IXL Conference Booth Design
Role: Lead Designer — Concept, Visual System, Art Direction
Scope: Booth concept, layout system, large-format graphics, cross-functional collaboration
IXL Learning is a leading K–12 education technology company known for its personalized learning platform used by schools across the country. For a major national education conference, IXL needed a new 20×20 booth that could clearly express its brand, showcase its full product ecosystem, and create an inviting space for educators to explore and connect.
As the lead designer, I owned the booth design from early concept through production, shaping how IXL would show up on the show floor and guiding the visual experience from first impression to in-booth engagement.
Concept
“A clear, confident space for personalized learning.”
The booth needed to feel like a physical extension of IXL’s digital experience, modern, open, and energetic. The goal was to create a strong visual anchor on a crowded expo floor, with bold branding and simple storytelling that could be understood from far away and appreciated up close.
We also moved away from stock photography and toward a custom, illustration-driven visual language that felt friendly, human, and distinctly IXL.
Challenge
Strict brand guidelines, fast project turnaround, and overseas vendor:
The booth needed to represent IXL’s full Pre-K–12 product ecosystem while supporting live demos and meaningful conversations with educators, all within strict brand guidelines. With only a two-week timeline and many moving parts for production, the challenge was to deliver a system that could be executed accurately and consistently in partnership with an overseas vendor under tight deadlines.
Research &
Discovery
Before design execution, we conducted research to inform strategy and structure:
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Competitor Studies: We reviewed how other ed-tech brands, like Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Renaissance, and Pearson, used their exhibit space to elevate product visibility and brand differentiation.
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Audience Insights: With educators and school decision-makers as our primary audience, we focused on visual clarity, intuitive messaging, and a space that encouraged interactive demos.
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Technical Planning: We studied booth construction documents, vendor specs, and SEG requirements to anticipate rigging, lighting, and layout constraints.
These findings helped us create a layout that felt open yet immersive, while ensuring our visuals worked cohesively across 20+ moving pieces for booth surfaces.
The Solution
Communication and collaboration
The booth design was led from concept through final production, with close collaboration across marketing, events, and sales teams to define the overall visual direction and layout. I was also collaborating with another creative designer for design execution, while direct coordination with an overseas vendor ensured accurate printing and fabrication. In total, more than 20 production-ready assets were delivered under a tight timeline.
Design Highlights
The final design featured a modular layout organized into clearly defined panel zones (G1–G18), with work thoughtfully divided by another designer and me. A custom SEG tower and canopy created strong vertical visibility, while illustration-driven visuals reflected IXL’s K–12 themes. Messaging such as “One platform, endless possibilities” reinforced brand clarity, and integrated screens and counters supported live demos and meaningful engagement with educators.
Result
The final booth was a huge success, both visually and logistically. It stood out clearly on the busy ISTE show floor, attracting significantly more attention, foot traffic, and engagement than in previous years. We received enthusiastic feedback from both stakeholders and attendees, who praised the clarity of the messaging and the strength of the visual presence.
