BRANZ is an independent research organization dedicated to improving the quality and resilience of buildings in New Zealand. Through rigorous testing, evidence-based research, and practical guidance, BRANZ helps shape a future where everyone can live in warm, dry, healthy and affordable homes. To make that happen, they need to help build a strong, innovative industry with the right skills and knowledge to tackle future challenges.
A key part of this mission is ensuring that building professionals – architects, builders, and consent officials – have access to high-quality training that translates research into real-world impact. Bridging that gap between research and practical application has been one of the biggest challenges for BRANZ. Along with ensuring that their training is accessible and their content is engaging.
The team at BRANZ recognized that their strengths are in science-backed research and testing and not learning design. They knew that their training could be improved, and wanted to partner with experts in learning design to better transform their technical insights into engaging and digestible learning experiences.
That’s where Arlo comes in.
Developing a clear, learner-first strategy
As BRANZ’s team leader for channel delivery, Nick Stocker’s role is to oversee a team of experts who work together to translate research into high-value, practical insights and guidance.
The initial project that Nick tackled was to create new learning resources focused on earthquake resilience. The earthquake resilience training will soon launch as part of MBIE’s skills maintenance program, making it widely available to industry professionals who play a critical role in safeguarding homes across New Zealand. Nick recognized the need for an external learning designer, and set out on this project with Arlo’s learning designer Hugh Denton.
Working closely with BRANZ and key stakeholders, including the Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment (MBIE) and the Natural Hazards Commission (NHC), together, they developed a clear, learner-first strategy. The project began with an in-depth discovery phase, where project stakeholders, subject matter experts and builders shared their real-world challenges and best practice recommendations. This deep understanding informed the learning objectives, structure and design of the learning, ensuring it directly addressed the needs of those in the field.
Once everyone was on the same page with the design, Hugh worked with the technical and editorial teams to create storyboards for the learning modules. The storyboard is a design tool that provides a visual representation of the structure, content and flow of the learning experience – illustrating how the learner will engage with the module using scenarios, gamification and other activities.
“Hugh was involved right from the start. He led the discovery stage by bringing everyone together and gathering different perspectives from stakeholders. From there, he combined technical insights with client and user needs to create a learner-centered high-level design document.”
Nick Stocker – Team leader for channel delivery
From there, they moved into the build stage, where Hugh and the Arlo team brought the learning to life with animation and interactions. The learning was built using a responsive design, meaning the modules automatically adapt to desktops, tablets, and smartphones with touch-friendly navigation. This allows builders to complete modules on-site via mobile devices. By the end of the online learning, builders can confidently and competently describe why and how to build new residential homes, and retrofit existing residential homes, to be more seismically resilient.
“Hugh and the Arlo team were fantastic to work with. What stood out was how they always put the learner first, keeping the project on track while ensuring the final product was engaging and effective. Their ability to translate complex research into practical, digestible training has been invaluable.” Says Nick.
By adopting a modern, learner-centric approach, BRANZ has set a new standard for how research can be transformed into meaningful, accessible training. They’re ensuring that essential knowledge doesn’t just sit in reports but actively contributes to safer, stronger, and more resilient homes across New Zealand.
For BRANZ, this is just the beginning. With the success of this project, they see enormous potential to continue evolving how they deliver insights to the industry to help build a strong, innovative industry with the right skills and knowledge to tackle future challenges.
“By partnering with experts in instructional design, we’re confident that the vital information helping to build better homes and a stronger construction sector is reaching the right people. We’re excited to see the impact that good course design will have and look forward to the positive outcomes it will bring.”
Nick Stocker – Team leader for channel delivery
