---
title: "The architecture of experience: Tying it all together (Part 1)"
description:  In this blog, Leapgen reviews key concepts related to human-centered digital transformation.  
image: https://www.applaudhr.com/hubfs/Social%20Media%20Assets/leapgen-architecture1.jpg
---

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# The architecture of experience: Tying it all together

Throughout Leapgen’s series for Applaud (now Mercer), we’ve talked about how the NOW of Work requires a [human-centered approach](https://www.applaudhr.com/blog/digital-transformation/designing-and-enabling-change-in-hr) for digital transformation. This approach encourages connection, inclusion, continuous improvement, and embraces the human experience over the employee experience which supports your team not just as employees but as humans. Let’s review some key concepts related to human-centered digital transformation.  

First, let’s recall what a human-centered digital transformation is and is *not*.

| **Digital transformation is** | **Digital transformation isn't** |
| --- | --- |
| Holistic | A technology implementation - technology is a vehicle |
| Beyond transactions and deeper into the why of the transaction | Connected does not equal connection |
| Connection with tools that simplify lives and engages people in meaningful and compelling ways |   |
| An appropriate balance between automation and simplification to allow humans to do more with what they really do best |   |
| Embedded into the culture, measured, and constantly enhanced and expanded, calling upon organizations to continue investing in and improving the experience for their employees |   |

 

Once organizations understand the concept of a human-centered digital experience, the next goal should be to match their HR capabilities with the appropriate interaction type for the user so that they can design their digital interactions in a meaningful and compelling way. The design of your digital interactions is focused on worker preferences and needs and has little to do with which platform or tool you leverage; what matters is ensuring every interaction feels seamless, relevant, and personalized. 

 

It’s important to remember **Hands, Heads, and Hearts **when considering what type of interaction is most important for a human experience.

 

**Hands: **These are the transactions that should just work. They don’t necessarily provide a compelling experience but they need to be repeatable, auditable and documentable (RAD). RAD processes are best suited for technology. 

 

**Heads: **This is where people and machines work together. We can [leverage data](https://www.applaudhr.com/blog/employee-experience/creating-a-personalized-experience-by-harnessing-the-power-of-employee-data) and analytics provided by technology and turn it into meaningful stories and strategies. 

 

**Hearts: **This is where you make an impact, where you can truly make a difference. These are your areas of strategic differentiation as an organization and as a result, where human interaction is imperative. 

 

The result: A digital HR experience that enables you to orchestrate services across systems while delivering personalized, consumer-grade interactions at scale, hallmarks of effective HR Service Delivery.Service Delivery solutions designed to make experiences more connected, more seamless, and more human, with AI embedded where it adds the most value.

 

The right mindset for transformation recognizes technology as fuel, not the vehicle, supporting a unified HR service architecture that centers on people, not platforms. 

![The architecture of experience pt1 - picture 1 ](https://www.applaudhr.com/hs-fs/hubfs/images/icons/Leapgen/The%20architecture%20of%20experience%20pt1%20-%20picture%201%20.png?width=408&name=The%20architecture%20of%20experience%20pt1%20-%20picture%201%20.png)

Let’s review the key elements of the framework:

 

**Mindset/Vision:** When setting your digital experience you must first understand where you are trying to go and how you are going to get there. 

 

**Persona/Audience: **After a clear vision is set, we focus on people: how do they support the end state, and how will the journey ahead impact them. 

 

**Journey/Process: **Knowing that informs decisions about how to improve the experience for the audience through processes.  

 

**Solution/Technology:** The last component is technology - ideally, [low-code / no-code HRSD tools](https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2020/03/24/14-benefits-of-low-code-app-development-that-tech-pros-love/?sh=7aa0296148d5) that empower teams to rapidly configure services, automate tasks, and unify the experience across channels like mobile and desktop. By leading with a clear vision and understanding the people and processes that need to evolve, the technology will naturally reveal itself. 

 

When starting a deployment, most organizations inherently default to creating detailed process maps from the beginning; diligently documenting who needs to do what, where those tasks should occur and how the requisite data needs to flow. 

 

As we’ve discussed, what most organizations don’t take into account is the employee sentiment during this experience. How does the employee feel when they have to go to 3 different places to find necessary documentation? How frustrating is it to not be able to get the support needed to complete a simple task? How does this process impact their career or add value to them? 

 

A journey map provides a real-time lens into the employee experience, revealing service gaps, streamlining HR delivery, and helping you prioritize improvements based on both sentiment and operational needs. It is a tool to assist in digital technology design. 

 

When your focus is purely on deploying systems, you risk delivering disjointed tools that employees avoid. Instead, effective HR Service Delivery begins with empathy and ends in adoption by making everyday interactions seamless, familiar, and outcome-driven. 

 

![The architecture of experience pt1- picture 2 ](https://www.applaudhr.com/hs-fs/hubfs/images/icons/Leapgen/The%20architecture%20of%20experience%20pt1-%20picture%202%20.png?width=492&name=The%20architecture%20of%20experience%20pt1-%20picture%202%20.png)

 

Figure 1: Leapgen Onboarding Journey Example

The five critical frameworks outlined above: PURPOSE, MINDSET, PEOPLE, PROCESS & TECHNOLOGY; are highly important *but how* do you go about designing human-centered digital experiences, and where do you even start? 

 

The final “leg” of Leapgen's roadmap for how to bring your digital experience to life: **LEARN - INNOVATE - DELIVER**. In the conclusion of our blog series, we will be unpacking this  “bring to life your digital experience” roadmap.

** Published February 23, 2022 / by [Lynsey Hathcock](https://www.applaudhr.com/blog/author/lynsey-hathcock)

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### Further Applaud news and insights you might like

<https://www.applaudhr.com/blog/digital-transformation/hr-efficiency-costs-and-the-roi-of-ai-powered-hrsd>

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