Visit UID26 | Project Gallery

eduba - Post digital learning

Degree Project 2026

Eduba is a post-digital learning tool designed for the middle school classroom. The project addresses a key challenge in today’s education system: the increasing reliance on personal laptops, which often leads to distraction, unclear workflows, and reduced tactile interaction. Rather than treating digital devices as separate objects, Eduba integrates technology directly into the student’s desk. By combining a touch-based work surface with pen input and a physical workspace, the design creates a more focused and structured learning environment. The project explores how physical form can support concentration, clarity, and meaningful use of digital tools in education.

Show more Show less

Project information

The rapid digitalisation of schools has transformed how students learn and interact with information. In Sweden, many schools follow a one-to-one model, where each student is assigned a personal computer from an early age. While this enables flexible and individualized learning, it also introduces new challenges related to attention, structure, and the balance between digital and analogue work.

Classroom observations and interviews with teachers reveal a fragmented learning environment, where students switch between tools, work at different paces, and are easily distracted by non-educational content. At the same time, many teachers experience increased workload and difficulty maintaining structure during lessons.

Existing solutions largely focus on software and content, while the physical learning environment and the interaction between student and device remain underexplored. This project positions itself between furniture, technology, and pedagogy, aiming to rethink how digital tools are physically integrated into the classroom.

Methods
To understand the context and identify key challenges, the project followed the Double Diamond design process. Research methods included literature studies, interviews with middle school teachers, and classroom observations.

These insights were used to map user needs and define design opportunities related to focus, workflow, and interaction. Several concepts were developed, exploring different levels of integration between digital devices and the physical workspace.

Through iterative sketching, prototyping, and evaluation, the concepts were refined with a focus on usability, structure, and learning experience. The process emphasized a post-digital perspective, where analogue and digital tools are seen as complementary rather than separate.

Result

The result is Eduba – a digital school desk where technology is embedded directly into the work surface. The desk features a touch interface and a stylus as the primary interaction tool, allowing students to write, draw, and navigate in a way that combines the qualities of paper and digital media.

The adjustable work surface enables different modes of use, supporting both handwriting and screen-based interaction without requiring a shift between devices. By consolidating tools into a single, integrated workspace, the design reduces setup time, minimizes distractions, and creates a clearer structure during lessons.

Eduba proposes a shift from device-centered learning toward a more integrated and spatial approach, where the physical environment actively supports focus, engagement, and sustainable use of digital technology in education.