Empathy might be one of the most essential skills for learning designers, and there's no better place to learn it than design thinking. That's why, in this episode, I am joined by Sheryl Cababa, a design researcher and strategist, and the Chief Strategy Officer at Optimistic Design, to give us some insight into her process.

She clarifies what design thinking is and what it entails, how it can help us design better learning solutions and navigate stakeholders in the decision-making process, and three principles that will get you a level deeper in the analysis phase.

▶️ 3 Design Thinking Principles for Learning & Development Pros with Sheryl Cababa

▶️ Key Points:

03:37 How Sheryl is helping clients reimagine education with design

08:31 Design thinking or human-centered design in a nutshell

12:20 The significant benefits of using a design thinking approach in L&D

17:52 Understand everyone's incentives

19:42 Always center the end user in your work

20:45 Think about your most extreme users

24:28 Valuable resources to get started with design thinking

Resources from this episode:

Get Sheryl's book Closing the Loop: Systems Thinking For Designers.

For a toolkit with practical tips on applying human-centered design, access IDEO's Design Kit.

For a breakdown of what it means to do research around design and user experience, check out the book: Just Enough Research by Erika Hall.

Join the Nonprofit Learning and Development Collective: https://www.skillmastersmarket.com/nonprofit-learning-and-development-collective

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Connect with Sheryl

LinkedIn: Sheryl Cababa

Website: optimistic.design

Connect with Heather

LinkedIn: Heather Burright

Website: skillmastersmarket.com

Book an interest call with Heather here.

Learning for Good is the podcast for nonprofit leaders seeking practical L&D solutions. Hosted by Heather, an experienced consultant, we dive into leadership development, instructional design, change management, and staff management strategies tailored to nonprofit organizations.
Discover how to implement impactful learning solutions, foster belonging, and influence senior leaders. Each episode provides the tools you need to confidently navigate high-level conversations and drive meaningful change within your organization.
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