t need more information; they need more clarity. Keep it short, visual, and easy to digest. The Safety Curiously cartoons have been very popular! 🧠 This isn’t about dumbing it down, it's about lifting people up. We’re not just teaching the new Task Risk Assessment process. We’re helping people make sense of risks in real time. We’re helping them make better decisions under pressure. That’s not box-ticking. That’s human learning. ✅ So if you want safety training that sticks: 📌 Don’t just make it mandatory, make it meaningful. 📌 Don’t just focus on completion, focus on connection. 📌 Don’t just ask if they passed, ask if they changed. Because when people see the point, they stop just attending and they start engaging. Enjoy this? ♻️ Repost to help others in your network, and follow Urbain Bruyere for more.

Regardless of how great your ideas are in your virtual sales pitch, webinar, or team meeting… People are most likely checking their email, browsing social media, or working on other things while you present. How can you prevent that and actually get your audience to pay attention? Here are 4 of the most powerful techniques we use for our own virtual training courses: 1. Win the first five seconds According to research from the University of Toronto, people need only five seconds to gauge your charisma and leadership as a speaker. In virtual environments, this first impression is even more critical. To establish instant rapport: - Keep your posture open and inviting (avoid fidgeting, crossed arms, and closed-off postures) - Use open gestures that welcome the audience into your space - Gesture with your palms showing at a 45-degree angle - Speak with clear articulation and energy from the very first word The quickest way to lose your audience? Starting with tentative body language that signals you’re unsure or unprepared. 2. Design your presentation for virtual viewing When designing slides, assume varied viewing conditions. Design for the smallest likely device and the slowest likely Internet speed. Make your slides accessible by: - Using larger fonts (24-32pt) - Applying higher contrast colors - Limiting each slide to ONE clear idea - Adding more space between lines when using smaller text - Stripping excess content (you can provide additional information in a separate document) 3. Vary your delivery Our research shows the optimal length for linear presentations is just 16-30 minutes, while interactive ones can maintain engagement for 30-45 minutes. People’s attention will go through peaks and valleys during that time, so try these techniques to keep their attention: - Vary your speaking pace (faster to convey urgency, slower to express gravity) - Use intentional pauses to let key points land - Adjust your vocal tone (lower pitch for authority, higher for approachability) - Shift between slides, stories, and data at regular intervals Each change helps reset your audience’s attention and signals importance. 4. Build in structured interaction Don’t make your audience wait until the end of your presentation to interact. According to our research, presentations that incorporate audience engagement through polls, chat responses, or breakout discussions maintain attention longer. For the highest engagement: - Use a variety of interaction types throughout your presentation - Incorporate breakout rooms for small-group discussions - Switch modalities regularly to keep it interesting Remember: In virtual environments, you need to recreate the natural engagement that happens in person. Your virtual presentation success isn’t measured by perfection…it’s measured by action. Master these techniques and your audience won’t just pay attention, they’ll respond. #VirtualPresentations #CorporateTraining #WorkplaceLearning

Do Learners Really Want More Content—Or Just One Moment That Sticks? 🤔 At first glance, it’s a casual question—about chips, maybe even vacation days. But in the world of corporate learning, this question reflects a deeper tension between scarcity and abundance—and our strange relationship with both. Let me explain. As Learning Experience Designers, we often work in high-pressure environments. Business stakeholders want high adoption, frequent touchpoints, and rapid capability building. That often translates into more learning content, faster delivery cycles, and multiple campaigns running in parallel. But here’s what I’ve noticed: the more we fill the bag, the less each item is appreciated. 🛍️ A colleague once told me: “Learners don’t need a playlist—they need a moment.” That changed my design philosophy. I began creating learning experiences that didn’t just “add more,” but instead made each interaction matter more. It’s the difference between handing someone a bag of chips and inviting them to a food tasting. One is fast, forgettable. The other is mindful and memorable. 🍟✨ Here’s how I did that in practice: I use a simple framework called S.E.A.M. 🧵 | Scarcity. Emotion. Attention. Meaning. One of our most successful learning activations had just one artifact—a personal story from a peer, captured in a raw, 2-minute video. No click-throughs. No quiz. No gamification. But it was shared 5x more than any other asset. 🎯Why? Because it was human, limited, and real. Abundance gives us breadth. Scarcity gives us depth. We don’t have to pick sides. We just have to decide what the moment calls for. ⏳ So, how many more are in the bag? Maybe enough. Maybe not. But this one—right here, right now—is the only one of its kind. Let’s make it matter. 💡 #learningwithhiral #learningeveryday #microlearning #LearningExperienceDesign #CorporateLearning #ScarcityInDesign #LearningThatSticks #LXDesign #SEAMFramework

Emotional Design in Retail Training: Creating Learning That People Feel, Remember, and Apply 👇 In premium retail, performance is driven not only by knowledge, but by emotion, confidence, and human connection. Emotional Design in training focuses on how learners feel transforming learning from passive consumption into an immersive brand experience. Research shows that emotionally engaged learners are up to 4x more likely to retain information and 70% more likely to apply it in real situations. In retail environments where storytelling, presence, and client connection define success, training must do more than inform, it must inspire. ✨ By integrating immersive video 🎥, nano learning formats 📱, interactive storytelling 🧠, and human-centred design 🤝, Emotional Design creates learning experiences that engage the senses and strengthen memory. Instead of simply transferring information, it builds instinct, confidence, and emotional alignment with the brand. When learning reflects the brand’s identity and connects with real retail moments, teams don’t just learn — they embody and perform. Key Pillars of Emotional Design in Retail Learning 🎥 Immersive Video Learning: Video-based learning can increase retention by up to 65%, helping teams observe and replicate real retail behaviors. 📱 InstaLearning and Nano Learning: Short, mobile-first formats align with attention spans and improve completion rates by over 50%. 🧠 Emotional Storytelling: Stories activate multiple areas of the brain, making learning more memorable and meaningful. 🎮 Gamification Beyond Points: Interactive experiences and meaningful progression increase engagement and motivation. 🤝 Human Connection and Collaboration: Social learning strengthens confidence and accelerates skill development. ⚡ Active Learning and Practice: Experiential learning improves performance readiness by up to 75% compared to passive formats. In a retail world where every client interaction matters, learning must prepare teams not just with knowledge, but with emotional readiness and confidence. The real question is: is your learning experience simply delivering information or is it creating emotional impact that transforms performance?

If Your Learners Aren’t Engaged, Nothing Else Matters.👎 You can build the world’s most beautifully designed training program. But if learners don’t finish it, don’t remember it, and don’t apply it? Then it’s just content. Not learning. And that’s exactly where many L&D teams are stuck. Here’s what the data shows: * 70% of training content is forgotten within 24 hours * Engaged learners are 3x more likely to apply what they’ve learned * High engagement = higher productivity, stronger retention, and real business impact So, how do the best L&D teams drive engagement...and keep it? These are the three biggest game-changers we’re seeing in 2025 👀👇 1️⃣ Make Learning Feel Personal If a course doesn’t connect with someone’s day-to-day role, they’ll disengage...𝑭𝒂𝒔𝒕. Relevance is 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨. What forward-thinking teams are doing: → Adapting content based on role, skill level, and performance
 → Letting AI adjust learning pathways in real-time
 → Giving learners more say in their own development ✅ Teams making this shift are seeing 2x to 3x higher engagement. 2️⃣ Make It Impossible to Just Click Next No one remembers a 60-slide eLearning deck. Passive content is forgotten content. What’s working now: * Scenario-based challenges that mimic real decisions * Interactive formats like quizzes and simulations * Collaborative elements that get people talking and solving together ✅ One SME switched to interactive compliance training and jumped from 20% to 92% completion overnight. 3️⃣ Make Learning Continuous When learning is personal, interactive, and continuous, people pay attention. Annual training? It’s forgotten before the next login. The best teams are shifting to learning that’s consistent, quick, and embedded in the flow of work. How they’re doing it: → Microlearning delivered in bite-sized bursts each week → Spaced repetition to strengthen memory → Turning learning into a habit, not a one-off ✅ One team replaced a yearly course with weekly 5-minute refreshers — and saw engagement and on-the-job application soar. Engagement isn’t a “nice-to-have” in L&D.
 It’s the foundation of every successful learning strategy. When learning is personal, interactive, and continuous - people pay attention. And when people are paying attention, performance improves. If you’re looking to future-proof your L&D approach, this is where to begin. But what’s stopping most teams from getting it right?

Spoiler alert: Forcing learners to view everything doesn’t improve learning.... It just teaches them how to click faster. You’ve built the slide in the course. -> Five hotspots on it. -> Next button locked. -> No progress unless they clicked every item. You tell yourself: All the 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘭. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘬. But here’s what 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝘀: Click. 𝘊𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘬. Click. 𝘕𝘦𝘹𝘵. This is not engagement. This is task completion. It's 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦’𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘮: Forced control doesn’t drive better learning. It drives frustration. Boredom. Fake interaction. You’re not guiding the learner. You’re micromanaging their experience. 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 doesn’t happen because we lock content behind conditions. It happens when people choose to stay curious. 𝘎𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴. • They use clear headlines to spark interest • They guide you with story, not rules • They give freedom but design every part to pull you forward That’s what we need more of in e-learning. That’s what 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗼𝗺 looks like. 𝘚𝘰 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘥𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘵𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘵 𝘴𝘭𝘪𝘥𝘦? Instead of locking the Next button: • Use hotspot titles that generate interest • Let learners explore the content in any order • Add a reflection prompt or mini-question after each hotspot • Wrap the slide with a clear call: Ready to move on, or explore another? No locks. No traps. Just clever design with a clear path. This approach doesn’t mean less structure. It means more intention. It means trusting the learner and designing content that earns their attention. Design freedom isn’t about letting go of control. It’s about using design to earn it back.

What Netflix, TikTok, Escape Rooms, and Video Games Taught Me About Designing a Breakthrough Learning Journey Most training focuses on content. But real impact comes from designing the entire learning experience—from the first click to on-the-job mastery. Here’s how I think about the full journey, using the entertainment we can’t stop consuming: ⸻ 1. Attention – Think Netflix trailers. Start with curiosity, not content. A great trailer teases value in seconds—you have to know more. Your learning hook should do the same. No more “Welcome to this training…” Try: “What if you could solve this in 5 minutes?” ⸻ 2. Interest – Think TikTok. Once you’ve got their attention, keep it with fast, focused, value-packed moments. TikTok works because it’s punchy, paced, and addictive. In learning? Use microformats, crisp storytelling, and emotional connection. ⸻ 3. Understanding – Think How to Get Away with Murder (or Squid Game). These shows are masterclasses in layered storytelling. Each episode builds tension, teaches something new, and deepens the stakes. In learning: • One key concept per module • Clear through-line • Questions that pull learners forward People don’t need less content—they need better structure. ⸻ 4. Retention – Think escape rooms. You don’t just observe—you do. You make choices, fail, adjust, and try again. Learning sticks when people wrestle with content. Design challenges, scenarios, and immediate application. Let them work it out, not just watch it. ⸻ 5. Application – Think video games. The best games teach through doing. Level by level, skill by skill. Players get feedback, unlock new abilities, and adapt strategy in real time. Great learning works the same way: • Practice in safe spaces • Level up complexity • Build confidence before real-world play ⸻ 6. Transfer – Think coaching and culture. When the “game” ends, learners need support to apply skills in real life. This is where adult learning theory shines: • Real-world relevance • Social learning and feedback • Autonomy, mastery, purpose Learning doesn’t stop at the module. It lives in mentorship, conversations, and culture. ⸻ Great learning feels like entertainment. But more importantly—it empowers real change. Design for the journey, not just the course. ⸻ Image: A fun workshop I did with the U.S. Department of States where I utilized multiple forms of entertainment to attract attention, support knowledge retention, understanding, and application. #LearningDesign #LXD #InstructionalDesign #ContentStrategy #AdultLearning #LearningJourney #TrangTranLearningDesigner

When creating learning materials for your training, instead of starting with content which seems the most common approach, create resources & guidance learners can use while working—job aids, quick reference guides, decision trees, checklists, templates. Things they can pull up in the moment they need help. And the truth is a perfectly polished resource that nobody opens won't improve anyone's performance. What matters is whether someone can grab your resource in the middle of their workday and get the help they need immediately. Here's how to make that happen: • Design for use: Think about the actual moment someone will reach for this resource. Are they stressed? In a hurry? Confused? Design for that reality, not for perfection. Keep it short, one page max.  • Make things as simple as possible. Strip away everything that doesn't directly help someone complete their task. • Make it practical and talk to the context, not the content. Focus on their specific situation and what they're trying to accomplish, not on teaching theory or background information. For example, if healthcare workers need to communicate with anxious patients, provide examples of things to say in specific situations—not rigid call center scripts, but natural language examples: "When a patient asks about wait times, you might say..." or "If a patient seems nervous about a procedure, try..." Give them authentic examples they can adapt to their situation. • Organize by task, not topic. If it's about learning a tool, show them how to use it—skip the chapters on its history or technical specifications. People want to know "how do I do X?" not "what is X?" • Be visual. Use diagrams, screenshots, or graphics whenever they're clearer than paragraphs of text. A good visual beats a wall of words every time. • Make it accessible and easy to find. Even the best resource won't help if people can't find it in the moment they need it. Make it accessible where they're already working—embed it in their systems, pin it to frequently used platforms, or keep it in the first place they'll search. #PerformanceFirst #LearningThatWorks #PerformanceSupport #LearningAndDevelopment

Your brain has two modes. And L&D is designing for the wrong one. System 1: Fast. Automatic. Effortless. It's how you scroll LinkedIn, grab coffee, and ignore that "New Training Available!" email without even registering it. System 2: Slow. Deliberate. Effortful. It's how you analyse a budget, learn a new skill, or actually engage with complex content. Here's the problem: You design learning for System 2. But your learners are operating in System 1. They're not sitting in a quiet room, ready to absorb your beautifully crafted 45-minute module. They're context-switching between Slack, email, and a meeting that should've been a Teams message. Their brain is on autopilot. And autopilot doesn't stop for "Click here to begin your learning journey." Marketers figured this out decades ago. They know System 1 makes most decisions. So they design for it: 🍍 Bold visuals that grab attention before you think 🍍 Headlines that create instant curiosity 🍍 Social proof that bypasses rational analysis 🍍 Friction removal so action requires zero effort Meanwhile, L&D is still designing like we have people's full, undivided attention. We don't. We never did. So what does this mean for your learning? STOP designing for the learner you wish you had: focused, motivated, ready to engage. START designing for the learner you actually have: distracted, overwhelmed, operating on autopilot. That means: → Your comms need to interrupt System 1 before you can engage System 2 → Your hooks need to create instant "wait, what?" moments → Your content needs to earn attention in the first 3 seconds → Your calls-to-action need to feel effortless, not like homework The learning itself can be System 2. But everything that gets them there? That's a System 1 game. And right now, you're losing it. Stop expecting people to switch gears for you. Start meeting them where their brain actually is. 🍍 P.S. - This is Daniel Kahneman's dual process theory from 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘍𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘚𝘭𝘰𝘸. If you haven't read it, it'll change how you think about everything — not just learning.

“How can I make learning experiences more engaging?” Heads of Learning, Learning Leads - lean in 👀 OK, so the first disclaimer is that the meaning of the word ‘engaging’ is often misunderstood. Designers often think that engaging means a video or to be able to click on things for the sake of clicking. Clicking does not correlate with engagement (and often it’s just annoying for the learner!). And it’s not just designers getting the definition wrong - it’s the vast majority of us. We think action = engagement. But this has no place nor has been proved in learning science or neuroscience and I’d like to rebut this definition from the start. Engagement comes from a combination of motivation + attention 🤝 Motivation comes from crafting products that are contextual and tap into things that a person truly connects with. So when it comes to building learning experiences, hold these things in mind: 1️⃣ Understand your audience Take the time to truly understand your learners' needs, challenges, and aspirations. What daily struggles or knowledge gaps are they encountering? What are the precise points of need and why do they happen? By building learning experiences that resonate with their experiences and goals, you'll naturally enhance engagement. Because engagement comes from struggle. 2️⃣ Contextual relevance Context is key. Make sure your learning materials are relevant and applicable to real-life scenarios. Whether it's bridging a skill gap for a promotion, or fulfilling intrinsic desires for personal growth, align your content with learners' immediate concerns and aspirations. 3️⃣ Tap into intrinsic motivation While external rewards can provide short-term motivation, intrinsic motivation is the real driver of engagement. Help learners connect emotionally to the learning material by highlighting its significance to their personal or professional development journey. 4️⃣ Sustain attention Recognize that memory weakens over time and requires careful retrieval. Incorporate strategies to maintain learners' focus, such as varied content formats, interactive elements to ensure reflection, and spaced repetition to combat the natural wearing down of memory over time. By prioritizing motivation and attention in your learning design process, you can create experiences that not only captivate learners but also drive meaningful learning outcomes. ❓What else have you found works for your learners? Is there anything you’d add? #peopleops #learninganddevelopment #peopleandculture #peopleexperience