Industry | EdTech.

Our creative solution | We redesigned Gaia Learning’s platform to enhance accessibility and reduce cognitive friction using a human-centred design and gentle AI.

The results | Higher engagement, easier onboarding, and stronger learner support.

The challenge

In the realm of education technology, a profound challenge loomed over educators and learners alike. On one hand, clunky, admin-heavy dashboards sparked frustration as they triggered endless clicking and searching, making simple tasks feel like navigating a labyrinth. On the other hand, overly gamified platforms, shimmering with dazzling interactions, often miss the real needs of students, leaving them yearning for substance over spectacle.

In the midst of this chaos, Gaia Learning emerged, a vision born from a desire to bridge the gap for neurodiverse learners and their educators. The mission was clear: to create an intuitive interface that would resonate with children, parents, and teachers alike.

Our solution

UX design to create an intuitive learner dashboard

Accessibility wasn't just a feature; it was the heart of every design decision, ensuring that neurodiverse learners could navigate with confidence and joy. The dashboard displays a vibrant tapestry of live classes, mood and engagement tracking, with robust safeguarding protocols.

Dashboard for learner behaviour, participation and inclusion | Designed for Humans / Gaia Learning

Calendar-based scheduling dashboard | Designed for Humans / Gaia Learning

Refined colour palette and typography to enhance the brand and improve accessibility

While Gaia's initial brand exuded warmth, we were determined to amplify its charm for the digital landscape.

We meticulously refined the colour palette to comply with WCAG AA standards, ensuring that learners wouldn't experience fatigue during their sessions.
We reimagined the typography for enhanced readability, especially aiding those with dyslexia, while thoughtfully added icons and emojis communicated progress and mood at a glance, eliminating the need for long, dense text.

Setting up these styles accelerates the workflow, helps with consistency and enables smooth handover ready for development.

Building the design system with Tailwind ready colour tokens, font sizing and corner radius | Designed for Humans / Gaia Learning

Design system code ready components

We created a design system with code-ready components, enabling developers to implement features faster and more consistently, while giving Gaia Learning a scalable foundation for future growth. This reduced development time, ensured consistent UI across modules, and made future feature rollouts smoother.

Screenshot of some of the components created, with states and breakpoints — Just some of the components created, with states and breakpoints sizing for different views and interactions | Designed for Humans / Gaia Learning

User journey flows that reduce friction

We collaborated online to brainstorm the essential user journeys, so that:

Learners could seamlessly join classes, track their mood, and review their courses with ease and familiarity, feeling empowered every step of the way.
Educators can plan lessons effortlessly, monitor student engagement, and document interventions in a seamless manner, making their days feel lighter, reducing administrative tasks while still providing the necessary documentation to meet regulatory compliance.
Parents would receive clear, jargon-free insights into their child's progress, allowing for deeper connections and support at home.

To bring this vision to life, we crafted each interaction to feel organic and welcoming, like stepping into a warm, familiar space. We introduced an engaging "mission-style" course layout, reminiscent of exciting adventures, which made learning feel like a journey rather than a chore. This approach informed parents of their child’s progress without overloading or overcomplicating it.

Educators flow for the key stages in the system | Designed for Humans / Gaia Learning

Harnessing helpful, not intrusive AI

As we moved forward, we defined the scope and introduced AI as a gentle companion that would softly whisper insights to the learner, rather than overtaking actions. This included:

Attention tracking through subtle cues, such as camera and voice activity to help educators recognise when engagement dips.
Mood tracking would offer early insights into learners' well-being, creating a nurturing environment.
Pattern recognition would monitor attendance and performance, suggesting timely interventions without judgment or bias.

AI wasn't there to grade or oversee; it was simply a quiet observer, offering insights to empower educators rather than replace their intuition.

Contextual overlays to not disrupt the user flow using smart AI | Designed for Humans / Gaia Learning

A workspace that feels like home

In a pivotal moment of inspiration, we conceptualised a workspace that mirrored the warmth and familiarity of a real classroom. The Class Board became a vibrant blend of whiteboard-like scribbles, lesson resources, and quick mood check-ins, inviting collaboration and creativity.

Students found joy in fluidly transitioning between structured courses and exploratory projects such as "Glow Up" or "Mission to Mars." Educators, in turn, could document notes, track participation, and plan lessons seamlessly, all within one inviting space.

A space for colaboration and easy access to course materials | Designed for Humans / Gaia Learning

The results

As Gaia Learning unfolded, the results began to illuminate the path forward:

Educators found precious time saved with early intervention signals and streamlined lesson prep, allowing them to focus on what truly mattered: teaching.
Learners thrived in environments that adapted to their individual needs, celebrating every small triumph along the way.
Parents appreciated the crystal-clear progress tracking, fostering a stronger bond with their children's learning journeys.

What we built together was more than just a digital academy; it was a living support system for neurodiverse learners, imbued with empathy, accessibility, and intelligent AI at every turn.

Key takeaways

Throughout the journey, we learned invaluable lessons listening to feedback and user needs from schools, parents and educators. Teachers didn't want more tools or complexity, they sought clarity and simplicity. Students weren't after distractions, they craved genuine support, and AI shouldn't overshadow the human element; it should harmonise with it, listening and adapting.

Gaia Learning's platform serves as a testament to the beautiful coexistence of accessibility and AI, demonstrating that when educators, learners, and families are kept at the heart of the design, true magic happens.