eLearningbyDana

Discovery

Discovery is the early phase of a learning project where the team gathers information, asks questions, and clarifies the business need, audience, performance problem, constraints, stakeholders, and project expectations before deciding what solution to design.

Discovery

Before designing the solution, understand the problem you are trying to solve.

Discovery is the early part of a learning project where the team gathers information, asks questions, and builds a shared understanding of the request.

The goal is not to collect everything possible. It is to uncover enough of the business need, audience, performance problem, context, constraints, and expectations to make informed decisions.

Discovery Starts With Better Questions

The original request is often only the starting point. Discovery helps uncover what is underneath it.

Why?

What business or performance need triggered this request?

What needs to improve or change?
Who?

Who is affected, and what do they already know or do?

What is happening in their real work environment?
What Next?

What should people do differently after the solution?

How will we know the effort helped?
Discovery should clarify the need before the team commits to a course, tool, format, or other solution.

Look Beyond the Content Request

Good discovery considers the conditions surrounding the learning problem, not just the information stakeholders want included.

Business Need Why the project matters, what outcome is expected, and what is driving the request now.
Audience Roles, experience, existing knowledge, motivation, environment, accessibility, and support needs.
Performance What people currently do, what they need to do, and what may be preventing successful performance.
Project Reality Timeline, budget, tools, technology, stakeholders, approvals, dependencies, and other constraints.
Discovery helps separate the learning problem from the project assumptions that arrived with the request.

Discovery Uses More Than One Source of Information

Stakeholders provide important context, but their perspective is only one part of the picture.

✦
Gather Evidence Build a clearer picture from multiple perspectives
→
Sponsors + Leaders Business need, priorities, expectations, risks, and desired outcomes
SMEs Processes, knowledge, exceptions, examples, and performance expectations
Learners + Managers Real workflow, barriers, existing support, and everyday challenges
Existing Evidence Data, reports, content, prior training, support tickets, audits, or observations
When possible, compare what stakeholders say should happen with evidence of what actually happens.

Discovery Turns a Request Into a Clearer Direction

The outcome of discovery is not necessarily a complete design. It is enough clarity to make the next set of decisions responsibly.

Request “We Need Training”

Start with the stated request, concern, or proposed solution.

→
Discover Understand the Need

Explore audience, performance, context, evidence, requirements, and constraints.

→
Direction Define What Happens Next

Confirm scope, priorities, additional analysis, and the most appropriate solution path.

Discovery reduces the risk of designing a polished solution for a poorly understood problem.

Discovery Should Match the Size and Risk of the Project

Not every project needs weeks of discovery. The depth should reflect the complexity, uncertainty, impact, and risk involved.

Right-size it
What do we still need to understand before making a responsible decision?

A short update may need a focused conversation. A complex transformation may require interviews, observation, data review, and deeper analysis.

✓
Low uncertainty Confirm the need, audience, change, and requirements quickly.
✓
Complex problem Explore multiple perspectives and investigate performance barriers.
✓
High risk Gather stronger evidence before committing to the solution.
✓
Stay purposeful Stop collecting information once the team has enough clarity to move forward.
Discovery should create clarity, not become analysis for its own sake.

Before Moving From Discovery Into Design

The team should be able to explain what it has learned, what remains uncertain, and why the proposed next step makes sense.

Final question
Do we understand the problem well enough to start designing?

Discovery does not eliminate every unknown. It creates enough shared understanding to move forward with fewer assumptions and better questions.

✓
Need is clear The business or performance problem can be stated clearly.
✓
Audience is understood The team knows who is affected and the important context around their work.
✓
Constraints are visible Key timeline, technical, resource, accessibility, and project realities are known.
✓
Next step is justified The team can explain why it is moving toward a particular solution or further analysis.
Strong discovery replaces “What should we build?” with a better question: “What needs to change, and what will help?”

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