Digital Museum of Learning
Jacobs Foundation
In today’s digital-first era, museums are undergoing a remarkable transformation.
They are moving away from exclusively physical and in-person experiences towards digital technologies that offer enriched educational opportunities.
This shift is helping tackle a global issue: the unequal access to quality education, particularly among children in developing regions.
Athlon partnered with the Jacobs Foundation to launch Digital Museum of Learning (DMoL).
This innovative online platform serves as both a museum and teaching hub, offering educators a free resource to inspire children through virtual exhibitions and interactive stories.
The project spanned naming and brand development, user research, product strategy platform design and technical development.
Our approach
Our approach considered not only end users – the children and educators, but the potential to scale as a global network of museums.
We partnered with small local museums from around the world to source and curate physical artifacts and stories that could be ‘digitized’ and shared online.
Hence the platform would further expand its reach and act as a network of museums from launch.
The platform is in Beta with the full launch in September this year, yet the Digital Museum of Learning is already having an incredible impact on children and educators alike; helping bring the fun back to learning.
How we embraced innovation
Digital museum of Learning is innovative in how we are providing both inspirational exhibits and learning materials for free to teachers around the world.
The platform was designed to be multi-language and highly accessible, offering teachable learning journeys that are brought to life through interactive stories. The technology was developed on a content delivery network to ensure fast delivery to locations with slower internet access.
Themed on the history of learning DMoL provides immersive interactive content, 3D objects, and gamification through quizzes and polls
Inclusive design
The design approach focused on inclusivity, ensuring that the platform is accessible to both individuals with a younger reading age and those with impairments.
Our team developed a three-pillar design approach – Explore, Explain, Engage – allowing children to interact with the platform at their own pace and in their preferred way.
Discover new stories
The platform facilitates exploration by color, medium type, and time period, enabling children to pursue themes that interest them.
To further enhance accessibility, audio translations are provided for all videos.
Inspiring exhibits, free resources
Collaborating with museums and partners worldwide, DMoL expands its reach by digitizing artifacts for free. These are used in curated exhibits but also can be embedded by the original donor in their own website. This innovative approach is helping scale our network and reach.
How we crafted the brand identity
The Digital Museum of Learning’s brand identity was designed to reflect their values of imagination, openness and inspiration. The brand concept took the form of building blocks. Not only a nod to the iconic children’s toy, but in recognition that knowledge is built over time, layers of understanding that rely on the stable foundation of bricks below them.
Modern digital-first brands have to work across media channels, so we created a flexible logo design system of interlocking bricks. This allows for playful adaptation across assets, media and partner environments, and was built with flexibility for future development opportunities.
“The brand identity assets are elegant, playful and versatile. They perfectly reflect our values and vision.”
— Daniela Lozza,, Program Manager and Curator – Jacobs Foundation
We introduced a palette of bold primary colours, synonymous with childhood education, along side vibrant patterns that convey movement and playful interaction.
A digital first brand
The website platform seamlessly integrates various content types, including text, images, audio, video, and interactive infographics. The user-friendly content management system (CMS) enables easy creation, curation, and sharing of content by non-technical staff and partners.
We created a bespoke learning management system that allows teachers to create bespoke learning journeys based around classroom topics or themes.
The design is fully responsive, meeting accessibility standards, and accommodates users across devices and network limitations. The clean design and clear signposting allows the content to take center stage.
In response to the client’s emphasis on supporting educators, a comprehensive teachers zone enables educators to not only personalize the lessons, but also monitor student progress and gather valuable feedback on what content is most engaging.
How we delivered an impact
The impact of the Digital Museum of Learning lies in empowering educators and enabling every child to unlock their full learning potential.
By offering digital artifacts, evidence-informed knowledge, and inspiring teaching methodologies, DMoL supports educators in how they inspire children and their own professional development.
The platform provides learning activities designed for primary school children, incorporating cultural and artistic experiences beyond traditional museum settings. Committed to inclusivity, DMoL ensures accessibility for primary school teachers, parents, and museum staff, aiming to inspire educators, enhance learning outcomes, and reach every child.
“I liked playing the games and learning about all the animals and plants. It was fun”
— Evelyn, 6
“This is amazing! I can really see how this would interest the kids and help them to observe, understand, and express their thoughts and opinions.”
— Charlotte Easdown, Teacher
How we’re helping the planet
DMoL is dedicated to minimizing its environmental impact. Operating as a virtual museum reduces both the need for physical infrastructure and carbon emissions associated with travel and construction.
The platform actively promotes environmental education and sustainable development through its exhibitions, instilling the idea of a more sustainable future in its young audience.
Notably, the museum’s inaugural exhibition centers around ‘Making the environment matter.’
The Digital Museum of Learning, is a groundbreaking platform revolutionising the way educators and learners engage with knowledge.
With its innovative approach, meticulous craftsmanship, and significant impact on the education sector, DMoL has emerged as a global leader in interactive learning experiences. Its unwavering commitment to inclusivity, sustainability, and the empowerment of educators sets a new standard for digital educational platforms.
Digital Museum of Learning
The Future of Learning
Award winning Brand and Digital Product design for a virtual museum of education
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