I have found that mixing up active learning strategies keeps students on their toes. I have one project where they start out as a group, then work individually, then incorporate the other students individual parts in their projects, then funnel it into all back into a group project. Which is how they will end up working in the industry. The skills and concepts that they need to learn are onion skinned (layered) into the project. I start with "Why am I doing this?". If I do not have an underlying "philosophy" for my course/lesson I'm starting on a weak foundation. I then pick a delivery method(s). Then at the end of it (the preparation process) I figure out how to measure the success of the endeavour.