Pacific Blue Solutions

Pacific Blue Solutions Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Pacific Blue Solutions, Educational consultant, Alpha Works, Alpha Tower, Suffolk Street Queensway, Birmingham.

We help L&D teams amplify learning impact and effectiveness with simple, credible evaluation strategies, innovative instructional design techniques and AI performance support tools. We offer training and 'done for you' services in the following areas: measuring and evaluating training effectiveness; instructional design for all delivery mediums including e-learning and virtual classroom; and, Articulate Storyline.

Same Hours, Different Work - Why does e-learning development still take so long? A closer look at where time really gets...
30/06/2026

Same Hours, Different Work - Why does e-learning development still take so long? A closer look at where time really gets spent in modern L&D projects.


Why does e-learning development still take so long? A closer look at where time really gets spent in modern L&D projects.

When “Bad” Training Still Works - Why do some poorly designed training sessions still work? Exploring the factors that i...
16/06/2026

When “Bad” Training Still Works - Why do some poorly designed training sessions still work? Exploring the factors that influence learning effectiveness beyond instructional design alone.


Why do some poorly designed training sessions still work? Exploring the factors that influence learning effectiveness beyond instructional design alone.

Modern authoring tools and AI are undeniably powerful. But have they actually made high-quality e-learning dramatically ...
02/06/2026

Modern authoring tools and AI are undeniably powerful. But have they actually made high-quality e-learning dramatically faster to produce?

I recently revisited some historic e-learning development time research and was surprised by how relevant parts of it still feel today.

The tools may have become much more capable but the manual craft, production effort and review complexity behind genuinely interactive learning hasn’t disappeared.

In this latest Learning Academy article, I explore why e-learning may have become more powerful without necessarily becoming massively faster.



Why does high-quality e-learning take so long to produce despite modern tools and AI? Exploring the complexity and economics behind e-learning design.

One of the most frustrating things in L&D is watching a well-designed programme produce uneven workplace results.Some le...
26/05/2026

One of the most frustrating things in L&D is watching a well-designed programme produce uneven workplace results.

Some learners apply the learning quickly and confidently. Others struggle to turn good intentions into consistent action.

In a new article on the Learning Academy blog, I explore a possibility we don’t discuss often enough: What if part of the issue isn’t just the training itself — but the learner habits people bring into real work situations afterwards?

Things like:

• confidence under pressure

• self-management of learning

• turning intentions into action

• recovering from early setbacks

Because increasingly, workplace performance depends not just on what people learned… but on whether they know how to use learning effectively once they’re back on the job.


Why do some learners apply training successfully and others struggle? Explore the habits and behaviours that influence learning transfer and performance.

One of the most influential shifts in modern learning design has been the growing focus on how the brain actually works....
19/05/2026

One of the most influential shifts in modern learning design has been the growing focus on how the brain actually works.

Attention is limited.
Memory is unreliable.
Stress interferes with performance.
Emotion shapes what we notice and remember.

All of which has led to better, more cognitively-informed approaches to learning design. But I’ve been wondering about something slightly deeper recently.

What if understanding the brain isn’t just about designing around human limitations?

What if part of L&D’s role is also helping people become better at managing uncertainty, difficulty and early failure when they return to the workplace?

I explored that tension in a new article on the Learning Academy blog: 'Work with the brain but don't stop there.'



What does brain science mean for learning design? This article explores if L&D should do more than design for human limitations.

Why L&D Should Consider Learning to “Speak Visually” - Why visual communication is becoming an essential L&D skill — esp...
12/05/2026

Why L&D Should Consider Learning to “Speak Visually” - Why visual communication is becoming an essential L&D skill — especially as AI tools make visual storytelling easier and more accessible.

Why visual communication is becoming an essential L&D skill — especially as AI tools make visual storytelling easier and more accessible.

Learning styles refuse to die — not because the evidence supports them, but because they feel right.In part two of this ...
06/01/2026

Learning styles refuse to die — not because the evidence supports them, but because they feel right.

In part two of this short series, I look at why the idea took hold, how research from Mayer and Clark has been misunderstood, and why none of this really matters once performance is required.

If you work in L&D and have ever felt uneasy about learning styles but struggled to articulate why, this one’s for you.

Learning styles feel intuitive, but evidence tells a different story. Why preference-based learning misses the point — and what matters instead.

Learning styles are one of the most persistent ideas in L&D. They sound intuitive. Learner-centred. Common sense. The pr...
16/12/2025

Learning styles are one of the most persistent ideas in L&D. They sound intuitive. Learner-centred. Common sense. The problem? When you look closely at the research, the evidence just isn’t there.

In this week’s post, I unpack what decades of research actually say about learning styles — what’s being challenged, what isn’t, and what works better if your goal is real learning and performance.


Learning styles are popular in L&D — but the evidence doesn’t support them. Here’s what the research actually says, and what works better.

Does music actually help you focus? Or just make work more pleasant?I revisited John Medina's Brain Rules and paired it ...
02/12/2025

Does music actually help you focus? Or just make work more pleasant?

I revisited John Medina's Brain Rules and paired it with some fascinating research from MIndLab. The results? Music doesn't make you smarter but it can definitely shift your frame of mind and prepare you to think more smartly...


Music doesn't make you smarter; but it can shift your mental state. Here's what John Medina and MindLab reveal about using music to improve focus.

AI isn’t evenly smart. And for L&D, that really matters.In Part 2 of my “Jagged Edge” series, I explore what this uneven...
25/11/2025

AI isn’t evenly smart. And for L&D, that really matters.

In Part 2 of my “Jagged Edge” series, I explore what this unevenness actually looks like in real L&D work:

Where AI is consistently strong
Where it’s still unreliable
How L&D can navigate that gap safely and confidently

If you’re trying to make sense of AI’s role in your design work (or avoid the places it still falls short), this one will help.



Where AI helps L&D and where it still falls short. A practical guide to navigating AI’s “jagged edge” and designing around its strengths and weaknesses.

Address

Alpha Works, Alpha Tower, Suffolk Street Queensway
Birmingham
B11TT

Opening Hours

Monday 9:30am - 6pm
Tuesday 9:30am - 6pm
Wednesday 9:30am - 6pm
Thursday 9:30am - 6pm
Friday 9:30am - 6pm

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