Learning Experience Designer (LXD) vs Instructional Designer (ID): The real-world guide to modern learning design

Same goals. Different approaches. Better together. If you've ever sat in a project kickoff and heard someone say, “We need a learning experience designer, not just an instructional designer,” you're not alone in wondering, What's the actual difference?

Both roles aim to help people learn. But they bring different mindsets, tools, and strategies to the table. One builds the blueprint. The other crafts the experience. And when used well, they complement each other beautifully.

This is your guide to understanding the real differences (and overlaps) between Instructional Design (ID) and Learning Experience Design (LXD), so you can make smarter hiring choices, build better courses, and design learning that sticks.

We'll unpack:

• What LXD and ID each do (in plain terms)
• Where their methods diverge—and why it matters
• Tools, outputs, and mindsets for both
• A side-by-side comparison table (yes, you can screenshot it)
• Why the smartest teams blend both.

Let’s make sense of it all.

First, what is instructional design?

Think of Instructional Design (ID) as the structured backbone of learning. It’s the systematic process of designing, developing, and delivering content that helps learners meet defined objectives.

Instructional designers focus on:

• Analysing training needs
• Structuring curriculum and content
• Developing assessments
• Evaluating whether learners achieved the outcomes

The most common approach? ADDIE: 

Analyse → Design → Develop → Implement → Evaluate. 

It’s methodical, measurable, and it’s still the go-to for organisations with compliance requirements or knowledge transfer at scale.

Want to see how it works in practice? Watch our Founder and CEO, Bianca, break down ADDIE in this video:

IDs tend to work on traditional formats: Courses, eLearning modules, curriculum frameworks, and training workshops. Their output is clean, instructional, and designed to prove the learner learned something.

Now, what is learning experience design?

If ID builds the structure, Learning Experience Design (LXD) shapes how it feels to be inside that structure. It's human-centred, emotionally intelligent, and draws heavily from UX, game design, and interaction design.

In other words, LXD puts the learner first and designs around them.

LXD focuses on:

• Understanding learners’ motivations, pain points, and context
• Designing for delight, not just delivery
• Using media, interaction, and story to boost engagement
• Testing and refining based on learner feedback

Rather than just what learners need to know, LXD is obsessed with how they’ll experience it.

The LXD process is iterative and empathy-driven. Think: 

Question → Research → Design → Build → Test → Improve → Launch.

It’s not just a design sprint. It’s a design journey.

Want to dive deeper into the difference between IDs and LDs? Watch Bianca explain it here:

The tools and outputs

Here's how the two roles typically compare when it comes to tools and outputs.

That said, in most real-world projects, the lines blur. IDs might borrow design-thinking techniques. LXDs often ground their creativity in cognitive science.

So what’s the real difference?

It comes down to this...

Instructional design is about instruction. Learning experience design is about experience.

Instructional designers build what learners need to know. Learning experience designers shape how learners feel while they’re learning it.

Instructional design thrives in environments where structure, consistency, and measurable outcomes matter most—think corporate compliance, academic credentialing, or certification training.

LXD excels when you're aiming for behaviour change, emotional engagement, or experiential learning like onboarding, DEI training, or social learning programs.

Still not sure who does what?

Let’s map it out.

Why you probably need both

Here’s the truth: Great learning design doesn’t live in silos. At Oppida, we use both disciplines, every day, on every project.

Instructional design keeps things grounded. LXD keeps things human.

Together, they help us create learning that’s not only compliant, but compelling. Not just measurable, but meaningful.

If you’re building a learning experience and want it to do more than just tick boxes, blend the best of both worlds. Use ID to define the destination. Use LXD to make the journey unforgettable.

The future is integrated

In 2025 and beyond, we’re seeing the smartest teams stop debating LXD vs. ID and start building bridges between them.

LXD isn’t here to replace instructional design. It’s here to expand it. And when used well, it elevates the entire learning process.

As one industry voice put it:

“The future of learning design lies in the thoughtful integration of both approaches, creating experiences that are both systematically effective and deeply engaging.”

We couldn’t agree more.

Need help bringing that blend to life? That’s where we come in. Whether you need strategic guidance or hands-on design, Oppida’s team of learning specialists is here to help.

Let’s build learning that earns a 10/10—from learners and stakeholders.

References

1. SkillSource – Overview of Instructional Design
2. ELM Learning – LXD vs ID Comparison
3. University of San Diego – Principles of LXD
4. Devlin Peck – LXD Questions and Processes
5. TTRO – Why LXD Emerged
6. Instructional Design Central – History of ID