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In our Human-Centred Design (HCD) team, we’ve got some really talented people. But being great at what you do doesn’t mean you stop learning. We believe in always pushing the boundaries - whether it’s sharpening skills, exploring new ways of working, or just understanding what makes our colleagues tick.

That’s why I decided to create a learning programme to help our team share knowledge, explore new ideas, and grow together. I called it SkillBlend. It’s been a journey, and honestly, I didn’t expect it to take off the way it has. But let me tell you how it all came to life.

From idea to action

Our team is a mix of about 40 people spread across three disciplines: digital design, content design, and user research. While we all work towards the same goals, I noticed a gap - people wanted to pick up new skills and understand their colleagues’ work better, but opportunities to learn were limited.

That’s where SkillBlend came in. It started as a personal challenge: could I create something that helped us bridge those gaps, build skills, and understand each other’s work better? It was a bit out of my comfort zone and definitely a side-of-the-desk project, but I was determined to make it work.

Behind the scenes of SkillBlend

SkillBlend started in April 2024 and, since then, every fortnight, someone from the team has run a session. They pick a topic they’re passionate about and we all come together to learn.

From the start, we wanted these sessions to be anything but boring. No endless slides or monologues. Instead, we’ve leaned into hands-on workshops, open discussions, and creative ways to deliver content - because learning works best when you’re having fun.

Examples of different activities we went through in the sessions.

To kick things off, I surveyed the team to find out what people wanted to learn about. Since then, we’ve hosted 12 sessions, covering a mix of skills across the three disciplines. From prototyping, to running a usability test, or talking about stakeholder management - it’s been a good mix. Recently, we’ve started to bring in guest speakers from outside our HCD team, which has been a big hit. We’ve discussed topics like writing for social media and running engaging retrospectives.

To add a bit of fun, we started creating posters to advertise the sessions. Without planning it, a bit of a film and TV theme emerged. It’s become part of the vibe: informal, creative, and not taking ourselves too seriously.

Examples of posters created to advertise the sessions – Poster image source: Google.

Listening and growing

With me being a researcher, I had to know - was this actually any good? So, I sent out a survey to see how people felt about the programme. The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, which honestly exceeded my expectations.

Here’s what the team has said:

  • A chance to connect - people love interacting with colleagues they don’t usually work with.
  • A safe space to learn - no question is too silly, and everyone feels comfortable joining in.
  • Content that’s helpful and relevant - the sessions give people practical tools they can use in their day-to-day work.

But don’t just take my word for it - here are some quotes from members of the team.

"It’s fantastic to experience our team members sharpening their skills by sharing their knowledge at the same time as broadening each other’s understanding of our roles."

Stuart Pill, Principal Designer

"The SkillBlend sessions have provided colleagues across the HCD team with a platform to share their knowledge and expertise. These sessions have sparked excitement as well as interest about each other's roles as designers, content designers, and researchers, fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation for each discipline."

Sorina Oprea, Senior User Researcher People Leader

"I've had the opportunity to co-run a few SkillBlend sessions and attend many more this year. It's been great to experience both sides of the process. SkillBlend sessions are unique opportunities for our team to come together, not just to listen and learn from each other, but to actively discuss our perspectives and the value of each week's topic. The flexibility in how we create and run these sessions keeps them fresh and engaging. It's fascinating to see how different people and disciplines approach sharing information, which can be as inspiring as the topic itself."

Laura Venus, Senior User Researcher

"SkillBlend has been a great way to get a glimpse into other people's minds and how they approach their work. It's been interesting hearing from members of the HCD team and also from the wider organisation."

Lily Brinn, Senior Content Designer

"3 things I love about SkillBlend sessions: I learn new skills. They’re not lectures (presenters think about ways for everyone to participate). They bring the design team together."

Ben Oakley, Digital Designer

Improving every step of the way

It hasn’t all been smooth sailing, and we’re still tweaking things. We’ve taken the same user-first approach we apply to designing products. We listen, adapt, and improve based on what works.

One big challenge has been time. People love the sessions but often struggle to fit them around their busy work commitments. We’ve also seen some anxiety around running sessions, with people worried their topics weren’t useful enough or that they don't have the time to prepare.

We’ve worked to tackle this by focusing on these principles:

  • Basic is brilliant - reassuring everyone that they don’t need to reinvent the wheel.
  • Share the load - encouraging people to team up and run sessions as a pair or a team.
  • Plan ahead - designing sessions with enough time in advance and being flexible if changes are needed.

What’s next for SkillBlend

This programme has been about more than just learning. It’s about building connections, sparking curiosity, and helping our team grow stronger together. Here’s what’s on the horizon:

  • More topic ideas - we’ll create a detailed list of potential session topics to make it easier for people to choose and prepare.
  • External speakers - we’ll continue inviting more guests from across the business to share skills and insights that can improve collaboration.
  • Continuous improvements - we’ll keep listening, testing, learning, and adapting to ensure the programme stays valuable and relevant.

It’s been an absolute privilege to see it come to life, and I can’t wait to see what’s next.

Making it happen together

Now, I might have created this programme, but I couldn’t have made it what it is without some incredible support.

Thank you to the people who’ve always believed in this idea, helped me refine it, and given me the space to make it happen. And to the ones who have helped make sure everything runs smoothly, keeping people engaged. All your help has been invaluable!

And of course, the biggest thank you goes to everyone who’s run a session. Your willingness to share your expertise, think creatively, and try something new has been what’s made this programme so successful. You’ve made it inspiring, engaging, and truly valuable for the whole team. I couldn’t have done it without you.

Sara Braganca Sara Braganca is a Senior User Researcher part of our in-house User Research team.