How we work

We design before we build.
Every time.

Our methodology is built around a simple principle: start with the business outcome you need to move, then design backwards through behaviour change, skill development, and formal learning. Never the other way around.

Four beliefs that shape
every engagement.

Results backwards
Every design decision traces back to a business objective. We define what Level 4 results must move before we design a single learning moment.
Transfer by design
The 12 levers of transfer are not an afterthought — they are built into every programme from diagnosis to deployment.
Iterative by nature
The process runs in sprints with learner and stakeholder feedback loops at every stage. Nothing is built until it's been tested.
Co-designed
Learners are consulted, not just targeted. Their context, constraints, and voice shape the programme before a single module is built.

From audit to evaluation —
the full journey.

01
Free

Free Audit &
Top-Line Recommendations

Half day · Client-facing deliverable · No cost

Before any proposal, before any design, we spend half a day assessing your current state. We look at what you have, how it's performing, and where the most significant gaps are between training and real business impact.

Key activities
  • Review of existing training materials and completion data
  • Pulse interviews with 1–2 key stakeholders
  • Top-line assessment of likely transfer failures
Methodological anchors
  • Kirkpatrick framework as the diagnostic lens
  • Initial 12 levers of transfer scan
Deliverable Short recommendations deck — what seems to be working, where the main gaps are, what a full engagement could address.
02
1–3 weeks

In-Depth Audit
& Strategic Proposal

1–3 weeks · Internal + client-facing deliverable

A rigorous, evidence-based picture of the situation before any design begins. We move through all four levels of the Kirkpatrick model — from business results that need to move all the way down to what learners need in the room — and assess the current programme against the full 12 levers of transfer grid.

Key activities
  • Business needs analysis (Level 4 — what results must move?)
  • Departmental needs analysis (Level 3 — behaviours)
  • Learner needs, contexts and constraints (Levels 1 & 2)
  • Environmental scan — manager support, culture, tools
  • Full 12-levers audit of existing programmes
  • Stakeholder alignment workshop
Methodological anchors
  • Kirkpatrick New World Model (Level 4 → 1)
  • 12 levers of transfer as diagnostic grid
  • LXD empathy and context mapping
Deliverable Full situation report + strategic proposal with recommended learning experience architecture.
03
Iterative

Modelling &
Co-Design Sprints

Iterative · Internal working phase with learner touchpoints

The design phase — where the learning journey takes shape before any production begins. We work in sprints, testing each design iteration with a real learner panel before building anything. This is where the Sodyba Day and other signature interventions are designed and validated.

Key activities
  • Learner persona development
  • Learning journey mapping — sequence, modalities, touchpoints
  • Sprint 1: draft architecture → test → iterate
  • Sprint 2: prototype key learning moments → test → iterate
  • 12-levers activation plan design
  • Client sign-off before production
Methodological anchors
  • LXD persona and journey mapping
  • 12 levers as design checklist
  • Agile sprint logic — design, test, improve
  • Kirkpatrick Level 3 & 4 outcomes embedded
Deliverable Validated learning programme blueprint — modalities, sequence, transfer activation plan.
04
Sprints

Production

Structured sprints · Internal with review gates

Building all learning materials and environments to the validated specification. Delivered in chunks — not as a big-bang handover — with client and learner review at each gate.

Key activities
  • E-learning modules, facilitator guides, job aids
  • Sprint-based production — review at each chunk
  • Accessibility and localisation checks
  • Quality assurance gate before deployment
Methodological anchors
  • Agile sprint production
  • LXD principles — engagement, relevance, application
Deliverable Full learning experience package — tested, validated, and ready for deployment.
05
Rollout

Deployment

Planned rollout · With manager and stakeholder preparation

Ensuring the learning experience lands well in the real organisational context — not just technically deployed, but genuinely activated. The first cohort always runs as a structured pilot.

Key activities
  • Manager briefing and activation
  • Learner onboarding and communication plan
  • Facilitation of in-person or virtual sessions
  • First cohort as pilot — structured feedback collection
  • Pilot review gate before full rollout
Methodological anchors
  • 12 levers — deployment phase (manager support, opportunity to apply, peer support)
  • First cohort pilot loop — collect, review, adjust
Deliverable Live learning experience + pilot review report + adjusted version ready for full rollout.
06
Ongoing

Evaluation vs.
Objectives

Ongoing · Shared with client

Measuring whether the learning experience delivered the business results it was designed for. Not satisfaction scores — actual behaviour change and business impact, compared against the baseline established in Step 2.

What we measure
  • Level 1 — learner satisfaction and perceived relevance
  • Level 2 — knowledge and skill acquisition
  • Level 3 — behaviour change on the job
  • Level 4 — business results vs. objectives set in Step 2
Methodological anchors
  • Kirkpatrick New World Model — full four-level evaluation
  • Comparison against Step 2 baseline
Deliverable Evaluation report with ROI indicators and recommendations for next cycle.

Step 6 feeds back into Step 1. The evaluation findings become the starting point for the next engagement — building a continuous improvement cycle that compounds over time.

Built on the gold standard
frameworks.

Kirkpatrick New World Model

The industry's most rigorous framework for connecting learning to business results. We define objectives from Level 4 (business results) down to Level 1 (learner reaction) — never the reverse. Evaluation is built in from Day 1, not added at the end.

The 12 Levers of Transfer

Research-backed framework for making learning stick on the job. The 12 levers — from manager support and opportunity to apply, to peer support and performance environment — are treated as a design checklist, not an afterthought. If a lever isn't activated, behaviour change is unlikely.

Learning Experience Design (LXD)

Human-centred design applied to learning. Learner personas, journey mapping, empathy research, and iterative prototyping ensure that every programme is built around the real experience of real people — not an imaginary average learner.

Agile Sprint Methodology

Design and production run in short sprints with review and feedback loops at every stage. This means nothing is built at scale before it's been validated — and the final programme reflects real learner and stakeholder input, not just initial assumptions.

See the methodology in action —
start with a free audit.

Step 1 is always free. No commitment, no proposal until you've seen the findings.

Book your free audit →