Meet the Expert: Jayden Lee, UX-Research Lead at EduNext

Jayden has led innovation labs at two major online higher-ed platforms, focusing on student experience and course engagement. With over 6 years in UX research and product innovation, Jayden’s specialty is running design thinking workshops tailored for fast-growing online education businesses.

Why do design thinking workshops matter more for growth-stage higher-ed companies focusing on innovation?

Jayden: Once you hit rapid growth, the usual waterfall approach to product development slows everything down. Design thinking workshops flip the script by compressing ideation and validation cycles. For online courses, where student needs evolve fast and competition is fierce, these workshops help teams prototype solutions quickly—think new onboarding flows or adaptive learning paths—in days, not months.

But here’s a gotcha: these workshops need tight alignment on goals. I’ve seen teams run sprawling sessions that feel creative but don’t connect to actual metrics, like course completion rates or learner retention. Growth-stage companies need workshops laser-focused on innovation that drives measurable impact.

How do you craft a design thinking workshop agenda that balances creativity with higher-ed business metrics?

Jayden: Start by defining a clear “north star” metric. For example, if your goal is improving course completion, anchor the workshop around identifying barriers to engagement and testing fixes. Use a mix of qualitative and quantitative inputs: maybe start with quick survey feedback from Zigpoll or Qualtrics on learner pain points.

Then, break the agenda into distinct phases:

• Empathy & problem framing: Dive into learner personas and journeys using real data, not assumptions.
• Ideation with constraints: Push creative solutions but within the bounds of current technology and curriculum requirements.
• Rapid prototyping: Sketch or wireframe solutions focusing on UX flows that impact your metric.
• Validation planning: Define how you’ll test prototypes, whether A/B tests or in-platform experiments.

An edge case is when teams ignore tech feasibility until too late—that kills momentum. In higher-ed, constraints like LMS compatibility matter, so integrate engineers early.

What emerging technologies have you integrated into design thinking workshops for higher-ed innovation?

Jayden: Virtual reality (VR) and AI-powered tools are at the front. For instance, we used VR in a recent workshop to simulate immersive lab environments for STEM courses. This sparked ideas that led to a pilot where students reported a 20% higher engagement rate after three weeks.

AI tools like GPT-based brainstorming assistants can generate idea prompts during ideation, helping avoid the common "groupthink" trap. We paired this with Miro boards so participants could quickly iterate on AI-generated concepts, refining them with domain expertise.

But watch out: VR demos require decent hardware, which not all participants have at home or in small offices. Also, AI tools can sometimes surface irrelevant ideas—always pair AI suggestions with critical human judgment.

How do you keep design thinking workshops nimble while scaling across multiple teams in different locations?

Jayden: Standardize the core workshop framework but customize problem statements per team. We created a modular kit with templates, role cards, and timing guides, distributed through an internal wiki.

To tackle remote dynamics, we rely heavily on tools like Zoom breakout rooms paired with collaborative platforms like MURAL or Figma. Surveys via Zigpoll help gather asynchronous input before and after sessions, which keeps everyone in sync despite time zone differences.

A limitation: workshops tend to lose energy when stretched over multiple days remotely. We keep sessions under 3 hours and use “homework” tasks to maintain momentum.

What pitfalls should mid-level UX researchers avoid when facilitating these workshops in a fast-scaling company?

Jayden: The biggest trap is assuming everyone shares the same vocabulary around “innovation.” In higher-ed, product managers might focus on revenue per course, while instructors prioritize pedagogy quality. Without upfront alignment on success criteria, workshops can veer off course.

Also, don’t skip the synthesis phase. After the workshop, compiling insights into a clear, actionable roadmap is crucial. I’ve seen teams leave behind piles of post-its that never translate into experiments.

One more: Beware of “shiny object syndrome.” Emerging tech is fun but sometimes distracts from solving core learner problems. Always tether tech ideas back to learner outcomes and business goals.

Can you share a success story where a design thinking workshop drove significant innovation and business growth?

Jayden: Sure. At EduNext, a growth-stage online university platform, we ran a workshop focused on lowering dropout rates in their largest introductory course, which had a 45% attrition rate.

Using design thinking, the team identified that the onboarding emails were generic and not personalized. We prototyped adaptive email flows with dynamic content blocks based on learner profiles.

The pilot saw completion rates climb from 55% to 67% over a semester—a 22% relative increase. Importantly, this wasn’t a vague “better engagement” stat but a direct boost to revenue because more students finished and progressed to paid certificate tracks.

How do you handle resistance or skepticism about the value of design thinking workshops among stakeholders?

Jayden: Start with data. Show a quick pilot where workshop-driven changes led to measurable improvements. Use feedback tools like Zigpoll to capture anonymized input from participants about the workshop’s effectiveness.

Frame workshops as hypothesis-generating labs rather than extended meetings. Mid-level managers often appreciate clear, short cycles of experimentation over open-ended brainstorming.

A useful tactic: invite a respected stakeholder as a “guest observer” to the workshop. Their buy-in tends to ripple through the rest of the organization.

What’s your advice for mid-level UX researchers wanting to introduce these workshops in companies with rigid processes?

Jayden: Start small and local. Run a 2-hour session with your immediate team focused on a narrow problem—like improving the course search UX.

Use that success story to build credibility. Document everything—process, tools used, outcomes—and share widely.

Another tactic is to introduce emerging tech components—like AI-assisted ideation—as a way to spark interest and differentiate the workshop from standard brainstorming.

Keep in mind, institutional inertia in higher-ed is real. Some execs might push back on “unstructured” sessions. Tailor your language to emphasize iteration, risk mitigation, and alignment with academic goals.

How do you measure the impact of design thinking workshops in highly experimental innovation environments?

Jayden: Tie workshop outcomes directly to KPIs tracked in your product analytics. For online courses, that’s often student retention, user satisfaction (CSAT), or conversion from free to paid tiers.

Set up pre- and post-workshop benchmarks. If your workshop aimed to improve onboarding, measure session duration, drop-off points, or engagement with key features before and after interventions.

Surveys—using Zigpoll or Typeform—can capture qualitative shifts in learner sentiment or educator feedback.

Heads up: some innovation outcomes take months to surface. Use interim metrics like prototype usability scores or internal team confidence scores to keep momentum.

What final tactical advice can you give for optimizing design thinking workshops specifically for growth-stage online higher-education companies?

Jayden: Focus your workshops on one key learner or business problem per session. Resist the temptation to solve everything at once.

Mix tech-driven ideation tools with real-world academic constraints. Don’t let “cool tech” overshadow accessibility and pedagogy.

Use asynchronous survey tools like Zigpoll for prep and follow-up. It’s often hard to get busy teams in the same room, so asynchronous input keeps everyone engaged.

Finally, embed engineers and data analysts in the process early to keep ideas grounded in feasibility and impact potential.

Design thinking workshops aren’t just creativity exercises—they’re innovation engines when run with discipline, data, and a bias toward action. For mid-level UX researchers in higher-ed online courses, mastering this balance unlocks growth opportunities that traditional approaches can miss.