LNI Evening - Hybrid - Beyond Content: Designing Learning Experience at a Distance

Beyond Content: Designing Learning Experience at a Distance

What e-learning designers can borrow from digital product design. 

Drawing on her background in digital product management, Xiao shares what she has borrowed from that world to better understand learner experience, test ideas early, and refine learning design over time. 

In this session, we'll explore:

• how journey mapping can help reveal key moments of friction, confidence, and engagement in self-directed learning

• how rapid prototyping and simple user testing can help you improve the learner experience before building the full module

• how feedback loops—including learner feedback and data analytics—can support ongoing refinement once learning is live

Agenda:

4:00pm:  In-person and online networking

4:30pm:  Session starts

Competency Framework: 

• Learning and Development Practice / Pokapu
  
• Elearning
  

Speaker:  Xiao Zhang

Xiao Zhang is co-founder of Orion Group, where she builds “Leadership Gym” — a practice-based community where leaders strengthen the human skills needed to navigate constant change together. A 2025 20 Under 40 recipient from the NZ Chinese Entrepreneur Association, Xiao blends games and human-centred design to create learning experiences that stick. 

Host: Lower North Island

Event eligibility: This event is open to NZATD members, affiliates and non-members.

Registering for this event:

• Prices exclude GST.
• Members can register for this event by logging in using their member login details.
• Affiliates: (HRNZ, AITD, CDANZ, FLANZ, ICF, NZOQ, PSANZ, TechCommNZ) can attend at member rates. When registering, follow the non-member registration process and use the 'Online Affiliate' promo code to access the member rate. Contact your affiliate administrator for this code.

Cancellations and Attendance:

• Please give 48 hours notice of cancellation.
• Once registered, you will be expected to pay regardless of attendance.
• Substitutions permitted if transferred to someone holding the sameticket type e.g. member. Non-members are not permitted to attend in place of a member.