A Leader's Response
by Yajaida De Jesus
An AI-powered simulation where leaders practice emotionally intelligent communication in the workplace conversations that are hardest to get right.
Supporting Project
Yajaida De Jesus built A Leader's Response out of two threads that crossed: the simulation work coming out of Devlin Peck's AI workshops, and the work she had been doing on her own emotional intelligence.
Difficult workplace conversations demand empathy and sound judgment, but practicing them in real time carries real consequences. Her simulation gives leaders a safe place to build those skills: a realistic scenario, an employee who is struggling and approaching burnout, and personalized feedback before any of it has to be applied at work.
A Conversation That Unfolds Differently Every Time
The experience opens with visual storytelling that establishes a clear reason for entering the conversation. Then the learner takes the leader's chair opposite Mira: struggling, hard to read, and approaching burnout.
The heart of the project is a dynamic, AI-powered text conversation. Because Mira's responses are AI-driven, each attempt can unfold differently, so learners practice responding to the conversation they actually get rather than the one a script planned for. Embedded guidance is available throughout, and real-time emotional-state feedback shows how their communication is landing.
It closes with personalized, AI-powered feedback that adapts to each learner's specific conversation: what they did well, and where an emotionally intelligent leader could have done better.
“Creating this project reminded me that some of the best opportunities come from simply following my curiosity.”
— Yajaida De Jesus
Born in the AI Workshops
The idea came directly out of Peck Academy's AI workshops. The simulation builder Devlin created, and the sample projects he shared, sparked the curiosity that became this project. From there Yajaida applied the instructional design principles from the curriculum, including user testing, with the ADDIE process as her framework for designing and iterating.
One piece of feedback strengthened the core of the experience: refining the AI prompts so Mira came across as less guarded and more realistic. The conversation flowed more naturally, and the simulation felt more authentic for learners.
Designing the Simulations She Just Discovered Exist
The build strengthened both skills and confidence: integrating AI into Storyline, sharpening AI prompting, and even building a chatbot with Claude Code. The project came together faster than she expected, and the feedback along the way reinforced that she can build innovative learning experiences when she is willing to experiment.
The biggest surprise was discovering that companies exist that do exactly this kind of work. Yajaida is now pursuing Simulation Designer, Learning Experience Designer, and Content Designer roles where she can combine instructional design, storytelling, and AI.
“Creating this project reminded me that some of the best opportunities come from simply following my curiosity. I wasn't planning to create another portfolio project at the time, but after participating in the AI workshops, I became excited about the possibilities of using AI to create more immersive learning experiences. I decided to lean into that curiosity, and before I knew it, I was building something that challenged me creatively and technically.”
“Throughout the process, I gained so much more than new technical skills. The workshops, feedback, and support from the Peck Academy community encouraged me to experiment, iterate, and keep improving the project. Along the way, I strengthened my AI prompting skills, learned how to integrate AI into Storyline, and gained confidence in my ability to design learning experiences that feel authentic, engaging, and learner-centered.”
“Looking back, this project represents an important milestone in my growth as an instructional designer. It not only expanded my skills, but it also introduced me to an area of instructional design that I didn't even know existed. Discovering that companies are using AI-powered simulations to help people practice difficult workplace conversations inspired me to pursue this type of work, and I'm excited to continue designing learning experiences that combine instructional design, storytelling, and AI to help people grow.”