The Hidden Cost of Bad Learning Design (And How to Avoid It)

What happens when a learning designer gets brought into a project way too late? Chaos, confusion, and a whole lot of rework.In this episode, Dr. Alexis shares a real-life case study that highlights one of the biggest mistakes organizations make when building learning programs: bringing in the instructional designer too late.After being asked to “fix” a leadership development program that had already been in development for six months—with launch only three months away—Dr. Alexis walks through the hidden costs of poor instructional planning, disconnected content, unclear learning outcomes, and designing around topics instead of transformation.From overlapping sections and AI-generated surface-level content to cognitive overload and lack of learner engagement, this episode is a powerful reminder that effective learning experiences don’t happen by accident. They are intentionally designed from the start. What You’ll Learn in This Episode:Why instructional designers should be involved at the very beginning of a projectThe risks of designing training around topics instead of learning outcomesHow unclear audience definitions lead to bloated, unfocused programsWhy too much content creates cognitive overload and disengagementThe hidden problem with multiple SMEs building content in isolationHow AI-generated training content can fall flat without proper contextWhat backwards design is and why it creates stronger learning experiencesHow experiential learning helps information actually stickWhy live cohort programs need interaction, reflection, and practice—not just lecturesThe true cost of retrofitting a poorly designed program at the end Connect with Dr. Alexis:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexis-bjelica/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thelearningalchemist/Newsletter: https://alexisbjelica.myflodesk.com/newsletterSubscribe to The Learning Alchemy Lab for more episodes on designing learning experiences that truly transform.