In Mumbai Railway Station, if you daydream on the platform, you might be swept into a local train by a sea of people. Squeezed into suffocating darkness, you'll eventually find yourself at an unknown station miles away, standing at a destination you didn’t choose.

 

After completing my 10+2 exams, I was swept away by a similar tide, ending up as an engineer.

 

I knew this wasn’t my true destination. 

 

I pursued 3D Animation and leveraged my engineering and creative background to master Massive, the crowd simulation software used in 'The Lord of the Rings.' That’s when I realized no learning is wasted.

 

My learning journey never stopped. Driven to design compelling stories and connect meaningfully with audiences, I honed my visual storytelling skills across various mediums. I developed e-learning modules for Abbott Laboratories and created numerous explainer videos. 

 

As my passion project, I wrote and directed the short film ‘The Pervert’s Puzzle,’ which won 22 awards and received 46 official selections in film festivals. I was invited to the 9th China International Short Film Festival in Shenzhen for its screening and discussion.

 

Returning from China, I joined Toffee Ride, a learning app for primary school kids, tasked with improving the learning experience. We envisioned Toffee Ride evolving into TOBO, a robot tutor for K5 students. TOBO, a friendly robot companion, would guide the learning experience. We developed learner-centric designs, gamified learning modules, and prototypes.

 

For this project, I learned the Octalysis Framework to enhance learner motivation. Foundational principles like ADDIE, Bloom's Taxonomy, and Gagne’s 9 Events of Instruction guided our approach.

 

Every experience has shaped me into the storyteller and learning experience designer I am today. When someone asks me ‘What does a Learning Experience Designer Do?’ I tell them that I blend psychology, animation, gamification, and filmmaking to create engaging learning experiences. 

 

When that doesn’t excite them - I tell them in Hollywood Trailer Voice:

 

“We run a simulation to plant an idea into the learner's mind - to alter their behaviour”

( Christopher Nolan, are you listening? )

 

Heroic Music - The End