Expertise / Capability building
Learning Programs
We design and deliver structured learning programs that build practical research, design thinking, and co-design skills. Our programs blend workshops, guided project work, and reflective practice — helping teams move from theory to confident, independent practice. From small specialist teams to entire departments, we create learning that sticks.
What are learning programs and why they matter
Sustainable capability doesn’t come from a single workshop — it comes from structured, ongoing learning that gives people the skills and confidence to do human-centred work themselves.
- Build practical skills in research methods, design thinking, and co-design
- Move teams from theory to confident, independent practice
- Create shared language and approaches across disciplines
- Develop internal champions who can train and mentor others
We design learning that sticks because participants practise with real projects, not hypothetical exercises.
How we design learning programs
Every program starts with understanding what your people need to do differently — not what content we could teach. We work backwards from the capability gaps and project demands your team faces.
Our programs blend hands-on workshops, guided project work, and reflective practice. Participants learn methods by applying them to real challenges within their organisation. We create custom materials, templates, and reference guides that teams keep using long after the program ends. Programs range from intensive two-day workshops to multi-month learning journeys with coaching between sessions.
Learning that reaches across the organisation
We have designed programs for audiences ranging from small specialist teams to entire departments learning together. The format adapts to your people and your pace.
Some clients need a focused sprint to skill up a project team ahead of a major initiative. Others want a rolling program that brings new cohorts through each quarter, building organisation-wide capability over time. We have partnered with government agencies training hundreds of staff in co-design, and with corporates running intensive research skills programs for product teams.
When the National Emergency Management Agency needed their staff to work more cohesively across diverse roles and locations, we co-designed a program that gave people the confidence and shared methods to build disaster resilience together.
From workshops to sustained practice
The real test of a learning program is what happens three months later — whether teams are still using the methods when we’re not in the room. That’s what we design for.
We build in mechanisms for sustained practice: peer learning groups, follow-up coaching sessions, and practical toolkits that make it easy to apply new skills on the next project. We also help organisations create the conditions for learning to take hold — adjusting processes, establishing communities of practice, and giving teams permission to work differently.
When SEEK needed their teams across Asia-Pacific to confidently run their own large-scale research, we designed a tailored qualitative research program that gave people the skills to gather the intelligence behind big decisions.
Building capability where it matters most
Some of the most meaningful learning programs we’ve designed sit at the intersection of skills and sensitivity — where teams need new methods to navigate complex cultural and community contexts.
We’ve worked alongside government departments and agencies to build co-design capability for work that demands genuine partnership with communities. These programs go beyond standard design training. They equip teams to listen deeply, share power in decision-making, and create processes where community knowledge shapes outcomes alongside technical expertise.
When the Department of Climate Change needed their team to co-design culturally sensitive water policy with First Nations communities, we built a capability program that equipped staff to be genuine partners in the design process.
The impact of investing in skills
Organisations that invest in structured learning programs see their teams move from depending on external consultants to running research and design work with confidence. The return compounds over time.
We’ve seen teams go from never having run a user interview to conducting their own research programs within months. When people learn by doing — with expert guidance and the right support structures — capability grows faster and lasts longer than any off-the-shelf course can deliver.
We'd love to hear about your team's learning goals.
