The authors introduce the concept of design support tools and situate them in the pedagogic context of professional development for technology-enhanced learning (TEL) and the research field of learning design. Through focusing on the development and evaluation of one such tool, Phoebe, they discuss their value to lecturers in post-compulsory education as tools for planning and designing TEL. Their approach combined the agenda of learning design with requirements elicited from potential users. Findings suggest that design support tools that give priority to pedagogy over technology have a role both in everyday practice and in professional development programmes. Intrinsic motivation and a sense of ownership are key factors in their uptake; nevertheless, institutional support is crucial to success. Challenges to effective use include establishing meaningful representations of learning design, and supporting both guided and flexible paths through the design process. The authors conclude by outlining a successor project: the Learning Design Support Environment. (Contains 1 table and 2 figures.)