why most L&D innovation is just
style over substance.

Innovation is everywhere in L&D, from VR to gamification to AI-driven platforms, there’s no shortage of new tools promising to transform corporate learning. But the uncomfortable truth is that much of this “innovation” is little more than style over substance. It looks impressive in a pitch deck or at an expo, but fails to drive meaningful impact once launched.

The data is sobering with around 50% of corporate training programs fail to deliver lasting results because they are either irrelevant, poorly designed, or disengaging. Despite the proliferation of new technology, surveys from CIPD and Towards Maturity show that only a third of organisations report having a genuinely positive learning culture. If all this innovation was working, the statistics would look very different.

The reason so much of it falls flat is simple. It’s always tech-first and not learner-first. New platforms get rolled out without asking the most basic questions, what do people actually need, how do they work, and what barriers are stopping them from learning effectively? Without that grounding, you can add as many 3D simulations or AI prompts as you like and still fail to move the needle on behaviour. Or worse, innovation is often measured by completion rates or immediate feedback rather than long-term retention and application, meaning we never really know if the training worked.

True innovation doesn’t start with tools, it starts with people. Research shows that when evidence-based practices like spaced repetition, retrieval practice, and emotionally engaging storytelling are applied, retention can double or triple compared to traditional methods. Real innovation means combining those proven approaches with technology that enhances them, not distracts from them.

It’s about more than just designing shiny objects that look incredible, it’s about designing for impact first. Innovation for us is about behaviour change, not box-ticking and emotional engagement rather than an empty interaction. If new tools help us achieve that, we’ll use them. If they don’t, we won’t. Because innovation that doesn’t create lasting change isn’t really innovation at all, it’s just noise with better branding. Check out some of our recent projects here.