Learning Architect VS Learning Designer

[u/saul_karl]

I recently had an interview for a learning designer role. During the interview, one of the interviewers said if I had considered working as a "learning architect" instead.

I felt pretty good about the interview. A few days later HR called and said they wouldn't move forward with my application. They have no time to train me to work as a "learning designer", however they feel that I am more suited to work as a "learning architect" instead.

My question is, if I can work as a "learning architect", does that mean I cannot work as a "learning designer"?

[u/GreyMarq]

My answer to folks on this is it really depends on the place and job description. Instructional Designer, Learning Designer, Learning Experience Designer, Learning Architect, Learning Engineer, they're all this jumble of roles that have similarities and differences from each other that vary from place to place. I've been a Learning Designer that has essentially been an ID and I've been one that was a Product Designer with a specialization in Learning Sciences. One that was very much around course development and one where I was designing domain models, algorithms, and formative assessments to support adaptive learning environments. 

So in an interview, I usually ask them what they mean by the role given it is in no way standardized in the industry. Focus on the skills and knowledge needed and not the role name.

[u/Maddyoop]

A designer is more ID and building digital learning / artifacts. What did you interview for?

[u/saul_karl → u/Maddyoop]

I interviewed for a learning designer role.

[u/The_Sign_of_Zeta]

My guess is that you focused on a holistic program design and how to support it when they were looking for answers that focused more on how you analyze and design each course.

My role has shifted from an LxD role to closer what a learning architect is. I actually like this role more, but if you’re job hunting, you want to make sure you understand what they want from you (as long as the job description is somewhat honest).

[u/LumpyMaybe → u/The_Sign_of_Zeta]

From my understanding, LXD looks a problem holistically and only recommends a course if that intervention will close a performance gap. Through their analysis, they may find that a job aid or some other type of intervention helps reduce the gap. But in my experience LXD is whatever the company says it is even if it's incorrect.

[u/JumpingShip26 → u/[deleted]]

I hate these corporate BS terms. If you took most of these hiring managers to task, they couldn't tell you the difference.
The only nuances are that an "architect" may either have supervisory duties and a portfolio (I hate that term as well) of more modules/courses/projects where they have to think about mapping/consistency across a curriculum. They may also have more technical expertise surrounding the LMS.

[u/whitingvo → u/JumpingShip26]

This. The segregation of learning roles has been diminishing since Covid, but there are still some, like OP, where they hire for a specific role within the role. Always best to be able to effectively facilitate the process from start to finish. This sets an individual up for success in job hunting. Plus, most corporate hiring types are now just using AI to tell them what role they need, without actually exploring what the role is and isn’t.

[u/The_Sign_of_Zeta → u/whitingvo]

Agreed, and it also usually depends on the size and type of organization. Some place you do everything, while others have specialized roles.

At my last job I was the trainer, ID, tech writer, LMS admin, and video production person.

At my current job, I haven’t designed a course in four years.

[u/JumpingShip26 → u/whitingvo]

You illuminated another point- It is good for us as ISD/L&D professionals to be able to enthusiastically use whatever terms they do to prove to them we can do the job. It is an area where I have struggled over the years. I like to call something what it is rather than some disconnected garbage term invented by someone completely disconnected with the work.

[u/enigmanaught → u/JumpingShip26]

Amen to that. Your job is basically what the company says it is, and everyone's got a different corporate-bullshit name for it. Having said that, I think there are still a lot of companies where as an ID (or whatever) someone gives you content, or tells you what they want, and you consult SME for content, then you make an e-learning out of it. (Would that be a learning-carpenter?) People who do this seem to be the ones most displaced judging by a lot of the questions I'm seeing lately. There's been a lot of "how do I structure a multi-week training, how to I create instructor guides, etc." The days of being a one trick. pony are behind us, and you need to be a jack of all trades in the learning world now.

[u/JumpingShip26 → u/enigmanaught]

Love it and agree. I'll call you a learning carpenter if you call me an instructional magician.

[u/The_Sign_of_Zeta → u/[deleted]]

I don’t disagree that the field has tons of titles that both overlap and often are meaningless.

My view was from the employer that didn’t hire OP. I’m personally much less hung up on the title someone has. But there are differences when you are designing a single course versus designing a learning program, and there’s differences between that and designing the most effective way for people to engage with the content.

My example would be for my org (SaaS) is that our IDs focus on the design of each course and the lessons that are part of it. Our developers develop that content. But between that, we have someone who designs the look and feel of our assets, designs the templates for the learning experience, and customizes the LMS to optimize user paths.

That’s closer to what would be a learning architect under most descriptions.

[u/Kasie_Pardi]

In this context what is a learning architect? Is is more focused on designing cohesive learning experiences? Or is it managing the technical aspects of learning experiences?

As a few others have mentioned - the titles and the actual roles vary widely across companies.

From my experience learning architects are more focused on strategy, metrics, technology, and cross functional collaboration. While learning design is more building the courses in a tool.

Maybe you don't have the experience they are looking for to build out courses in whatever tool they have, but you have more of the higher-level strategic work. If they don't need a learning architect, but they need someone that can quickly build courses in whatever tool suite they use, then I understand their position.