By Portia East, Learning Designer
When it comes to digital learning, one of the most common questions organisations ask is: “Should we go for off-the-shelf content or invest in something bespoke?”
It’s a fair question, and one that doesn’t have a one-size-fits-all answer.
The truth? It’s not about which is better. It’s about which is better for you – your goals, your learners, your timeline, and your budget.
Off-the-shelf learning refers to ready-made courses that can be bought and rolled out with minimal setup. At Learning Nexus, we have a vast library of courses covering topics like legal/compliance, cyber security, health and safety, EDI (equality, diversity and inclusion), manager and people empowerment, mental health, and specialist topics like health, housing and care.
These courses are largely designed as introductions to specific subjects (e.g. manual handling within our health and safety suite). They cover the basics for a broad awareness of the subject and use solid instructional design principles to encourage learner engagement.
Benefits of off-the-shelf learning:
- Speed: You can get learners up and running quickly.
- Cost-effective: Ideal for smaller budgets or when the same content is needed across multiple organisations.
- Tested and proven: Built by experts, often updated regularly, and already tried and tested across industries.
It’s a bit like buying a well-made, reliable car straight from the showroom – no custom paint job, but it does the job brilliantly.
Bespoke learning is tailor-made – designed specifically for your organisation. Whether it’s a new system rollout, culture change, or niche subject, bespoke content allows you to reflect your brand, language and learning objectives.
Benefits of bespoke:
- Fully tailored: You get a course that speaks directly to your audience and your organisation’s unique context.
- Flexible formats: From interactive scenarios to branching narratives and simulations – anything’s possible.
- More engaging: Learners are more likely to connect with content that feels relevant and familiar.
It’s like commissioning a custom suit. It costs more and takes longer, but it fits perfectly
Here’s the key takeaway: It’s not about picking a winner – it’s about picking the option that works best for you.
- Need to deliver mandatory training to a large workforce pronto? Off-the-shelf is likely your best bet.
- Launching a new internal strategy or training on a unique process? Bespoke will give you the impact you need.
- Want the ease of taking something that’s already been written and checked, but want it specific to you? We’ve got you! Any of our courses can be tailored to your company, branding, tone of voice, or policies – it’s the best of both worlds!
In the end, it’s not actually off-the-shelf versus bespoke – it’s off-the-shelf and bespoke.
They’re both powerful tools with different strengths, and when used together strategically, they can deliver a flexible, scalable learning experience that really works.
So, instead of asking “Which is better?”, try asking: “What do our people need most?”
The answer will point you in the right direction!