Feed Like a Muddy

Articulate Storyline (eLearning) - Visio (Analysis & Mapping) - Word (Conversation Practice)

Tools Used

a scenario-based blended learning experience

Mud Bay prides itself on guiding pet owners in pet health and nutrition. As the company expanded, we identified the need for a scalable learning solution that ensures store employees are providing consistent feeding solution recommendations which align with a customer's budget and lifestyle.

The learning experience I designed includes:

a scenario-based e-learning, grounded in realistic customer situations
an employee shadowing activity, where learners can witness real customer feeding conversations
an in-person conversation practice, navigating through scenarios using what they learned

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Note: "Muddy" is a company term that refers to a Mud Bay employee.

Process

Solution

NEEDS ANALYSIS

To investigate the issue, SMEs and retail employees of varying tenure were interviewed on the subject.
It was discovered that:

Most seasoned employees thought they were meeting expectations, but some were unsure if their conversations actually aligned with company standards.
New hires were less familiar with the concept. Many said they hadn't been given dedicated time for practice.
Practicing these conversations wasn’t part of the formal learning journey, and not prioritized. Even when leaders did practice with their staff, they didn't have guidance for effective teaching.
Employees have solid feeding and food form knowledge but struggled with personalizing solutions for individual customers.

DEVELOPMENT

I built the prototype within Articulate Storyline, using Review360 to gather feedback from SMEs and colleagues. I built the scenario functionality and user interface ahead of time, allowing me to easily add the script that my partner developed later on.

Gamified Elements

Each engaging scenario is grounded in realistic customer situations and provide immediate feedback to choices made. Backgrounds are real Mud Bay locations, adding to realism. Responses include audio/visual elements that are stimulating, but not overwhelming.

Supplemental Resources

This is one of the first activities that asks employees to draw from prior learning experiences. To support this new exercise, I included optional supplemental resources directly in the eLearning.

While the tool is a helpful refresher of knowledge gained in past topics, learners must still deduce which scenario response is the most appropriate for the situation at hand.

Choice-Based Responses

Triggers, animations, and slide layers are used to provide immediate, unique outcomes based on learner choices, with real-time feedback explaining each result.

DESIGN

Learning Task Analysis

This learning experience is designed to be taken within a new employee's first few months. The necessary feeding and food form knowledge is covered in prior training and treated as prerequisite knowledge. The focus here is on customer interactions and finding solutions.

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Scenario Planning

I collaborated with a learning and development colleague experienced in pet feeding, pet health, and customer service.

After meeting with the SMEs, we brainstormed and mapped written storyboards for three scenarios, each reflecting a different feeding style. She used these outlines to create the final script for the experience.

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E-LEARNING

Providing employees with repeated opportunities to practice identifying customer needs and offering solutions helps improve retention and elevates customer service standards. Embedding this into the employee's foundational learning journey ensures exposure to the content, building to a more consistent customer experience across all store locations.

In the Feed Like a Muddy eLearning, employees work through a series of realistic customer scenarios, all geared towards discovering different feeding solutions. Each customer represents a different feeding method.

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SHADOWING ACTIVITY

After the eLearning, learners shadow experienced coworkers during customer solutions conversations for about a week, schedule depending. This exposure shows new hires how to handle customer challenges using curiosity and empathy.

After some time, learners are encouraged to initiate conversations themselves. This gives them the opportunity to apply their knowledge with guidance from experienced team members.

CONVERSATION PRACTICE

The learning experience concludes with an in-person conversation summative assessment led by a store leader. Unlike the e-learning scenario practice, this practice requires learners to rely solely on their own knowledge and skills without supplemental resources.

My partner wrote the content in this facilitator's guide for the activity.

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Results and Takeaways

Customers expect a consistent experience at any chain business, regardless of which location they visit. This project established a successful framework for employee conversations to discover customer solutions. By embedding it into the initial learning journey, this expectation is set for all new hires, fostering more consistent customer experiences over time.

I enjoyed working on this project alongside another designer. While our tasks rarely overlapped, having someone to discuss ideas and plans with was invaluable. We exchanged feedback and reviewed each other’s work to ensure we developed effective solutions. It reinforced the value that more minds bring to a final product.

Reaction

Learners reported in feedback surveys that the scenarios were interesting and easy to follow. They especially found the supplemental resources section helpful at jogging their memory of previous learning experiences.

Learning

This experience was featured in the marketing team's "Health and Happiness" quarterly initiative. Additional budget was allocated for all employees to run through this learning experience, helping teams effectively apply what they've learned into their customer interactions.

Behavior

Over time, employees began applying the customer conversation framework to other topics beyond feeding and food forms, such as supplements, cat litter, hygiene, and more.

Six months after launch, leadership reported an overall noticeable improvement in the consistency of solutions conversations employees were having with customers.