Maximizing This Moment: Instructional Designers Harnessing the Trifecta of EQ, Design Thinking & AI

Now is the moment for instructional designers to embrace the powerful trifecta of Emotional Intelligence (EQ), Design Thinking, and Artificial Intelligence (AI)—with Learner Experience Design (LxD) as the connective framework that ties them together. In today’s environment, learners expect not just content, but meaningful, engaging, and adaptive experiences.

In this session we will reveal how EQ drives empathy-based research to uncover learner needs, how design thinking translates those insights into innovative prototypes, and how LxD provides the structure to ensure clarity, motivation, inclusivity, and flow. AI then steps in as the enabler—personalizing pathways, scaling impact, and providing adaptive feedback—while EQ keeps the experience human-centered. Together, these approaches allow instructional designers to maximize this moment, delivering learning that is not only future-ready but profoundly human.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

1. Map the Trifecta in Action – Show how EQ, Design Thinking, and AI connect within Learner Experience Design (LxD) to create stronger, more human-centered learning.
2. Design with Empathy and Structure – Use EQ insights and design thinking to shape learner-centered prototypes that align with LxD principles.
3. Activate AI as an Enabler – Integrate AI tools for personalization and feedback while keeping EQ and LxD at the core of the learning experience.

Wanda Scott Erinle | Found & CEO, WE Consulting Solutions

Wanda began her career as a network engineer, implementing systems and solutions for private sector and government clients. In her industry, she encountered the challenges of being a Black woman in technology—experiences that pushed her to strengthen and rely on her emotional intelligence long before EQ was widely valued in corporate America. What began as a personal tool soon became a professional differentiator.

As Wanda discovered her passion for not just training but truly developing people, her career evolved. She layered Human-Centered Design (HCD) and now AI onto her deep foundation of emotional intelligence, creating a powerful blend of technical and human-centered expertise.

Today, Wanda inspires learners of all ages—from challenging college students at Johns Hopkins’ Summer Business Academy to consider if AI & HCD can co-exist, to speaking at the 2024 Workforce Development Conference on optimizing workforce excellence with systems and online tools. Through her company, WE Consulting Solutions, she publishes The Design Difference newsletter and delivers programs that merge EQ, design, and technology to help individuals and organizations unleash their potential. Wanda thrives at the intersection of emotional intelligence, human-centered design, design thinking, and technology—maximizing each to develop people and transform learning experiences.