Build an innovation academy.
How might we create a powerful learning experience?
Sage builds cloud accounting and business software trusted by millions of small and mid-sized companies worldwide.
Project Lead and Service Designer, shaping Sage's first internal learning academy from research to launch.
Sage wanted to pioneer a new model for internal learning — starting with an Innovation Academy that would serve as the blueprint for future ones. Over twelve weeks we audited existing platforms, built three learner personas, mapped journeys and iterated through eight prototypes and three rounds of user testing. The academy is now live, owned by a dedicated four-person team, and has set the pattern for how Sage trains its people.
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Sage embarked on a groundbreaking initiative to establish specialised academies — a novel concept within the organisation. The Innovation Academy would be built first and serve as the blueprint for future ones.
The challenge was dual: creating a central repository for innovation tools and training while pioneering a new model for learning within Sage.
A one-week competitive audit of existing learning platforms, followed by conversations with colleagues across the company to understand sentiment and expectations around learning.
Eight prototypes built in Miro and Figma, refined through three rounds of user testing and one focus group. Feedback shaped meaningful revisions throughout, alongside three learner personas and journey maps that kept decisions anchored to real needs.
A small, dedicated team: me as project lead and service designer, another UX designer, and one developer.
Outcome
An ideal user-centred design process. Most of this design has been built into the Innovation Academy — now live, with a dedicated team of four people taking care of it.