Joy Hawkins

is a learning designer and training leader who creates clear, human-centered experiences that make complex skills easier to understand and apply.

With a background in social work and decades of leadership in healthcare, she specializes in building practical solutions that support lasting growth in areas such as leadership, communication, and cultural humility.

Joy earned her BA in Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies and her MSW from the University of Washington.

Designing Learning. Delivering Joy.

I design learning experiences that help people do meaningful work with more clarity, confidence, and connection. My background in social work, healthcare, and workplace learning has shaped a human-centered approach to design — one that values empathy, practicality, and the realities of how people actually learn and work.

I bring both strategy and follow-through to the table: strong stakeholder partnership, thoughtful problem-solving, and a deep interest in communication, leadership, and behavior change. Whether I’m building a course, shaping a program, or helping define the bigger picture, I care about creating learning that feels purposeful, engaging, and genuinely useful.

Areas of Focus

  • Learner-centered, performance-focused learning design grounded in real-world context.

    I design experiences that help people build confidence, apply new skills, and navigate meaningful work with clarity. My approach draws on adult learning principles, scenario-based design, and a strong understanding of workplace realities.

  • Building engaging, accessible online learning using modern authoring tools and interaction design.

    I create digital learning that balances clarity, usability, and visual engagement — from self-paced modules to interactive scenarios and blended learning assets. Tools include Articulate Storyline and Rise, Vyond, Camtasia, and more.

  • Coherent, multi-modal programs designed for progression, alignment, and impact.

    I design learning beyond the single course — shaping onboarding, leadership development, and role-based learning pathways that support growth over time. My work often includes sequencing, modality planning, and stakeholder alignment across larger initiatives.

  • Using feedback, data, and real-world outcomes to understand what learning is doing — and where it can do more.

    I’m interested in learning that makes a difference, not just learning that gets completed. My work includes identifying success measures, gathering stakeholder feedback, and connecting training efforts to learner experience, operational goals, and behavior change.

  • Designing learning with the human experience in mind — for both the people delivering care and the people receiving it.

    My background in healthcare and social work informs a strong focus on communication, emotional safety, service quality, and the day-to-day realities of frontline work. I’m especially drawn to projects that improve how people experience systems, support, and care.

  • Creating learning that reflects people’s lived experiences and supports more inclusive, equitable workplaces.

    I bring a lens of cultural humility, psychological safety, and social context to the design process — especially in work involving communication, leadership, patient care, and behavior change. Inclusion, to me, is not a standalone topic; it’s part of designing well.Item description

Lifelong Learner.

Bachelor of Arts

2003 UNIVERSITY of WASHINGTON

Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies

Master of Social Work

2007 UNIVERSITY of WASHINGTON

Macro + Administration

ETC

eLearning Instructional Design Certificate

2025 UW PROFESSIONAL & CONTINUING EDUCATION

Mental Health First Aid

2018 HIGHLINE COMMUNITY COLLEGE

TeamSTEPPS Master Trainer

2014 AGENCY for HEALTHCARE RESEARCH & QUALITY

Contact Joy

Interested in working together? I’m currently open to full-time, part-time, contract, and freelance opportunities. Reach out — I’d love to connect.