What We Design Before We Build

As we look ahead to the Learning Forward Texas Summer Conference, I’m sharing a short series that explores not just the sessions and speakers, but the design behind the experience. These posts offer a mix of perspectives, including conversations with presenters and a closer look at how specific elements of the conference are intentionally designed to support connection, learning, and professional community.

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When planning a conference, it’s easy to start with the visible pieces, like the schedule, the sessions, and the activities.

“What’s our lunch menu?”

“What’s our theme this year?”

“Do we need something interactive?”

These are natural questions, and I’ve asked all of them myself.

Over the years, I’ve helped plan everything from student council dances to campus events to regional and statewide learning experiences. Now, in my second year serving on the Learning Forward Texas Annual Conference planning committee, I’ve noticed something about how we tend to design:

We often start with the visible what (logistics, schedules, activities) before we fully name the why. (A nod to Simon Sinek)

That shift, from what are we doing to what experience are we trying to create, has been one of the most important changes in my own practice. It’s a perspective I began to sharpen after reading The Art of Gathering, and it’s one I now carry into every planning conversation.

Instead of jumping straight to logistics or tools, I return to a few guiding questions:

What do I want participants to feel?

What do I want them to notice?

What do I want them to do, both during the experience and after they leave?

These questions don’t always lead to quick answers, but they do lead to more intentional design, and they often change the direction entirely.

Naming the -INGs

Over time, I’ve found that one of the most helpful ways to clarify purpose is to articulate what I want participants to do during an experience. I call this my strategy of -INGs. (I share more about this approach in this post.)

I use those verbs as an anchor for the design.

For example, at a conference for instructional and digital coaches, the purpose centered on collaborating, observing, analyzing, celebrating, and humanizing (which conveniently forms COACH). Every part of the experience, from sessions to transition activities, was designed to support those actions.

At a STEM event for students, the goal was to help them see themselves in engineering. The -INGs we identified (envisioning, connecting, and igniting) shaped everything from hands-on stations to reflection prompts and even how partners and sponsors engaged.

Once the -INGs are clear, the purpose becomes more visible. And when the purpose is clear, the rest of the design begins to fall into place.

That idea has stayed with me across many different contexts, including conferences like Learning Forward Texas.

And I believe the most important design decision is naming what you want people to do.

Designing an Experience

For the past two years, Crisha Lewis (a newly appointed LFTX Board Member) and I have been charged with creating an optional “engagement experience” designed to complement, not compete with, the learning.

As we began planning last year, we started with the question: What do we want participants to be doing before, during, and after the conference?

We brainstormed -ING words, which became the foundation of what we called the ABCs of Engagement. We brought that idea to life through a simple bingo board designed to prompt small, meaningful actions throughout the conference. (You can revisit that experience in last year’s post.)

This year, we refined the experience with new goals in mind. One idea kept rising to the surface: belonging. Not just attending or participating, but feeling like you are part of something. We also considered the subtle barriers that can exist at conferences, especially for participants who may be unsure where to begin or how to engage.

From there, we identified a set of actions we hoped to encourage: connecting, reflecting, exploring, and applying ideas. Each word represented something participants might do, not just something they would receive.

To bring clarity to those ideas, we organized them into a simple structure. This year, the ABCs took on a new meaning: Acceptance, Belonging, and Curiosity.

These were not just categories. They became anchors for the experience we were designing. Acceptance invites participants to be open to new ideas. Belonging focuses on connection and community. Curiosity encourages exploration and new perspectives.

By the time we began building, we weren’t guessing. We were designing toward something we had already named.

From Planning to Prototype

Once the experience was clear, the activity itself felt like a natural next step.

At the same time, I had been exploring new ways to create simple digital tools, inspired in part by a course I was taking with Tony Vincent. I had been experimenting with what’s often called vibe coding, which is using AI to quickly prototype ideas and bring concepts to life.

The result is a digital choice board, generated using ChatGPT and ready for participants to explore at this summer’s LFTX Conference.

Participants engage with short, low-friction prompts connected to the ABCs. Some activities can be done once, while others can be revisited. All are designed to encourage connection, reflection, and exploration across the three days of the conference.

The goal was never to add complexity or distract from the learning. It was to create small invitations that support the experience we had already defined.

What This Might Look Like in Your Context

If you are planning a conference, a meeting, or even a single professional learning session, this approach can start small.

Instead of beginning with formats or tools, start with a few simple questions:

• What do you want participants to experience, feel, and do?

• What actions would help create that experience?

• Where might small invitations lower the barrier to participation?

For example, if your goal is to move beyond passive participation at a back-to-school session,

your -INGs might include connecting, reflecting, and applying. From there, you might design short partner conversations, quick reflection prompts, or small action commitments that carry into the first weeks of school. The activities and structures are designed to support those -INGs.

The format may change, and the technology may evolve, but the purpose remains the anchor.

Designing with Intention

This project began with a simple question: What do I want participants to feel and do?

The answer did not start with a tool. It started with conversations, reflection, and a willingness to pause before building.

Whether you are planning a conference, a meeting, or a professional learning session, the same idea holds true:

Clarity comes before creation.

You may find that once those answers are clear, the rest becomes much easier to design.

If you’ll be attending the Learning Forward Texas conference this summer, I invite you to experience these ideas in action. Explore the ABC activities, notice how they show up across the event, and consider how they align with the broader goals of connection, learning, and professional community.

Learn more about the conference and register on this page.

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Kathryn Laster brings over 30 years of education expertise as a math teacher, instructional coach, and digital learning consultant. As an independent consultant, she creates and facilitates transformative learning experiences through intentional, human-centered, tech-infused design, with a goal of normalizing excellence in professional learning.

Connect with Kathryn at kathrynlaster.info and at Refined Learning Design.