Tom Payani

Tom Payani

Learning Experience Designer

15+ years designing and building production training in code — branching narratives, AI-evaluated simulations, multi-language SCORM. Delivered for Google, Amazon, BBC, IKEA, Hilton, Credit Suisse, the UK Government, and 20+ other enterprise clients across the UK, US, EU, and LATAM.

15+

years in L&D

22+

enterprise clients

50+

programmes shipped

4

languages (EN · DE · FR · ES)

Selected clients

Google logo
Amazon logo
IKEA logo
Octopus Energy logo
Capgemini logo
EA logo
Credit Suisse logo
SpokenSense logo
Comic Con logo
BBC logo
7taps logo
American Red Cross logo
Autodesk logo
Slow Journalism logo
Hilton logo
Homeless logo
Learn Appeal logo
Multiplex logo
Nana logo
University of Cambridge logo
Key2enable logo

What I build

A practical breakdown — course-level USPs, activity mechanics I've designed and coded, and the production stack behind them.

Course design

  • Multi-POV branching narratives
  • Deterministic multi-ending routers
  • Cross-module carry-forward state
  • Framing-device resolution (bookend reveal)
  • Per-character voice + internal monologue
  • Multi-language localisation (4 langs)
  • AI sandbox (LLM-evaluated responses)
  • Veo 3 cinematic cutscenes

Activity mechanics

  • Audio-evidence composer (chronological assembly)
  • Video watch-and-flag (real-time bias detection)
  • Reaction-window intervention timing
  • Transcript highlighter (phrase-by-phrase tagging)
  • Hot seat — multi-question hearing
  • Risk-matrix 5×5 + budget controls
  • Stakeholder HUD with live score bars
  • Reputation meter (dual-credibility)
  • Unreliable narrator (continuous annotation)
  • Perspective shift (dual-POV replay)
  • Email triage (4-bucket priority sort)
  • Notice composer (form validation tiers)

Stack & tools

  • HTML / CSS / JavaScript (vanilla, no framework dependency)
  • Astro 5 · React 19 · Tailwind v4 (marketing site)
  • SCORM 1.2 wrapper + LMS integration (Moodle, TalentLMS, Cornerstone, Go1, OpenSesame)
  • Claude Code — paired-programming production workflow
  • Veo 3 (text-to-video) · Firefly (image generation) · Inworld TTS (voice acting)
  • Anthropic + OpenAI APIs · RAG retrieval pipelines
  • Git · Netlify · GitHub Actions
  • Spanish C1 · UK / EU / US / LATAM regulatory familiarity

Selected work

End-to-end production: design, copy, illustration, voice direction, code, SCORM packaging. Click any card to play the live demo or open the case study.

References

Senior contacts at past clients, available to speak to my work on request. Quoted endorsements below are from LinkedIn.

Working with Tom has always been a pleasure. His enthusiasm, drive, creativity, and expertise are balanced by a calm, thoughtful, and patient approach to problem-solving — all focused on delivering the best possible learning and development experience.
Jo Timerick

Jo Timerick

Managing Editor, Cambridge University Press

Tom delivered an eLearning experience that met our objectives and was clearly grounded in a strong discovery process. He took the time to understand our needs before designing the solution, and his communication throughout design and development made expectations clear at every stage. The result was a well-executed learning experience we would confidently recommend to others.
Jose Rubinger

Jose Rubinger

CCO, Key2Enable

We hired Tom as our curriculum designer, and he took the time to truly understand our goals before planning the project. The process was thoughtful and well structured, and we're very happy with the work he delivered. We would highly recommend working with Tom.
Florencia Bollini

Florencia Bollini

CEO, Nanaheals

With Martyn's Law coming into force, we needed every member of our front-of-house and security team trained on premises preparedness. Not as a tick-box exercise, but in a way they'd actually retain. Tom put our staff inside realistic incident scenarios and worked them through the first 90 seconds of a response. The single SCORM package serving three audience tracks meant door staff, managers, and security leads each got the right depth. We're using it as our standard pre-event briefing across our UK shows.
Richard Tewkesbury

Richard Tewkesbury

Hospitality & Events Director, Comic Con

See the Martyn's Law training →

Awards, speaking & recognition

Industry awards, podcast hosting, lecturing, and recognised partnerships.

eLearning Industry — 5-Star Rating

Top-tier user-review rating across listed courses on eLearningIndustry.com.

Training Industry Network — Choice Awards

WINNER — Custom Content / Program Development.

AI for Business — postgraduate lecturer

Lectured on AI at MA level — one of the first business-school modules to cover LLMs, prompt engineering, and AI-native workflows as applied skills.

Director of Teaching & Learning — Institut auf dem Rosenberg

Led teaching-and-learning strategy at Institut auf dem Rosenberg (St. Gallen, 2017–2020). CPD delivery for 50+ teaching staff, IB verification.

SweetRush partner network (US, top-10 eLearning agency)

Contracted on enterprise learning programmes for SweetRush’s Fortune-500 client roster.

MA TESOL, Education and Leadership

University of Portsmouth · 2018–2020. PGCE (Business Education) · Kingston University. BA Politics 2:1 · Loughborough.

Let's work together

Open to senior LXD, L&D leadership, and founding-team roles — remote, UK, EU, or hybrid in the Gulf.