How UX shapes the next generation of EdTech products

The education technology market is expanding quickly, with projections showing it will surpass $180 billion by 2025. This growth is driven by a demand for personalized learning and ways to track progress with data. To succeed in this market, EdTech companies must shift their focus from just technology to the user experience (UX) and how well their products actually help people learn.

Great UX design in EdTech is not just about looking good; it directly impacts how engaged, motivated, and successful learners are. This post will explain how a strong focus on UX, accessibility, and new technologies like AI is essential for creating EdTech products that truly make a difference. We’ll outline how strategic design is the key to building the future of learning.

The Link Between UX and EdTech Solutions in Learning

Effective UX is the foundation of a successful learning product. Structured UX design plays a crucial role in creating engaging, accessible, and learner-friendly educational platforms. When a platform is intuitive and easy to navigate, students and teachers can access tools and resources without frustration. This efficiency is the first step toward genuine engagement.

• Engagement and Motivation: Products that include interactive elements, personalized learning paths, and multimedia content keep users motivated. Research shows that visuals can account for up to 90% of the information our brain processes, which significantly improves knowledge retention and leads to better learning outcomes.
• Solving the Retention Crisis: Many software industries, including EdTech, struggle with low retention rates. Users quickly abandon platforms that are confusing or difficult to use. This is often a direct result of poor UX. A product-led approach that prioritizes usability is the solution. Good UX is essential for a product’s success in the EdTech market, driving adoption, engagement, and long-term viability.
• Supporting Teachers: In schools, teachers are the gatekeepers. If a platform complicates their workflow with clunky tools for rostering or grading, they won’t use it. An EdTech product that simplifies administrative tasks for educators leads to higher adoption and better engagement for everyone.

Bridging Pedagogy and Product Design

Learning Experience Design (LXD) is where UX principles meet the science of learning. Effective edtech solutions rely heavily on strong UX/UI design to create engaging, personalized, and impactful learning experiences. In EdTech, it’s not enough for a product to be user-friendly; it must also be built on solid educational practices, especially when developing educational products.

LXD professionals apply learning science to every feature, ensuring that design choices support learning goals. For example, the user interface (UI) for a math platform must do more than just look clean. It needs interactive elements and animations that actively teach concepts. The UX is responsible for turning complex educational logic into a seamless and engaging learning experience.

Principles of Efficient and Inclusive Design

EdTech products must be designed to manage a user’s cognitive resources effectively. Applying strong UI/UX design principles helps ensure that interfaces are intuitive and user-friendly, allowing learners to focus on content rather than navigation. The goal is to dedicate mental energy to learning new things (germane load), not to struggling with the interface (extraneous load). Adhering to accessibility standards, such as WCAG 2.1, is also essential to ensure that EdTech solutions are inclusive and usable by all learners, including those with disabilities.

Designing for Minimal Cognitive Load

To reduce the mental effort required to use the software, designers should:

• Simplify Content: Eliminate on-screen clutter like unnecessary animations or irrelevant information. A clean, minimal interface reduces distractions.
• Streamline Instruction: Use clear UX copy, remove academic jargon, and reveal information progressively, only when it’s needed.
• Leverage Cognitive Techniques:
• Chunking: Break down large blocks of information into smaller, more manageable units.
• Dual Coding: Combine text with relevant images or visuals to improve comprehension.
• Visual Hierarchy: Use design principles like contrast and spacing to guide the user’s attention to the most important elements. Thoughtful UI design further enhances user attention and engagement by ensuring the interface is both visually appealing and intuitive.
• Responsive Design: Ensure the EdTech platform is accessible and user-friendly on all devices by implementing responsive design, which adapts the interface seamlessly to different screen sizes and enhances overall learner engagement.

Universal Design, Accessibility, and Learning Management Systems

Accessibility is a requirement, not an option. It is mandated by legal standards like WCAG 2.1 and is an ethical obligation. Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is an approach that builds flexibility into a product from the start, providing multiple ways for users to engage with content. This accommodates diverse learning preferences and abilities. Management systems, especially learning management systems, are designed to support these diverse learning needs by offering customizable and adaptive features.

By focusing on the needs of diverse and often marginalized learners, such as students from low-income communities, companies can develop more robust and user-centric designs. These solutions often prove to be more scalable and effective for all users. A well-designed learning environment within these edtech solutions further enhances user experience and engagement for all learners.

E-Learning Platforms: Foundations and Features

A successful e-learning platform is built on a foundation of usability, accessibility, and engagement. The best platforms prioritize intuitive navigation, making it easy for users to find what they need without unnecessary clicks or confusion. Extensive resources—such as video lessons, downloadable materials, and interactive elements—keep learners motivated and support a rich learning experience.

Key features like the ability to track learner progress, provide real-time feedback, and offer robust assessment solutions are essential for ensuring that users meet their learning objectives. These tools not only help learners stay on course but also empower educators and administrators to monitor and support progress effectively. Importantly, these same principles apply not only to learning platforms themselves, but also to the digital products that introduce and promote them.

A strong focus on user research and usability testing is critical in the development process. By understanding user needs and behaviors, designers can create user-friendly digital experiences that adapt to different learning styles and preferences. A clear example of this approach in practice is the UVER promotional website for a mobile education application, where a mobile-first UI, clear value proposition, and trust-building elements resulted in over 15,000 early sign-ups within 60 days. The project demonstrates how thoughtful UX, clear messaging, and conversion-focused design can significantly enhance user engagement even before a product’s official launch.

This commitment to continuous improvement—rooted in research, testing, and iteration—ensures that both e-learning platforms and their supporting digital ecosystems remain engaging, effective, and accessible for all users.

The Future is Adaptive, Personalized, and Able to Track Learner Progress

The next wave of EdTech involves adaptive learning systems that use AI to personalize the learning experience in real-time.

• Adaptive UX Architecture: These systems track user activity, such as time spent on questions or test scores, and use AI to identify learning gaps. In a virtual learning environment, real-time personalization is supported by continuously analyzing user interactions and adapting content accordingly. Tracking student performance and engagement metrics—such as session duration, click paths, and abandonment points—helps inform adaptive changes, ensuring the platform addresses friction points and maximizes learning outcomes. The interface then dynamically adjusts content, difficulty, or visual aids to fit the user’s needs. Clear communication is key, as the system must inform the user when an adaptation occurs to avoid confusion.
• AI as a Partner: The role of AI is shifting from an “answer machine” to a thinking partner. Instead of just providing solutions, a well-designed AI tutor asks clarifying questions to help students define their problems. By leveraging mental state data, AI can further personalize learning experiences, offering feedback and suggestions tailored to the learner’s current mindset and needs. Transparency is also crucial; the AI should communicate its level of certainty to help users build appropriate trust in the system.
• Collaborative Learning: EdTech UX must also foster collaboration and community. This can be achieved through discussion platforms, shared workspaces for group projects, and interactive tools that encourage peer-to-peer learning.

Designing Immersive Learning Experiences with Interactive Elements

Immersive technologies like Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) are creating new possibilities for hands-on learning. These tools enable the creation of engaging digital experiences that immerse learners and enhance educational effectiveness.

Designing for these spatial environments requires a new set of rules:

• Ergonomics and Comfort: Interactive elements must be placed within easy reach to prevent physical strain.
• Consistency: A coherent design language helps users feel comfortable in an unfamiliar virtual world.
• Intuitive Onboarding: The first-time user experience must be exceptionally clear, using simple tutorials to minimize friction and prevent users from giving up.
• Progress Bars: Incorporate progress bars to visually motivate learners and help them track their advancement through VR/AR modules.
• Key Actions: Design key actions within immersive learning modules, such as completing a quiz or interactive task, to guide users through the experience and keep them engaged.

Language Learning: UX for Multilingual Success

Language learning platforms present unique UX challenges and opportunities. To support learners on their journey to multilingual success, these platforms must be designed with features that foster engagement and retention. Spaced repetition, interactive exercises, and real time feedback are proven methods to help learners stay engaged and make steady progress.

A clear visual hierarchy and intuitive navigation are essential for reducing cognitive load, allowing users to focus on mastering new vocabulary and grammar rather than struggling with the interface. The platform should make it easy for learners to access resources, track their achievements, and revisit challenging material as needed.

Accessibility across devices is also crucial, enabling learners to study at their own pace—whether on a desktop, laptop, or mobile device. By prioritizing these UX principles, language learning platforms can create an environment where users feel supported, motivated, and empowered to achieve their language goals.

Employee Training: UX in Professional Development

In the realm of professional development, a well-designed corporate training platform can transform employee training from a routine task into a dynamic learning journey. Effective platforms incorporate interactive elements and opportunities for team collaboration, fostering student engagement and knowledge sharing across the organization.

Real time feedback and automated tracking features allow both employees and managers to monitor employee performance and progress, supporting operational efficiency and informed decision-making. A strong visual identity and consistent brand identity reinforce company values, making the training experience feel cohesive and aligned with business goals.

By focusing on usability and accessibility, corporate training platforms empower employees to develop new skills and contribute to organizational success. The result is a professional development environment that not only meets compliance requirements but also drives engagement, retention, and measurable business outcomes.

Build Your EdTech Product with Experts

Developing a successful EdTech product requires more than just a great idea. It demands a deep understanding of UX, learning science, and the specific needs of students and educators. At Phenomenon Studio, we specialize in building EdTech solutions that are effective, engaging, and inclusive. As a strategic partner for edtech companies, we help develop innovative edtech platforms and online learning platforms tailored to diverse educational needs.

Our team leverages deep research and user testing to optimize conversion rate and ensure product effectiveness. We are committed to staying ahead of industry trends by adopting no code solutions and developing virtual classrooms for online education. Our experience includes working with Kide Science, where we improved user flows and engagement as a case study of our expertise.

We understand the importance of competitive pricing to attract new clients and bring experience from other industries to deliver high-value, accessible solutions.

Ready to build the future of learning? Let’s connect and discuss how we can bring your vision to life.