It is a common mistake to begin a design process by rushing through or skipping the analysis and planning stages. However, these stages are critical to ensure that the design process is efficient and effective. Without this process, it can be easy to make assumptions that are incorrect, veering design off track and resulting in undesirable outcomes. Planning and analysis provide essential insights that give designers meaningful context to the design. These learnings activate opportunities that could have been overlooked without taking time to probe the problem. By taking the time to analyze and plan, designers can avoid these mistakes and create a design that is more likely to succeed.

For this program, the Planning and Analysis Supra Badge involved various opportunities for in-depth analyses of learners, contexts, content, and learning outcomes, along with an iterative design and development process. This started with Intro to Learning Systems Design’s project in which we used Dick and Carey to conduct in-depth gap, goal, learner, context, and content analyses before beginning the design process. Without this analysis, I would not have been able to calibrate the module so that it fit the learners’ needs. Because I took care in the analysis and planning phase, I achieved a more tailored learning experience that resonated with learners. For the Articulate Storyline course, I used an abbreviated process to focus primarily on the learners. This was due to time and scope constraints. Nevertheless, the time I took to explore the learner and context background revealed that this module would fit best in a series of modules rather than as a singular learning experience. I have returned back to Dick and Carey as I design a workshop for the Practicum course due to the nature of the project. 

Overall, I enjoy this step in the design process the most because of the value it adds to the execution as a whole. By planning and analyzing, designers avoid mistakes and obstacles and identify potential risks and issues before they have drastic consequences. As a result, the development process runs more smoothly, and the product is of higher quality. It clarifies the need for training, allowing alternative interventions to be initiated where appropriate. Besides identifying improvement strategies, analyses can also reveal innovation opportunities. Having these skills on hand will only improve my practice as I continue my growth. 

There are many transferable applications when it comes to planning and analysis. Whether I am designing a learning experience or approaching a problem, I will always take the time to explore the background as much as possible to begin the path toward a solution.  This allows me to make better-informed design decisions, which can result in better learning outcomes.