July 2025
How adult learning needs will help you be a better designer
Did you know that adult-you doesn’t learn the same as child-you did?
Did you know that adult-you doesn’t learn the same as child-you did?
We never stop learning, even when we’re all grown up, but if I asked you to “picture” learning, you’re most likely to imagine a classroom full of kids who are passively soaking up information from a teacher.
But that scenario is a lot less applicable to your circumstances now because adults aren’t blank slates waiting to be filled.
We come pre-loaded with experience, opinions, assumptions, and goals that change the way we think and learn.
Kids are used to being directed. Adults prefer autonomy.
Kids are expected to absorb what’s taught. Adults want to know why it matters.
Kids may learn for the future. Adults are learning for right now.
And while kids have to rely on teachers to guide them, adults thrive when they can pull from their own life experience and apply new knowledge immediately.
Which is a really powerful phenomenon.
Because if you’re a designer, strategist, or creative leader, you’re constantly asking people to learn something new:
- A client learning to see their brand in a new light
- A teammate understanding your vision
- A workshop participant gaining a skill
- Even your audience interpreting your design
When you align your creative process with adult learning needs, you move from “delivering the work,” to creating resonant, empowering experiences.
Anytime you're asking someone to understand an idea, see something in a new way, or make an informed decision… That’s learning.
Apply adult-learning theory to your creative work
As creatives, we’re constantly engaging with adults – clients, collaborators, team members, workshop attendees – and every interaction is a mini learning experience.
Anytime you’re asking someone to understand an idea, see something in a new way, or make an informed decision…
That’s learning.
But when we ignore how adults actually learn, we risk confusion, disengagement, or even resistance. So if you can design with adult learning needs in mind, everything gets smoother, smarter, and more effective.
Clients feel heard and empowered, feedback is more productive, and the work lands with deeper meaning.
I’m not saying you need to overhaul your whole creative process, though. By applying a few core adult learning principles, like giving people ownership, making information relevant, and creating space for hands-on experience, you can change the way you present ideas, collaborate, and even teach others for the better.
Let’s check out 5 powerful adult learning principles and how you can immediately put them to use in your creative process.
Principle 1: Hand over the reins
It’s really important for adults to feel in control of their learning and decisions, so you can apply this principle by handing over the reins to support autonomy and ownership.
When people feel agency, they’re more engaged.
Which means your designs or workshops will land better.
Creative examples you can apply:
Using Options
When you’re working with clients, consider offering more design options, explaining the why behind your design choices, and letting your client choose which one speaks to them to include them in the journey.
Clear Goals
Provide clear goals for project plans/briefs, but let teammates explore creative solutions freely to foster some ownership.
Direct Feedback
For workshops or courses that you offer, poll your audience to see what type of topics participants might like to learn about.
Tapping into lived experiences helps you create designs and solutions that are more personal and effective.
Principle 2: Tap into wisdom
Adults bring a lifetime of knowledge and stories with them and it’s important to honor that.
Tapping into lived experiences helps you create designs and solutions that are more personal and effective.
Creative examples you can apply:
Active Listening
During your discovery phase, really listen to your client and ask them to share stories and their past experiences. This will help you better understand which direction to go with your design strategy and show your client how much you value their perspective and past.
Research
Do some research on your client so you have a better idea of what they may already know, what they’ve experienced, their interests, and so on.
Collaborate
Encourage collaboration within your community of creatives. There’s so much to learn from each other!
Principle 3: Make it mean something
Adults want to know how something applies to their real-world context.
This is an important principle because relevant ideas stick and make your work more valuable to your clients.
Creative examples you can apply:
Add context
Tie design decisions to business goals or ROI (“This color palette = trust = more conversions”).
Teach
Use workshops to teach a specific, usable skill and include more hands-on practice.
Share Proof
Share case studies to demonstrate the real-world impact of your designs.
Growth often comes from challenging assumptions.
Principle 4: Find the “aha!”
Growth often comes from challenging assumptions so encourage transformational learning by shifting how people think.
Not just how things look.
Creative examples you can apply:
Be A Guide
Gently challenge clients’ initial preferences if you see a better path. Then back it up with vision.
Helpful Feedback
Give your client or colleagues feedback that is helpful but also encourages critical thinking and not just execution. This helps them see new perspectives.
expand
Collaborate with creatives from other backgrounds to zoom out on your own viewpoint.
Principle 5: Learn by doing
Adults learn best through experience, not instruction alone.
Remember that seeing is believing, but doing is understanding.
Creative examples you can apply:
Working Draft
Use mock-ups and prototypes early to help clients feel their product before it’s polished. It’s easier to learn from a working draft than have tons of back-and-forth before something tangible is created.
Test Drive
Build interactive demos (like clickable web prototypes) that clients or users can test drive.
Make It Interactive
For new teammates, design onboarding with tasks rather than just providing reading material.
When you understand how adults learn, your creative work goes from “aesthetically pleasing” to something undeniably useful, meaningful, and memorable.
Design for the mind (not just the eye)
When you understand how adults learn, your creative work goes from “aesthetically pleasing” to something undeniably useful, meaningful, and memorable.
Whatever kind of creative work you do, remembering the learner on the other side could be your new secret level-up to creating something that truly sticks.
So, next time you kick off a project, ask yourself:
“How am I designing not just for the eye, but for the mind?”
And you might be surprised by what opens up!
This blog post was written by our wonderful guest, Kelsey Funk – a former educator, and the current founder and instructional designer at Spark Learning Design. Kelsey works with small businesses and nonprofits to develop engaging eLearning courses and instructional videos that drive real results. If you’re looking to elevate your existing training or onboarding, develop impactful eLearning courses, or design innovative educational solutions, visit Kelsey here.