Less Is More Is Not Just About Content, but About Learning Experience

After working in instructional design for many years, I've come to realize that "less is more" is often misunderstood. It is usually associated with simplifying content, such as making courses shorter, reducing information, or avoiding overload. But in my experience, it goes beyond that.

Even when we have correctly identified what learners need to know, do, or change in order to meet business goals, there is still another important question:

How should we design the learning experience itself?

The goal should be to help learners learn with the least unnecessary effort. Not by removing depth or rigor, but by removing friction that does not contribute to learning.

Over the years, I've seen many different approaches to learning design. Some learning experiences feel under-designed, where the lack of structure or intention makes it difficult for learners to stay engaged or understand the purpose of the content.

I've also seen cases where, in an effort to avoid being "too simple" or "boring," additional layers of interaction, visual elements, or gamification are introduced. Many of us have probably spent hours building advanced interactions in Storyline or carefully structuring a Rise course because we wanted the learning experience to feel more engaging.

There is nothing wrong with using these features. The question is whether they genuinely support learning.

Sometimes these additions are driven more by what the tool allows us to build than by what learners actually need. As a result, learners may end up spending more time completing interactions than understanding, retaining, or applying the knowledge that really matters.

This is especially important in corporate learning. Learners are often balancing training with their daily responsibilities. Time is limited, and attention is limited. That is why I believe we should be intentional about where we add complexity.

Interaction is not the problem. In fact, meaningful interaction is essential for learning. The key word is meaningful.

The most valuable learning experiences are those that help learners understand concepts more deeply, retain what they have learned, and apply that knowledge in real work situations.

This is where I choose to focus my design effort. Not on adding interaction for its own sake, but on identifying the moments in learning that truly matter.

Instead of asking, "What cool Storyline feature can I use here?", I think we should be asking, "How does this interaction help learners understand, retain, or apply what they need to learn?"

When we design with that intention, learning can often become simpler while also becoming more effective.

That's the kind of learning experience I continue to strive for.

I'd love to hear how you decide when an interaction is truly worth adding.