Playful prototyping for better learning tools
ZPD Studio helps the teams shaping the future of learning explore what’s possible, supported by just enough scaffolding to experiment, learn, and move forward quickly. We mix learning science, playful prototyping, and grounded engineering to help teams explore ideas, build early versions, and scale the tools that work.
Simple experiments. Clear insights. Tools that make learning better.
Beliefs
These beliefs keep us honest, curious, and a little weird. They shape how we learn, build, test, and make sense of messy problems.
Beliefs About Building EdTech
Everyone is a learner
Great EdTech honors the fact that every user, whether a student or an adult, is navigating new ideas, choices, and systems.
Learning is hard
Real understanding comes from productive struggle, not shortcuts. Tools should respect that challenge, not erase it.
Make it easy to do the hard thing
Tools should reduce the wrong kinds of difficulty so learners can spend more time on the meaningful, challenging parts.
Beliefs About How We Work
Stay focused
Just because we can build it doesn’t mean we should. Focus creates clarity and coherence.
Stay iterative
We move in deliberate increments, validating assumptions early and often so small bets can shape big decisions.
Stay learning
Every prototype, win, surprise, and failure teaches us something. We design our process to notice the signal.
Offerings
Flexible offerings tailored to your goals and context, mapping the right blend of discovery, prototyping, and execution so you get moving and learning instead of waiting and wondering.
Upskilling & Consulting
Workshops and advisory support to help teams sharpen their thinking, strengthen processes, and approach challenges with clarity.
- Facilitation and planning sessions
- Internal frameworks and primers so teams understand AI capabilities, industry shifts, and the tech under the hood
- Strategy consulting for messy or ambiguous problem spaces
Example
Curriculum integration reset
Helped an education nonprofit redesign curriculum integration and iteration processes by advising where AI should automate steps and where educators should stay in control.
Workflow Improvements
Bespoke tools and integrations that remove friction and make complex workflows smoother, faster, and easier to maintain.
- Canvas integrations and curriculum authoring tools
- Teacher workflow accelerators
- Data translation and internal automation pipelines
Example
Canvas workflow accelerator
Built Canvas integrations that streamlined curriculum development, unified teacher- and student-facing materials, and introduced faster QA checkpoints.
Rapid Prototyping
Lightning sprints that turn fuzzy bets into instrumented prototypes teams can try with real learners in hours instead of weeks, powered by proprietary infrastructure and approaches to build faster than ever before.
- Fast discovery and framing sessions that set scope and success signals
- Collaborative prototype builds with educators, students, and researchers
- Pilot setups that capture actionable data within days
Example
Future-of-learning prototypes
Built dozens of prototypes across clients to explore new curriculum, teacher-student interaction patterns, and experimental learning models.
Full Webapp Development
End-to-end product development for validated ideas—turning a prototype into a scalable, reliable tool for real users.
- Full-stack builds (Next.js, React, Vercel)
- AI-integrated learning experiences
- Continuous improvement and iteration cycles
Example
AI Math Tutor
Developed a math tutoring tool with AI-driven feedback, teacher controls, and ongoing improvement loops.
About
An exploration studio for playful prototyping and discovering what works in education
ZPD Studio helps education organizations explore emerging possibilities with just enough scaffolding to move confidently into new territory. We combine research depth, playful prototyping, and pragmatic builds that respect the realities of schools and learners.
Shane Skikne
Founder & PrincipalShane is the Founder and Principal of ZPD Studio. He thrives in chaotic, complex environments, turning messy, ambiguous problems into simple, elegant solutions. He enjoys quickly prototyping ideas and distilling them down to their simplest, clearest form.
- EdTech Engineering: Led key projects on the Summit Learning Platform at CZI and served as the founding engineer on Curriculum Sync, a tool that integrates high-quality curricula into district LMSs and personalizes materials for each teacher.
- Teaching: Worked directly with thousands of students in school, after-school, and museum settings, designing hands-on learning experiences that connected abstract concepts to the real world.
- Education: Studied at Olin College, an engineering school designed around student ownership and agency, values that continue to guide his work with teams in their own ZPD.
ZPD Studio keeps a tight bench of trusted collaborators who span engineering, research, classroom practice, and strategy. When a project needs more hands or perspectives, we bring them in quickly without adding drag:
Get in touch
Ready to explore what's possible?
Drop us a line and let's start the conversation.
Share what you're working on, what you're curious about, or what challenge you're facing.