People First Internal Comms Design Lab

Internal comms has reached a turning point. AI can already produce copy in seconds, but it can’t design IC experiences that employees trust, remember, or feel part of. At the same time, people inside organisations expect communication that is personal, frictionless, and consumer-grade.

The PFIC Design Lab is an immersive, in-person masterclass that helps you make this shift. It blends the Explorer foundations of PFIC with a focused deep dive into the PFIC Design Loop —a brand new operating model for creating people-first communication experiences.

The PFIC Design Loop: from content to experience

In our book, People-First Internal Communication, we introduce the PFIC Design Loop — a repeatable cycle that helps communicators design, test, and refine communication experiences. It replaces content churn with a structured process rooted in empathy and iteration.

In the Design Lab, you’ll not only learn about the PFIC Design Loop, but practice using its core tools, including:

• Journey mapping – uncovering where communication adds value (and where it fails).
• Empathy mapping – understanding employees’ real needs, pain points, and expectations.
• The Life Spiral and Levels of Experience – practical PFIC tools for shaping meaningful moments.
• Rapid prototyping – testing ideas quickly before scaling them.

You’ll leave with artefacts, templates, and a personal toolkit you can apply immediately to re-imagine communication in your organisation.

This course is for you if you want to:

• Break free from the cycle of reactive content delivery.
• Apply a structured process (the PFIC Design Loop) to create superior communication experiences.
• Use empathy and journey mapping to understand employees in new ways.
• Prototype new approaches that leaders and employees can see and respond to.
• Gain recognition for your design capability.

By the end of the PFIC Design Lab, you’ll be able to:

✔ Explain the PFIC Design Loop and use it in your own work.
✔ Create journey maps that reveal key communication moments and gaps.
✔ Apply empathy-mapping and co-creation tools to design for people, not channels.
✔ Prototype and test new communication experiences effectively.
✔ Shift from “content producer” to experience designer, with tools to prove it.

Meet your instructors

This course is designed and delivered by the authors of People-First Internal Communication:

Emma Bridger, Co-Founder, The EX Space
Emma is one of the world’s top experts in employee engagement and experience. Author of Employee Engagement and Employee Experience by Design, she has trained thousands of professionals globally and helped leading organisations create better workplace experiences.

Lee Smith, Co-Founder, The EX Space
With over 30 years’ experience in internal communications and employee engagement, Lee is a recognised authority in the field. He co-founded the State of the Sector research and the Accelerate learning programme, and has worked with organisations worldwide to elevate IC from execution to influence.

Why join the PFIC Design Lab?

• Future-Proof Your Career: Learn the design capabilities that AI cannot replicate.
• Gain Recognition: Leave with a certificate and digital PFIC badge.
• Hands-On Learning: Practice the PFIC Design Loop using real tools and templates.
• Proven Framework: Grounded in People-First Internal Communication and its practical methods.
• Small Cohort: Just 15 participants, ensuring collaboration and peer learning.
• Network & Community: Join a community of professionals ready to re-imagine comms.

What others are saying about PFIC

“With AI it’s evolve or die for IC practitioners… but this book more than any I’ve come across sets out the new opportunity.”
— Marc Wright, Founder, Simply Communicate

“This really is our time! Lee and Emma don’t just talk about people-first comms, they show us how to do it… Bravo. This is a true masterpiece that propels internal comms into the future of work.”
— Jo Coxhill, Employee Experience & Culture Consultant

“Loved it! Easily the best book I've read all year and bang on for such a time as this.”
— Eduvie Martin, Past President, International Association of Business Communicators

Practical Information

📅 Date: Wednesday 21 January 2026
📍 Location: Central London
👥 Group size: Max 15 participants
💸 Price: £595 early bird / £695 standard plus VAT
(includes lunch and all course materials)

Ready to design the future of comms?

Seats are strictly limited and already in demand. Join us for the world’s first PFIC Design Lab and master the tools of the PFIC Design Loop — so you can create communication that employees will remember, not just receive.

👉 Reserve your seat today