BACKGROUND
D2L is a global success story most of us have never heard of. It’s a worldwide leader in online learning, developing educational software that is used around the globe. The company was founded on the belief that everyone deserves access to high-quality education, regardless of their age, ability, or location.

Looking to the future, the company anticipates an expanded product offering that will be branded under the D2L name. With product awareness for Brightspace, D2L’s lead product, significantly overshadowing corporate awareness, there was a need to increase the profile of D2L itself.

Our challenge: develop a B2B initiative to increase the profile of D2L’s corporate brand and position it as a thought leader in modern education.

IDEA
For all the changes technology has brought to education, one thing has remained stubbornly the same. The desk students sit at every single day is fundamentally no different than the desk their parents and even grandparents used. With the Unstandardized Desk, D2L challenged everything about this ubiquitous component of learning.

We asked teachers and students of all ages to imagine their own perfect desk for them. Some students like to lie back and read. Others like to stand. Some like to work alone and some in pairs. Some have distinct physical needs. A few wanted something new every day.

The Unstandardized Desk uses hinged panels made from Nordic wood – inspired by traditional school desks – that can be moved to create different shapes and ways of interacting. Standing up, sitting down, studying alone, or working together, the final design allows students to create their own vision of a desk to reflect how they learn. We made something that can be personalized to each unique student and demonstrates D2L’s core belief in the transformative impact personalization can have on learning.

RESULTS
In a quantitative study with North American educators:
● 87% gained a better understanding of different learning styles.
● 93% better understood D2L’s vision for personalized learning.
● 80% felt it demonstrates D2L is a thought leader in education.
● 73% would visit the D2L website to learn more.