LessonLoom: Automated Lesson Generation Platform

As a product designer for LessonLoom, I led the design process for an innovative platform that automates the creation of educational materials using AI and templating systems. This case study walks through how our design team approached this complex challenge – from understanding user needs and pain points to crafting an intuitive interface that empowers educators to create high-quality content at scale.

Project Overview

Role

Product Designer

Organization

NewGlobe

Technologies

Vue.js, .NET Core, Python, Azure OpenAI, AWS S3

The Challenge

NewGlobe, a global education organization, faced significant obstacles when creating teaching materials across multiple countries:

Curriculum Alignment

Training models to accurately follow educational standards across different regions required developing a comprehensive taxonomy of educational objectives and standards.

Content Diversity

Generating inclusive materials that represent different cultural contexts and learning styles required careful prompt engineering and diverse training datasets.

Age-Appropriate Content

Developing filtering systems to ensure all generated content was suitable for the target age group required multiple layers of content safety measures.

Localization bottlenecks: Adapting content for different regions created expansion delays

Content creators needed a solution that would free them from tedious formatting work while maintaining their pedagogical expertise in the process.

Design Process

Research & Discovery

I began by deeply understanding the existing content creation workflow through:

1User Interviews

•
Shadowed 8 instructional designers
•
Conducted interviews with 12 curriculum specialists
•
Ran collaborative workshops with translation teams

2Content Analysis

•
Analyzed 150+ teacher guides
•
Mapped recurring patterns
•
Created information architecture diagrams

3Pain Point Analysis

•
Created journey maps
•
Quantified time spent on tasks
•
Developed empathy maps

Key Insights

Our research revealed critical insights that shaped our design approach:

1Pedagogical Focus

Creators valued pedagogical decisions, not formatting

"I spend 70% of my time making things look right rather than thinking about how students will learn."

2Mental Templates

Templates were mental models, not just documents

"We already have mental templates we follow, but they're not captured anywhere."

3Subject Variations

Content needs varied by subject

"Math lessons follow predictable patterns, while reading comprehension needs more flexibility."

4Visual Clarity

Visual clarity was essential

"I need to see exactly how the final lesson will appear to teachers."

5Trust in Automation

Trust in automation was fragile

"I'd use automation if I could verify and adjust the output easily."

Design Exploration

During the design process, I explored several conceptual approaches. Each approach represented a different philosophy about how to structure the generation system, balancing control, flexibility, and ease of use for curriculum specialists.

Design Exploration Methodology

My exploration was guided by several key considerations identified during the research phase:

Balance of control and automation: Finding the right mix of automated generation while preserving educator control over pedagogical content

Scalability: Ensuring the system could accommodate growing content needs across multiple subjects and regions

Familiar mental models: Using interfaces and workflows that matched how curriculum specialists already thought about content creation

Transparency: Creating a system where users always understood the relationship between inputs and outputs

Concept 1: Template-Driven Generation

In this approach, I explored prioritizing template structure as the foundation of the system. The core idea was to create highly structured templates with specialized syntax that would serve as the "blueprint" for all generated content.

Key Characteristics

•
Templates designed by instructional designers with embedded automation tags
•
Content parameters provided separately and mapped to template placeholders
•
Strong emphasis on consistent output format across all generated materials
•
Validation of inputs against template requirements

Strategic Rationale

•
Ensures pedagogical best practices are encoded in templates
•
Provides predictable output structure for review and quality control
•
Allows content specialists to focus on subject matter rather than formatting
•
Creates organization-wide consistency in teaching materials

Design Consideration

User testing revealed template creation was challenging for many curriculum specialists. This approach would require specialized training or dedicated template designers.

Concept 1: Template-Driven Generation

Explored Concept

Template-First Approach

Design focused on creating flexible templates with specialized syntax that could be populated with various content.

•
Reusable formats across subjects
•
Predictable output structure
•
Higher initial setup time

Lesson Template

{title}

Grade {grade} • {subject}

Learning Objective

{learning_objective}

Materials

{materials_list}

Instructions

{activity_instructions}

Concept 2: Content-First Approach

For my second exploration, I inverted the paradigm to prioritize content organization over template structure. This approach treated content as the primary asset, with formatting applied later in the process.

Key Characteristics

•
Content parameters organized in spreadsheets with standard columns
•
Format selection happens after content planning
•
Content can be filtered, sorted, and batch processed
•
Uses familiar spreadsheet interface for planning

Strategic Rationale

•
Aligns with how curriculum specialists naturally organize content
•
Emphasizes pedagogical content over presentation format
•
Easier for teams to collaborate on content creation
•
Simplifies the process of creating multiple variations of similar lessons

User Insight

During testing, curriculum specialists responded positively to the spreadsheet approach, noting that it mirrored their existing content planning workflows. However, some expressed concern about the lack of preview capabilities during the planning phase.

Concept 2: Content-First Approach

Explored Concept

Content-Driven Design

Design focused on organizing content parameters in spreadsheets first, with formats applied later.

•
Content planning separated from formatting
•
More flexible content organization
•
Easier for curriculum specialists

Subject

Grade

Topic

Content Parameters

Duration: 45minGroup size: 4Difficulty: MediumStandards: 3.NBT.2

Format Options

Worksheet

Concept 3: Hybrid Approach

After testing the previous concepts with users, I developed a hybrid approach that combined the strengths of both paradigms. This synthesis emerged from direct user feedback and represented a more balanced solution.

Key Characteristics

•
Separate but interconnected content and template systems
•
Intelligent matching between content parameters and suitable templates
•
Live preview capability during content planning
•
Multi-stage workflow with validation at each step

Strategic Rationale

•
Splits responsibilities between template designers and content creators
•
Balances standardization needs with content flexibility
•
Provides visibility into the generation process
•
Creates clear separation of concerns while maintaining integration

Key Decision Point

The hybrid approach was unanimously preferred in user testing. Curriculum specialists appreciated maintaining their content-focused workflow while instructional designers valued the template system's ability to enforce pedagogical best practices.

Concept 3: Hybrid Approach

Selected Approach

Template + Content Integration

The final design combined template flexibility with content-driven planning.

•
Centralized content control
•
Modular template system
•
Simplified generation workflow

Content Spreadsheet

→

Template Library

Matching System

Active

Content ID: L001

Template: Math-Basic

Preview Output

Generated Lesson

3. Review & Iteration Interface

The review interface was crucial for building trust in the system:

Review Interface

Template

## Introduction

Generate an engaging introduction about {TOPIC} for {GRADE} students

Generated Output

## Introduction

Welcome to our exciting lesson on fractions! Today we'll discover how fractions are used in everyday life and why they're important for 3rd grade math skills.

Edit Controls

Side-by-side comparison of template and generated output
Inline editing capabilities for quick adjustments
Generation metadata to understand the source of each content element
Option to regenerate specific sections while preserving others

Design Solution

Information Architecture

I designed a system with three main components:

Content Spreadsheet

Centralized data structure where users define lesson parameters

Template Library

Repository of lesson formats with specialized syntax for automation

Generation Interface

Process management and review interface

This architecture separated content planning from content generation, allowing specialists to focus on curriculum decisions while automation handled implementation.

System Workflow Diagram

Content Spreadsheet

Curriculum specialists define lesson parameters

Template Library

Instructional designers create templates with syntax

Generation Interface

Users manage process and review generated lessons

Generated Lesson

Complete, formatted teaching materials

Content data merged

Format applied

User reviewed

Ready for use

This workflow combines curriculum content from the spreadsheet with formatting from templates. The generation interface orchestrates the process, allowing users to review and finalize lessons before they're delivered to teachers.

Content Spreadsheet Example

Content Spreadsheet

LESSON ID	GRADE	SUBJECT	TOPIC	DURATION	MATERIALS	ACTIVITY TYPE
L001	Grade 3	Math	Fractions	45 min	Paper strips, scissors	Group work
L002	Grade 3	Math	Addition	30 min	Counters, worksheet	Individual practice
L003	Grade 3	Science	Plants	60 min	Seeds, cups, soil	Experiment

The content spreadsheet provides curriculum specialists with a familiar interface for defining lesson parameters without worrying about formatting.

Template Library Example

Template Library

Math Lesson - Basic

Last edited: 2 days ago

Reading - Comprehension

Last edited: 5 days ago

Science - Experiment

Last edited: 1 week ago

English - Creative Writing

Last edited: 2 weeks ago

The template library contains professionally designed lesson formats that instructional designers can customize with specialized syntax for content generation.

Generation Interface Example

Generation Interface

Generation Queue

L001 - Grade 3 Math: Fractions

Completed

L002 - Grade 3 Math: Addition

In Progress

L003 - Grade 3 Science: Plants

Queued

Statistics

Progress33%

1/3Completed

~15mEst. Time

The generation interface allows users to monitor the progress of lesson creation, track completion status, and download finished materials when ready.

Visual System & Interface Design

1. Template Syntax System

One of my key design challenges was creating a visual language that would clearly communicate different types of automation. Working with content specialists, I developed a syntax system using familiar word processing concepts:

Template Editor

Template with Placeholders

Edit Mode

# Introduction to {{TOPIC}}

## Subject: {{SUBJECT}}

## Grade Level: {{GRADE}}

## Duration: {{DURATION}} minutes

---

### Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

- Generate 3 specific learning objectives for {{SUBJECT}} {{TOPIC}} appropriate for {{GRADE}}

---

### Introduction

Generate an engaging introduction about {{TOPIC}} that includes a real-world example relevant for {{GRADE}} students

---

### Main Activity

Materials needed:

Instructions:

Generate step-by-step instructions for a hands-on activity about {{TOPIC}}

Filled Template Preview

Preview Mode

# Introduction to Fractions

## Subject: Mathematics

## Grade Level: 3rd Grade

## Duration: 45 minutes

---

### Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

Identify fractions as parts of a whole
Represent fractions using visual models
Compare simple fractions (1/2, 1/4, 1/3)

---

### Introduction

Imagine sharing a pizza with friends! When we cut a pizza into equal pieces, each piece represents a fraction of the whole pizza. Today we'll explore how fractions help us share things fairly and measure parts of a whole in our everyday lives.

---

### Main Activity

Materials needed:

Circle fraction manipulatives
Colored pencils
Fraction worksheets

Instructions:

Distribute fraction circles to each student
Demonstrate how to create a whole using different pieces
Have students explore combining different fractions
Guide students in coloring the worksheet sections

Red text:

Content from spreadsheets (mail-merge)

Blue text:

Markdown formatting elements

Yellow highlighting:

AI-generated content instructions

Gray text:

Section dividers and structural elements

Template System Benefits

Consistent lesson structure across subjects

Clear visual differentiation of content types

Flexible generation instructions

Predictable output format

2. Generation Workflow

I designed a step-by-step workflow that provided transparency and control:

Try it yourself!

This wireframe is fully interactive. Click on the step numbers or use the navigation buttons to walk through the entire generation workflow.

Generate lessons (interactive)

Upload template library

Upload spreadsheet

Select content

Select lessons

Generate lessons

Summary

Upload template library

Drag and drop template library here to upload.

Template library should be in .docx format.

Upload your Word template library with automation syntax

Technical Challenges

Creating an effective AI teaching assistant required overcoming several technical hurdles:

Curriculum Alignment

Training models to accurately follow educational standards across different regions required developing a comprehensive taxonomy of educational objectives and standards.

Content Diversity

Generating inclusive materials that represent different cultural contexts and learning styles required careful prompt engineering and diverse training datasets.

Age-Appropriate Content

Developing filtering systems to ensure all generated content was suitable for the target age group required multiple layers of content safety measures.

Results & Impact

75%

Reduction in lesson prep time

85%

Teacher satisfaction rate

12,000+

Active users

"LessonLoom has revolutionized how I prepare for my classes. What used to take hours now takes minutes, and the quality of the materials is consistently excellent. My students are more engaged than ever."

- Jennifer K., High School English Teacher

Lesson Loom has been adopted by over 200 schools and educational organizations, dramatically reducing the time teachers spend on material preparation. User research shows that educators are able to create more personalized content for their students, leading to improved engagement and learning outcomes. The platform continues to grow, with new features being added based on ongoing user feedback.

Looking for more?

Check out my other projects

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