Takeoff by IXL Branding System
Role: Lead Designer — Brand Identity, Cover & Interior System, Visual Framework & Language
Scope: Concept, visual identity, workbook system, cross-platform design
Takeoff by IXL is a K–5 core math curriculum that brings together lesson plans, adaptive practice, assessments, and printable workbooks into one connected learning experience. As the lead designer for Takeoff, I helped develop the visual identity and design system for its workbooks and collateral, making sure everything feels playful, clear, and inviting for students, while also supporting teacher workflow and production needs. The visual world we built reflects the optimism and momentum behind the curriculum: a system where learners feel supported to take off toward deeper understanding and confidence!
Concept
The idea behind Takeoff was simple: learning takes flight.
We wanted the brand to feel like a moment of lift-off, where students are growing, moving forward, and discovering what they can do. The visual identity communicates progress and personalization while still feeling friendly and approachable.
This led to a system that feels energetic but not chaotic, playful but still structured, a well-balance between motivation and clarity.
Challenge
This project had a few key challenges. Takeoff needed to feel like its own playful brand while still fitting within the IXL family. The identity had to work across both print and digital, and scale from kindergarten through 5th grade across multiple units and lessons. At the same time, the visual language needed to clearly distinguish levels for students while staying cohesive for teachers and parents. The real challenge wasn’t just creating a new look, but building a system flexible enough to grow with the product and its learners.
Solution
I created a brand system that supports differentiation, consistency, and growth. The origami bird became the key visual symbol, representing progress and learning in motion. It works as a recognizable brand mark while allowing variation across subjects and grade levels.
Color is used to distinguish grades, helping students and teachers quickly identify the right book. For interiors, typography and layout rules stay consistent across formats, creating a clear and stable structure. The system balances friendliness with clarity, using a simple hierarchy and container spacing so students can focus without feeling overwhelmed.
Covers are designed to feel bold and joyful while clearly showing the grade level and subject at a glance.
Design Process
1. Start with real content and identify key features
I worked closely with product, research, and curriculum teams to understand how Takeoff would live across both print and digital, and what students and teachers truly needed, and brainstormed key features such as daily lesson plans, embedded assessments, online-digital components, slides, and differentiated instruction.
2. Build the system for suitable target audiences
We defined a core system that could be used across grade levels, including color logic, typography, layout rules, and visual styling, so it could adapt to different age groups.
3. Prototype key page types first
I designed a small set of core layouts and mixed-review page mockups, and refined them for readability, balance, and ease of use. These prototypes were used for user testing, and feedback was gathered to guide further iterations. Once the designs were approved, I built templates and handed them off to our contract and production designers.
4. Scale and refine for production
After the content was finalized, I completed the cover designs and worked with contractor designers to build out the interior pages using the final templates. The system was refined to ensure it stayed consistent, flexible, and ready for large-scale production across many SKUs and content types.
Outcome
Takeoff by IXL was officially approved for statewide adoption in California for 2025!
A milestone that reflects both its educational quality and real classroom impact.
What makes this especially meaningful is how it performs in real schools. Research shows that students using IXL’s system can score up to 15% higher on math state assessments, and most importantly, teachers love using it!
The curriculum continuously adapts to individual learners, offering differentiated support and built-in assessments such as mid-unit check-ins, end-of-unit tests, and dedicated “Personalization Days” to help close learning gaps. Teachers are supported with streamlined lesson plans and resources, including Spanish translation support, helping reduce prep time while reaching more students.
Finally, reach new heights with Takeoff by IXL. As the program grows, the team continues to expand it with new teacher and student materials, including Teacher Editions, Teacher Guides, presentation slides, a bunch of classroom décor, and Independent Learning books. Watching this brand and system live across digital tools, printed workbooks, and real classrooms shows how design can help learning truly take flight.
