Mike Bond, design educator and co-founder of brand and tech agency Bond & Coyne, and Laura Knight, founder of Sapio, a digital strategy company in the education sector, sat down with Technology for Learners to explore how EdTech can maximise its impact – and why brand design is key to embedding EdTech as a cornerstone of lifelong learning
What role does creativity and brand play in EdTech and the broader education landscape?
Mike Bond: Creativity is fundamental in both education and EdTech – not only in traditionally creative subjects like fine art and graphic design, but across the entire curriculum. Whether in maths, science or computer studies, creative problem-solving is essential to unlocking deeper learning – and that ethos should be embedded in EdTech models and the brand strategies that accompany them.
Creativity acts as a catalyst for inquiry, exploration and experimentation. It encourages students to engage more deeply, transforming what could be a transactional learning experience into something joyful. Think about the glee primary-age children feel when discovering something new – we need more of that sense of wonder at every stage of education.
The UK government’s recent curriculum review highlights the importance of creativity in education – an exciting shift. EdTech businesses now have a great opportunity to showcase their role through thoughtful brand design.
One of the most powerful aspects of brand design here is its ability to connect different elements – articulating diverse ideas and perspectives to spark innovation. It helps reach target audiences and makes learners feel more comfortable navigating unfamiliar territory.
With so many EdTech solutions looking and sounding similar, brand plays a crucial role in differentiating platforms, increasing saliency and engagement. A strong brand doesn’t just communicate what a product does; it conveys why it matters and builds an emotional connection that resonates across students, educators, investors and decision-makers.
By using brand to shift the emphasis from what technology is being implemented to how it is used in the classroom, the ‘PedTech’ approach – putting pedagogy before technology – promotes solution-first rather than tech-first thinking, improving both accessibility and user buy-in.
How is the education landscape evolving, particularly in EdTech?
Laura Knight: We’ve seen a major shift from IT suites and fixed technology spaces towards mobile, embedded technology that blends into the classroom. This has seen digital experiences become intertwined with traditional learning methods, creating a richer and more dynamic environment.
One of the current challenges is the push for hyper-personalised learning. While personalisation is valuable – particularly for accessibility and adaptive teaching – we need to be wary about creating isolated experiences. Education needs to be communal. Schools are cultural places where collaboration, social growth and shared learning are just as important as individual achievement. EdTech should focus on creating personalised learning and collaborative experiences. At Sapio, we see our role as bridging the gap between innovative, creative digital solutions and broader educational strategy.
MB: Brand design plays a crucial role in shaping these experiences – creating intuitive, visually engaging platforms that not only support learning but also build a sense of connection and belonging among students. A well-crafted EdTech brand should transcend mere functionality and create an ecosystem where educators and learners feel a sense of purpose, alignment and trust. It is this kind of thinking that sits behind all brand work, no matter the sector.
What are some of the challenges in the current EdTech landscape?
LK: A major shortfall in EdTech is its tendency to position itself as the solution to education’s problems – as if education would fall apart without it. The reality is schools are resilient, complex environments that have been functioning long before EdTech arrived on the scene. EdTech can accelerate, boost and extend learning, but it shouldn’t seek to replace or revolutionise the core experience of education.
Another challenge is the over-reliance on AI models that often present themselves as transformative but are really just repackaged versions of existing technology. EdTech companies need to be a bit humbler about their role – recognising that their purpose is to enhance and enrich learning, not dictate how education should work.
That said, when applied thoroughly, AI can really enhance and extend learning. AI shouldn’t be seen as a replacement, rather a strategic lever for improving outcomes. Another crucial point: as AI continues to transform education, schools must adopt it ethically, ensuring privacy, fairness and transparency.
Brand strategy has an important role to play here, too – improving the lines of communication and ensuring that the EdTech message stays focused on the problem it aims to solve.
What can EdTech learn from other successful brands?
MB: Strong brand design should really be central to EdTech if businesses want to connect with learners wherever they are today. Youth-focused brands like Nike and Duolingo excel at creating experiences that spark active participation and loyalty. But EdTech platforms can often treat students as passive recipients. By creating exciting visual identities, trailblazing messaging and sharp user experiences, EdTech brands have the power to build real relationships and drive engagement.
Upcoming generations are particularly receptive to brands with a clear mission and values. A strong EdTech brand must go beyond functionality to tell a compelling story about why it exists. The best EdTech brands will cut through the noise of a crowded marketplace by connecting with audiences on a rational and emotional level, making the benefits of their technology intuitive and relatable – to its users and to the decision makers that put it into the classroom.
How can brands reinforce human connections in education?
MB: Creative brand design has the power to transform EdTech from functional tools into inspiring platforms that drive positive educational outcomes. The most impactful EdTech will build symbiotic relationships between technology, teachers and students, acting as enablers rather than instructors – unlocking new possibilities for exploration, collaboration and self-expression.
By integrating creativity into both the product experience and brand identity, EdTech platforms can empower students to co-create knowledge rather than simply consume it. Adaptive, collaborative and highly flexible systems – paired with bold, engaging design – will allow learners to follow their curiosity while staying grounded in meaningful structures.
Most importantly, thoughtful brand design can reinforce the human connections at the heart of education. The EdTech of the future will balance the power of personalisation with the need for communal, cultural learning experiences. By placing creativity and brand design at the centre of EdTech, we can create platforms that not only improve learning outcomes but also inspire students to become confident, curious and capable learners – ready to thrive in a world where creativity will be one of the most valuable skills they possess.
What will be the role of teachers in all this?
LK: It’s true, the relationship between technology and educators has not always been happy and seamless. One of the sector’s primary misconceptions is that technology could replace teachers. But this view totally misunderstands the indispensable role of educators as architects of learning.
Teachers do the relational work of bringing children to the learning, contextualising information and guiding students through knowledge and skills gathering. The best EdTech solutions should empower teachers to excel here, not replace them. A well-designed brand can keep EdTech companies focused on this, ensuring that technology supports rather than sidelines the people at the heart of education.
Describe your ideal vision of the future
LK: It’s not about flashy hardware or the ‘reinvention’ of schooling. Instead, I’d like to see the flattening of hierarchies, raising the floor for all learners and breaking down postcode inequalities. Schools need to become more conscious, strategic consumers of technology, choosing solutions that align with their educational missions rather than chasing trends.
The most valuable contribution EdTech can make is to provide insight. High-quality data, transformed into actionable information, can empower school leaders to make better decisions. So, I think technology should be a lever for positive change – and always in service of the educators and learners.
MB: By placing creativity and strategy at the centre of things, EdTech can move from functional platforms to aspirational brands, inspiring learners not just to consume education, but to participate in their lifelong growth journey. The brands that will stand out in this increasingly crowded market will be the ones that articulate not just what their technology does, but the deeper mission and purpose it serves.
