A learning design is a description of a method enabling learners to attain certain learning outcomes by performing certain learning activities in a certain order in the context of a certain learning environment.

A learning design is based on the pedagogical principles of the designer and on specific domain and contexts variables (e.g., designs for mathematics teaching can differ from designs for language teaching; designs for distance education can differ from designs which integrate face-to-face settings).

Several hundreds of designs are described in literature, each based on different assumptions about the teaching and learning process. In daily practice, most teachers and trainers apply their own principles of learning. This leads to a countless number of possible design solutions for the same content domain.