Designing AIggie: A Learning Experience Designer's Perspective
- Nicole Hargrove
- Aug 5
- 3 min read
Updated: Aug 5
Where Learning Engineering Meets Business Impact
One of the most rewarding projects from my Master of Arts in Educational Innovation, Technology, and Entrepreneurship (Learning Engineer concentration) was leading the design of a conversational AI to support Sales onboarding.
Our goal was clear: equip Sales teams to go to market confidently with Microsoft Azure AI Services, Microsoft Copilot, and Microsoft Copilot Studio.
I led the development of our AI persona—AIggie—starting with Microsoft Copilot Studio and later optimizing the experience through a custom integration with ChatGPT. This journey required balancing instructional design, simulation flow, and AI prompt engineering to create an experience that was both educational and business-relevant.
Why AIggie?
As a Learning Experience Designer, I’ve spent countless hours asking: How do we move beyond static content and into transformative learning experiences that align with business goals?
AIggie was our answer.
AIggie is a conversational AI-powered coach that helps new tech sales employees build product fluency, practice customer conversations, and refine their value messaging through adaptive simulations. AIggie is central to AIgnite Onboarding, our capstone project designed to modernize onboarding for fast-moving, high-growth teams.
But AIggie isn’t just a chatbot. AIggie functions as a scalable practice field, a real-time feedback engine, and a performance readiness tool—all in one.
The LxD Blueprint Behind AIggie
🧠 Situated Learning
Design insight: Learning must happen in context.
How it works: Learners pitch Microsoft solutions to AIggie, who roleplays a target customer. They engage in simulated conversations aligned with industry scenarios.
Business impact: Builds confidence and contextual fluency ahead of live customer meetings.
🪜 Scaffolding
Design insight: Learners perform better when support is aligned with their skill level.
How it works: Learners begin with foundational content, then transition into AI-powered practice with feedback. Support fades as confidence grows.
Business impact: Reduces ramp time while maintaining learning quality at scale.
🎭 Guided Improvisation
Design insight: Real-world sales conversations are unpredictable.
How it works: AIggie adapts to learner input in real time. No two simulations are the same.
Business impact: Strengthens agility and critical thinking in go-to-market situations.
💬 Feedback as Formative Assessment
Design insight: The best learning happens in the moment, not after the fact.
How it works: AIggie delivers actionable, scenario-specific feedback after each simulation.Business impact: Reinforces messaging accuracy and strengthens customer engagement skills.
Designing for Scalability and Engagement
From day one, we treated AIggie as both a learning tool and a product prototype. That meant prioritizing:
Scalability: Cloud-delivered, modular, and reusable
Engagement: Gamification (points, badges) and learner dashboards
Accessibility: Color contrast, plain language, mobile-responsive layout
Data insights: Performance metrics tied to learner progress and usage patterns
A Sales Simulation in Action
Imagine a new hire preparing for a Microsoft Copilot sales meeting with a higher ed customer. They ask AIggie:
“The university just received funding for a learning analytics lab. They’re exploring how Copilot could support data-driven instruction. Can you tell me what questions they might have?”
AIggie responds:
“Let’s roleplay. I’ll pose as the lab director. Explain how Copilot supports instructional design and grant compliance. I’ll interrupt, ask questions, and challenge your ROI story.”
Over 10 dynamic turns, the learner must adapt, clarify, and refine their messaging—just like they would in the field.
Why This Matters AIggie is a true conversational AI because it:
Understands user intent
Maintains contextual flow across turns
Adjusts responses based on learner input
Delivers immediate, relevant feedback
This is conversation as pedagogy—where AI enables meaningful practice at scale, without losing the human nuance of real learning.
Click through this presentation to learn more about AIggie.
The LxD Payoff: Learning That Drives Readiness
AIggie bridges the gap between learning about products and confidently selling them. It’s experiential, adaptive, and measurable.
As a Learning Experience Designer, I view this not just as course design—but readiness design. It’s about helping teams show up prepared on Day 1, aligned with both customer needs and product strategy.
Final Thoughts
Conversational AI challenges us to think beyond content delivery and into experience orchestration.
AIggie represents more than an onboarding solution—it’s a shift in how we imagine skill building: continuous, contextual, and available on demand.
If learning is to keep pace with innovation, then it must be just as agile and adaptive as the markets we train people to navigate.
As a Learning Experience Designer, I believe the future belongs to tools that feel less like training—and more like rehearsal for the real world.
AIggie is a step toward that future.
Let’s keep the conversation going.
Are you designing AI-powered learning experiences or tackling go-to-market readiness challenges? I’d love to exchange ideas. Connect with me on LinkedIn or drop me a message.
Always remember to EMPOWER through sharing knowledge, create global IMPACT, and leave a LEGACY!