iSpring and AI help me engage even disinterested learners and get peace of mind

With a strong background in language education and digital design, Foteini Sofouri has built her career around creating learning experiences that inspire action. 

She won first place in the iSpring Course Creation Contest (Winter Edition) for her SEO Basics for Beginners course. Just a few months later, she returned to the community — this time as a mentor for the Summer Contest, helping new participants bring their ideas to life.

Background

Foteini Sofouri, Learning Experience Designer

Foteini Sofouri is a web and eLearning developer and Learning Experience Designer based in Seville, Spain. She helps organizations create digital learning experiences and conversion-focused websites that drive users to take action — to learn, register, or engage.

After more than seven years in language education, where she designed and delivered high-impact learning programs, she now has her own practice — foteini.dev — where she helps clients worldwide build eLearning solutions and websites that work better.

In this interview, Foteini shares how her experience with web design and language schools shaped her unique approach to designing learning that drives action — building motivation and momentum among learners.

What is the biggest challenge you face as a learning experience designer? 

As a freelance learning designer, I often work on specific parts of a project rather than the entire process cycle. For this reason, I don’t always have access to post-implementation data, such as ROI metrics or learner performance statistics. 

This makes it challenging to measure the impact of my work. Having that feedback would be incredibly valuable for improving future projects and demonstrating the effectiveness of the learning solutions I create.

How do you generate buy-in from those who will participate in your projects?

I use two approaches: real impact communication and proof of value.

On communicating impact

I believe it’s essential to clearly communicate the transformation learners will experience by the end of the program: what specific skills they’ll gain and how those skills will impact their work. 

From the start, I focus on making outcomes as concrete and relevant as possible to boost interest and motivation. 

On proof of value

It’s also important to deliver on that promise, ensuring that the training truly aligns with what participants need to achieve. 

On testimonials

Another effective strategy is to share testimonials from early participants or beta testers who can explain how the program benefited them. Their stories provide authentic proof of value and help generate interest in the program.

How do you establish positive momentum with new implementations?

For me, maintaining momentum starts with consistently collecting feedback from participants and using it to refine and improve the program. When learners see that their input directly shapes the learning experience, they stay engaged.

In corporate training, it’s also helpful to involve managers in the process. When leaders take an active role and help create a sense of accountability, it reinforces the importance of the program and helps sustain long-term momentum.

What is one thing you would tell your younger self about learning experience development?

I’d tell my younger self that instructional design is such a great fit for someone who loves learning and helping others grow. It’s creative, meaningful, and constantly evolving — a perfect fit for a lifelong learner.

And honestly, I’d just tell myself that this career exists, because back then, I didn’t know it was an option. If I had, I probably would’ve gotten into it much earlier.

Is there anything that those who are not working in L&D may find surprising about your day-to-day process? 

What surprises most people about instructional design is that you can create effective learning experiences on a topic without necessarily being an expert in it. That’s where collaboration with subject matter experts (or SMEs) comes in. 

As a learning designer, my job is to use the knowledge and information that SMEs provide and turn it into a meaningful learning experience.

That includes analyzing needs, setting goals, structuring the content, and ensuring that the training program delivers on its promise to learners and stakeholders.

Let’s talk about challenges and the ways you overcome them. Can you remember something specific from your experience? 

One of the biggest challenges I’ve faced was when a group of participants joined our training program mainly because they needed to get a certificate. They didn’t seem very interested in the actual learning outcomes.

This lack of intrinsic motivation created difficulties for the facilitator and had a noticeable impact on both the pace of the sessions and the group dynamics. 

We decided to implement three key solutions:

1. Gather regular feedback about their goals and the specific skills they wanted to develop.
2. At the start of each session, we made a point of showing how the tasks would help them reach those goals.
3. We also incorporated several group-building activities to help participants feel more connected and work together as a team.

Once they started engaging more, feeling part of the group, and seeing the real value of the training, their mindset began to change. But that initial stage was definitely the hardest part.

Do you use AI to aid your learning program? Or are you planning to start doing so?

For now, I mostly use AI tools for note-taking, editing, and summarizing information. I also use AI in my own learning process to create personalized learning paths when I need to familiarize myself with a new topic for a course. 

I’m really interested in exploring how I can use AI to create that same kind of personalized learning experience for others.

With diverse projects, how do you avoid burnout? Can you share some tips?

I use a mix of digital mind maps and calendars to stay organized and avoid burnout. The mind maps help me visualize processes and see the big picture, while the calendar keeps me on top of tasks and deadlines. 

Having everything laid out and getting reminders really gives me peace of mind.

It also helps me set more realistic timelines for projects. And I use AI tools for repetitive tasks, which saves a lot of time and lets me focus on the creative side of my work.

If you want to launch your own practice while keeping burnout at bay, engage even the most resistant learners, and work efficiently even when data is scarce, book a free consultation with an iSpring eLearning specialist. 

iSpring Suite and iSpring LMS can help you get everything laid out with a great structure, get all the benefits of AI without switching tabs, and create highly engaging courses that deliver true business impact.