ABOUT BEST BY DESIGN
Welcome
I’m Alison Best. I design workplace training: tailored learning solutions to prevent problems and help your people be their best at work.
With over twenty years’ experience working with clients in professional, legal, and financial services, I turn complexity into clarity and design learning experiences that last.
Whether you need a leadership workshop, an online resource, a quick-turnaround training intervention, a thinking partner on a culture initiative, or a refresh of an existing approach, I listen to understand your goals and provide flexible, focused support.
I work creatively in partnership with you. With exceptional learning, your people can be their best. By design.
HOW I HELP
Designing impactful training
Partnering training and culture consultancies
Designing impactful training
I design practical, engaging training programmes that stick. From management skills to culture change, I shape learning that your people care about: that they connect with and use.
Creating scalable resources
Partnering training and culture consultancies
Designing impactful training
I create toolkits, digital modules and just-in-time resources covering a wide range of topics and tailored to diverse audiences: accessible, flexible and effective across geographies, cultures and languages.
Supporting your in-house teams
Partnering training and culture consultancies
Partnering training and culture consultancies
I support in-house HR, Learning & Development, and DEI teams by designing programmes they can confidently roll out themselves - practical, adaptable, and engaging.
Partnering training and culture consultancies
Partnering training and culture consultancies
Partnering training and culture consultancies
I partner with consultancies as an associate, providing additional design and facilitation capacity and bespoke digital expertise. I bring experience and flexibility, delivering seamlessly under your brand.
DESIGNING WITH BEST BY DESIGN
From law to learning, digital design to mediation, I bring a distinctive range of experience to create learning that lands for your teams:
- Legal and regulatory - A lot of workplace learning addresses risk directly and, even more often, requires an understanding of the legal framework. My career began as an employment lawyer at Herbert Smith and Mills & Reeve and I bring that skillset to my learning design.
- Learning and development - Since 2012 I've been designing and facilitating a wide range of resources and programmes - changing cultures, improving performance, reducing risk.
- Digital learning design - I have extensive experience of creating dynamic online training that is accessible, scalable, and effective. Sometimes I build the learning myself; other times I collaborate with clients’ digital teams or specialist eLearning partners.
- Mediation - As a qualified mediator, I design solutions that improve communication and resolve conflict within organisations.
LEARNING THAT HAS IMPACT
Some examples of what I've created
- Leadership skills workshops - condensing detailed material into short, sharp updates for time-poor leaders.
- Anti-harassment resources for teams and leaders in different sectors.
- Inclusion workshops for senior leaders (including those resistant to DEI) in a professional services firm.
- An online course on workplace culture for thousands of employees across five continents.
- Manager training on investigations and disciplinary/grievance hearings.
- Mediation skills for HR specialists in a law firm.
I choose the tools and formats that will work best for the audience and the subject, whether digital, virtual or in person. That might include models, visuals, examples, exercises, scenarios, and video or live drama. The goal is to ensure participants engage with the learning, and the messages resonate and last.
AI in its proper place
AI can save time in learning design. But it isn't the start or end point. It needs great instruction and strategic refinement. The best learning is human-centred:
- Designed by real humans for real humans. AI gives generic output. It's a smart start. Then, my learning design meets people where they are - an unapologetically human approach.
- Addressing anxieties. Many people worry about AI in their workplace. Automated training in a vacuum can make this worse. I bring the reassurance of organic design.
- Without hallucination. AI gets things wrong. Accuracy matters when it comes to your culture, the law, and workplace behaviour. My background in law, inclusion, and culture change, means I design solutions that are credible, relevant, and practical.
- In-the-moment challenge. Behaviour change requires conversation, reflection, and challenge. People need to explore it together, guided by skilful (human) facilitation.
AI is a tool to accelerate design. I deploy it with skilful human handling.
ABOUT ALISON
At a glance
My background
- Diploma in digital learning design - Digital Learning Institute
- Certified mediator - Society of Mediators
- Former facilitator, Head of Design & Innovation, and Head of Training at training consultancy byrne·dean (2012-2024)
- Former employment solicitor - Herbert Smith and Mills & Reeve LLP (1998–2012)
- Law graduate - University of Cambridge
- State-school-educated in South Wales
- Mother to two adult humans, a golden retriever, and an overweight cat
I conscientiously take time with you and your people to:
- Translate complex legal and cultural issues into clear, practical learning.
- Create inclusive and safe spaces where even resistant participants can engage.
- Design digital courses and resources that associates or in-house teams can use with confidence and at scale.
- Bring a global perspective, having worked across Europe, Asia, and North America.
