01Trait
Tactile
Hands-on
Math-U-See teaches with manipulatives. The product carries that physicality forward in plain language and step-by-step pacing.
Brand & Web/2023–2024
Demme Learning
Brand IdentityInformation ArchitectureDesign SystemPersona ResearchDashboard UXMobile Navigation
Designing the system, not the skin.
The publisher behind Math-U-See, extending into schools and software. We delivered the design system, the persona research, the megasite IA, and the dashboard UX. The build paused before launch; the system is the deliverable.
See yourself in this work
If you publish a trusted curriculum and your roadmap now includes software, this is what building the system before the launch looks like.
Setup · 2023 → 2024
Two markets. One brand. No code-switch.
Two decades of homeschool trust, and a new buyer: the school administrator. The product had to hold both.
01
HomeschoolThe base · Tactile, sequential, trusted
Parents teaching their own kids at home. The product had to feel like a teacher who shows up, not software that watches.
02
SchoolsThe frontier · SSO, rosters, K-8 sequencing
Charters, districts, and admins evaluating at the institutional level. Anything that read as homeschool-only died in the eval cycle.
The problem
The same product, told two ways, on one IA.
01One account, one tree
One tree. No code-switch.
We routed both markets through one structure instead of splitting the site. Subjects holds the curriculum lines, Shop holds commerce, and the Digital Toolbox bridge sits in every navigation state. Everything below is that decision rendered.
From the brand book · Audience
Four people, one system.
The two poles the system had to hold at once. The full four-persona base lives in the brand book.
Homeschool Home Leader
Parent and daily teacher
A parent at home running curriculum across one or two grade levels. Found Math-U-See because it is tactile, sequential, and works for kids who froze on traditional math. Wants the digital toolbox to support that rhythm, not replace it.
Education Administrator
School, charter, or district decision-maker
Evaluates curriculum at the institutional level. Needs SSO, FERPA-aligned data handling, classroom-shaped reporting, and a path to roll Math-U-See into existing K-8 math sequencing without a full vendor procurement cycle.
Open in the brand book →Demme Learning · Audience
02The system
Design System
A four-bucket palette layered over a semantic system.
Demme is a curriculum publisher first, a software company second. The system had to hold both surfaces. We built four named brand colors (blue, demme-green, demme-orange, violet) and a DaisyUI-style semantic layer (primary, secondary, accent, neutral, status, with focus + content pairs), so product UI could lean on tokens while marketing could lean on the brand bucket directly.
4Customer Personas
9 mo.Engagement
2024Design System (Beta)
17Figma Pages
01Color System
Color Palette
blue-500
primary defaultHex#3B82F6
RGB59 · 130 · 246
HSL217° · 91% · 60%
CMYK76 · 47 · 0 · 4
■ 5.7:1□ 3.7:1
demme-green-400
secondary defaultHex#44BB8D
RGB68 · 187 · 141
HSL157° · 47% · 50%
CMYK64 · 0 · 25 · 27
■ 8.7:1□ 2.4:1
demme-orange-600
accent defaultHex#F76500
RGB247 · 101 · 0
HSL25° · 100% · 48%
CMYK0 · 59 · 100 · 3
■ 6.8:1□ 3.1:1
violet-500
defaultHex#8B5CF6
RGB139 · 92 · 246
HSL258° · 90% · 66%
CMYK43 · 63 · 0 · 4
■ 5.0:1□ 4.2:1
gray-300
base-300Hex#D1D5DB
RGB209 · 213 · 219
HSL216° · 12% · 84%
CMYK5 · 3 · 0 · 14
■ 14.3:1□ 1.5:1
yellow-500
warningHex#EAB308
RGB234 · 179 · 8
HSL45° · 93% · 47%
CMYK0 · 24 · 97 · 8
■ 11.0:1□ 1.9:1
Contrast Pairings
How the palette colors perform together: text on surface combinations ranked by contrast ratio.
Aa
violet-500
on gray-3002.9:1
Aa
gray-300
on violet-5002.9:1
Aa
blue-500
on gray-3002.5:1
Aa
gray-300
on blue-5002.5:1
Aa
violet-500
on yellow-5002.2:1
Aa
yellow-500
on violet-5002.2:1
Aa
demme-orange-600
on gray-3002.1:1
Aa
gray-300
on demme-orange-6002.1:1
02Typography
Type System
Math is learned in sequence
Math is learned in sequence. Skip a step and the next one wobbles. The product r...
Math is learned in sequence. Skip a step and the next one wobbles. The product respects that order.
Bree Serif
Display (400)
Display
Hero headlines and brand-voice moments. Never in product UI.
Inter Semi Bold
Headline (600)
Headline
Section headlines, card titles, dashboard headings.
Inter Regular
Body (400)
Body
Lesson content, marketing copy, and UI text share one face.
Inter Medium
Interface (500)
Interface
Buttons, labels, navigation, and data rows in the Digital Toolbox.
Mono
Kicker (600)
Kicker
Mono eyebrows, level indices, and prices only. Tracked uppercase at 0.18em; the top tier of the KICKER → Bree Serif → Inter voice. Never for body copy.
04Brand Language
4.1
Foundation
The brand’s first principles: what it believes before it speaks.
Descriptor
Homeschool curriculum publisher. Math-U-See. Spelling You See. Building Faith Families.
Founding Belief
Math is learned in sequence. Skip a step and the next one wobbles. The product respects that order.
Demme Learning helps families and schools teach math, language arts, and science with curriculum that meets students where they are. The Digital Toolbox extends those products into a connected portal for parents, instructors, and students.
4.2/ from the founding belief
Values
The operating system. What the brand commits to, every time.
01
Mastery
Math is learned in sequence. Skip a step and the next one wobbles. The product respects that order.
02
Respect
Parents are the experts on their kids. The system supports that authority instead of overruling it.
03
Continuity
A family that started Math-U-See in second grade should still feel at home in eighth. The brand has to carry across the arc.
04
Welcome
A school administrator should land on the same brand and feel met, not redirected.
4.3/ from those values
Character (Brand Personality)
Five traits that turn values into behavior.
02Trait
Warm
Familial
Twenty years of homeschool trust did not come from corporate polish. The voice still reads like a teacher who knows your kid by name.
03Trait
Sequential
Patient
No leapfrogging. Every screen earns the next screen. The IA reflects that pacing.
04Trait
Welcoming
Inclusive
Homeschoolers and admins reach the same shelf. The brand treats both like the actual customer they are.
4.4/ from those traits
Brand Pillars (Messaging)
The three things this brand always says — the messages every piece of work ladders back to.
01Pillar
A trusted sequence, not a feed.
The product promise
Math-U-See works because the lessons stack. The Digital Toolbox carries that same logic into software. Every screen is a step. Every step earns the next.
02Pillar
One brand, two welcomes.
The market promise
A homeschool parent and a school administrator land on the same brand and both feel met. No marketing site for one and a procurement portal for the other. One door, two paths inside.
03Pillar
Curriculum first, software second.
The voice promise
Demme is a publisher with a portal, not an LMS with a brand attached. The voice keeps that order. Tools serve the lesson. The lesson never serves the tools.
4.5/ from all of the above
Voice
How the brand sounds out loud — the tone every word inherits.
Warm/Direct/Trusted
01From: Respect
Speak like a teacher who respects parents as the actual experts on their kids.
02From: Tactile
Math-U-See is tactile and sequential. The voice should feel the same way: concrete, step-by-step, never academic.
03From: Welcome
Honor the homeschool base while making schools feel welcome. Never code-switch into corporate.
04From: Sequential
No leapfrogging. Every sentence earns the next.
Do
Ten Steps to a Federal Job is a sequence. Teach the sequence.
Don’t
Unlock the proven framework that helps families succeed.
Do
Math-U-See has worked for thirty years because it teaches the way children learn.
Don’t
Math-U-See leverages a research-backed pedagogy to drive student outcomes.
From the brand book · Voice
A teacher who respects the parent.
The voice rules came out of the persona research. Parents are the experts on their kids; the product supports that authority. Three guidelines, cut from the book.
WarmDirectTrusted
Open in the brand book →Demme Learning · Voice
From the brand book · Color
Four buckets, one semantic layer.
Blue, green, orange, and violet over a DaisyUI-style semantic layer. Product UI leans on tokens; marketing leans on the buckets. The full palette lives in the brand book.
blue-200
#BFDBFE
lighter
blue-300
#93C5FD
light
blue-400
#60A5FA
bright
blue-500
#3B82F6
primary default
blue-800
#1E40AF
primary focus / dark
demme-green-200
#B1E9CE
light
demme-green-400
#44BB8D
secondary default
demme-green-700
#19825F
secondary focus / dark
demme-green-800
#125340
deepest
demme-orange-100
#FFEDD5
lightest
demme-orange-200
#F3CEBF
demme-orange-300
#EAAF90
demme-orange-400
#E19060
demme-orange-500
#DA7F3E
demme-orange-600
#F76500
accent default
demme-orange-700
#C95502
demme-orange-800
#A12D0B
accent focus / dark
demme-orange-900
#82280C
deepest
violet-300
#C4B5FD
light
violet-500
#8B5CF6
default
violet-900
#4C1D95
dark
gray-50
#F9FAFB
lightest surface, neutral-content
gray-100
#F3F4F6
base-100
gray-200
#E5E7EB
base-200
gray-300
#D1D5DB
base-300
gray-700
#374151
neutral-focus
gray-800
#1F2937
neutral / base-content
near-black
#111213
content / dark-9
cyan-500
#06B6D4
info
cyan-900
#164E63
green-400
#4ADE80
success
green-900
#14532D
yellow-500
#EAB308
warning
yellow-900
#713F12
red-400
#F87171
danger
red-900
#7F1D1D
white
#FFFFFF
black
#000000
Open in the brand book →Demme Learning · Color
Delivered · Color systemThe sheet the tokens were captured from.
From the brand book · Type
Inter for the work, Bree Serif for the welcome.
One workhorse family across product and marketing, with a display serif reserved for the brand moments. The full specimen lives in the brand book.
Display
Bree Serif
Hero headlines and brand-voice moments. Never in product UI.
Building Lifelong Learners
Headline
Inter Semi Bold
Section headlines, card titles, dashboard headings.
One brand, two welcomes.
Body
Inter Regular
Lesson content, marketing copy, and UI text share one face.
Math is learned in sequence. Skip a step and the next one wobbles. Every screen is a step, and every step earns the next.
Interface
Inter Medium
Buttons, labels, navigation, and data rows in the Digital Toolbox.
Lesson 5 · Polynomial Long Division · Instructor view
Kicker
Mono
Mono eyebrows, level indices, and prices only. Tracked uppercase at 0.18em; the top tier of the KICKER → Bree Serif → Inter voice. Never for body copy.
RECOGNIZED BY · LEVEL 01 · $156.00
Open in the brand book →Demme Learning · Type
From the brand book · Sub-brands
One family, three shelves.
Math-U-See, Spelling You See, and the Digital Toolbox share one foundation. The system holds the family without flattening it.
Math-U-See
Curriculum Brand
The original Demme curriculum. Manipulative-based math taught in sequence. The foundation of the homeschool trust the brand has earned over two decades. The Digital Toolbox is built around Math-U-See lessons first.
Spelling You See
Curriculum Brand
Demme's language arts curriculum. Same teaching philosophy as Math-U-See: concrete, sequential, lesson-by-lesson. Extends the brand into language arts without diluting it.
Digital Toolbox
Product Surface
The LearnDash-backed lesson surface for parents, instructors, and students. One account architecture, role-aware navigation, lesson-shaped content model. Lesson 5 (the working frame) shows the dashboard pattern.
Open in the brand book →Demme Learning · Sub-brands
The system, assembled
Eight sections build every page.
The whole megasite composes from this section library. Each tile is the live component, scaled down. Open one to walk through it at full size.
Home heroOpen →
Digital Toolbox bandOpen →
Community cardOpen →
Engage, Educate, EmpowerOpen →
Subject heroOpen →
Level sequence stripOpen →
Freemium bandOpen →
Placement + shop two-upOpen →
Components
The chrome the pages share. The full pattern library lives in the brand book.
From the brand book · Applications
The system, applied.
Four applications prove the foundation: two marketing templates, the product centerpiece, and the section library itself. The next chapter walks the megasite live.
Megasite Home
digital
The composed marketing homepage: forest hero, subject tabs, Digital Toolbox panel, Empower close. Built from the eight-section library; live in the /brand/demme preview shell.
Math-U-See Subject Page
digital
Subject-level template: crest hero, level-sequence staircase, freemium band, placement and shop two-up.
Lesson 5 Dashboard
digital
The centerpiece product screen: lesson video, virtual manipulatives, and worksheet flow inside the Digital Toolbox chrome.
Section Library
digital
Eight reusable page sections (hero, toolbox band, community card, empower, subject hero, level sequence, freemium band, placement/shop) that compose every megasite page.
Open in the brand book →Demme Learning · Applications
03The megasite
Live · Megasite home
Live · token-drivenSteppableTwo markets, one IA, rendered live.
The megasite home composed against the system. Every color, type face, and radius reads from the Demme tokens.
demmelearning.comLive
DemmLEARNING
CurriculumDigital ToolsCommunityAboutSupport
ShopAccountMathMath-U-SeeSpellingSpelling You SeeGrammarAnalytical GrammarWritingWriteshop
Building Lifelong Learners
Our award-winning, comprehensive learning tools support educators, parents, and students in schools and homeschools.
Mastery sequenceOne concept at a time, taught to mastery before the next one begins.
Video instructionEvery lesson taught on video, so parents never teach alone.
Hands-on manipulativesThe colored blocks put abstract math in your student’s hands.
Placement toolsFree assessments start every student exactly where they are.
Digital Toolbox Online Learning
Free access to the first three lessons of each level of the Math-U-See Curriculum, virtual manipulatives, and more!
Sign InLearn More
Digital Toolbox Learning Tools and Resources
Instant access to lessons, digital manipulatives, instructional videos and more.
DemmLEARNINGMath·U·SeeSpellingYouSeeANALYTICAL
GRAMMARWriteShop
GRAMMARWriteShop
Community
Latest News and Updates
The Definitive Homeschool Convention GuideFebruary 21, 2024Read More
Math in Soccer: Analyzing Angles, Trajectories, and GoalsMarch 6, 2024Read More
Preparing Visual Thinkers for the WorkplaceApril 17, 2024Read More
Latest EpisodesSee All
Talking with a Math Teacher about the Parents’ Role in High School MathJune 12, 2024
Exploring the World of Unit Studies with Learn + Live Letter [Show]May 29, 2024
Keeping Your Students Safe Online – Tech Tools and Tips [Show]May 15, 2024
Shop Demme LearningShop All
Primer Universal Set$156.00
112 reviewsAlpha Universal Set$105.60
86 reviewsBeta Universal Set$182.00
64 reviewsInteger Block Kit$93.00
203 reviewsJack and Jill Universal Set$58.00
41 reviewsAnalytical Grammar Season 1$49.95
28 reviewsWriteShop Junior Book D Set$74.50
19 reviewsAlgebra/Decimal Insert Kit$40.00
57 reviewsShop All
Learning together, learning for a lifetime.
Children thrive when learning alongside engaged parents, teachers, and family members—whether leading or supporting their education. Together, we foster lifelong learners.
01Award-winning curriculumTrusted by homeschool families since 1990 and still family-owned.
02Video instructionEvery lesson taught step by step, so parents never teach alone.
03Hands-on manipulativesThe colored blocks make abstract ideas touchable at every level.
04Mastery sequenceStudents place by mastery, not grade, and move on when ready.
05Live supportReal people in Lititz, PA answer the phone when you call.
06Digital ToolboxThe first three lessons of every level, free to every family.
Recognized by
Practical Homeschooling Reader AwardCathy Duffy 103 Top PicksHomeschool.com Awards 2021Old Schoolhouse Top Ranked
Demme Learning is a family-owned publisher from Lancaster, PA.
Innovative learning solutions for homeschoolers, parents, and small groups since 1990.
Learn About UsToken scopebrand:demmeMarketing · live
Delivered · Megasite compsThe artboards the rebuild answers to.
Live · Megasite header
Live · token-drivenOne header, two states.
The delivered header rebuilt against the tokens: the marketing state with the Subjects mega-menu, and the authenticated state that carries the Digital Toolbox chrome. Same component, two contexts.
Demme Learning / Megasite header · 2 statesLive
Marketing · demmelearning.com
DemmLEARNING
SubjectsCommunitySupport
ShopDigital ToolboxDemme Learning OnlineMathMath-U-SeeSpellingSpelling You SeeGrammarAnalytical GrammarWritingWriteshop
Digital ToolboxDemme Online Learning
Award-winning. Complete and comprehensive.
Learning tools educators, parents, and students in schools and homeschools.
Full Math-U-See CurriculumDemme Learning OnlineFull Math-U-See CurriculumDemme Learning OnlineFull Math-U-See CurriculumFirst Three LessonsFull Math-U-See CurriculumDemme Learning Online
Student Placement
Students should start at their individual level of mastery. Find the proper placement for your student.
Individual PlacementClassroom Placement
ShopMath-U-See
Primer Universal Set$156.00Alpha Universal Set$105.60Beta Universal Set$182.00
Shop All
Authenticated · toolbox.demmelearning.com/lessons
DemmLEARNING
SubjectsCommunitySupport
ShopDigital ToolboxSigned inToken scopebrand:demmeSpecimen panel
Delivered · Mega-menu comp
Live · Subject page
Live · token-drivenSteppableMath-U-See, the flagship shelf.
The subject page composed from the mega-panel grammar: the crest, the Primer-through-Zeta sequence, the free first-three-lessons offer, and the placement tool as the primary call.
demmelearning.com/subjects/math-u-seeLive
DemmLEARNING
SubjectsCommunitySupport
ShopDigital ToolboxDemme Learning OnlineMathSubjects / Math
Math-U-See is math you’ll love.
A complete K-12 curriculum that teaches with manipulatives, video instruction, and a mastery sequence—at home or in the classroom.
Built for students and teachers
Hands-on from the start
Every student, their own pace
Find Your Level Explore Math Tools
One level at a time, in sequence.
See the full sequenceEvery level builds on the one before it. Students place into the level that matches their mastery, not their grade.
01PrimerIntroducing mathStart here
02AlphaSingle-digit add & subtract
03BetaMulti-digit add & subtract
04GammaMultiplication
05DeltaDivision
06EpsilonFractions
07ZetaDecimals & percents
Digital Toolbox
The first three lessons of every level, free.
Try the full lesson experience—video instruction, virtual manipulatives, and worksheets—before you buy. No account required to start.
Start Lesson 1 How the Toolbox works
FREELesson 1 · Place ValueFREELesson 2 · SequencingFREELesson 3 · Addition FactsFree in every level, Primer through Zeta.
Placement
Student Placement
Students should start at their individual level of mastery. Find the proper placement for your student.
Individual Placement Classroom Placement
Shop
ShopMath-U-See
Primer Universal Set$156.00Alpha Universal Set$105.60Beta Universal Set$182.00
Shop All
Token scopebrand:demmeMarketing · live
Live · Megasite footer
Live · token-drivenFamily of products, one close.
The footer carries the whole portfolio: four brand shelves, customer service, and the Engage, Educate, Empower sign-up panel.
Demme Learning / Megasite footerLive
Token scopebrand:demmeSpecimen panel
Delivered · Footer comp
04The Digital Toolbox
Digital Toolbox
A LearnDash-backed lesson surface for parents, instructors, and students, sharing one account architecture.
Parents, instructors, and students log into the same surface, with role-aware navigation and a lesson-shaped content model. Every component maps to a token, so the whole dashboard themes from one semantic layer.
Live · Dashboard chrome
Live · token-drivenSteppableThe shell every role shares.
Subject rail, lesson breadcrumb, search, account surface. Every role lives inside this chrome; only the affordances change.
toolbox.demmelearning.comLive
Token scopebrand:demmeApp shell · live
Live · Lesson 5
Centerpiece artifactLive · token-drivenSteppableLesson 5: Polynomial Long Division.
The Lesson 5 surface rebuilt against the system, faithful to the delivered comp. Orange marks instructor-only affordances everywhere it appears.
toolbox.demmelearning.com/lessons/5Live
Search Lessons⌘ F
Algebra 2 Navigational Stakeholder Review›lesson 5: Polynomial Long Division (Combined XYZ)
Lesson 5: Polynomial Long Division
Instructor Help
When signed on as an instructor, you will see orange buttons and shaded areas visible only to you.
The orange buttons indicate items to print or Solutions.
Lesson Solutions
The orange buttons indicate items to print or Solutions.
The orange-shaded areas include Notes and other important information for instructors, including:
- Directions for helping determine student understanding
- Suggestions for students that need more help or practice
- Tips to help unstick students when they are stuck
- Optional Q&As to encourage deeper critical thinking
ObjectivesLearning Goals
Simplify expressions by dividing a polynomial by a monomial.
Use long division to divide polynomials.
Write the remainder of a polynomial expression as a rational expression.
Why?Learning Methods
Polynomial long division is useful when a polynomial needs to be broken down into smaller parts. It is also used in some forms of computer programming, such as error-control coding and cyclic redundancy check (CRC) methods.
Warm Up
The Warm Up activates prior knowledge that is related and important to your understanding of the lesson. It is a great way to prepare your mind for what you are about to learn.
Complete the Warm Up in your Lesson Pages. If necessary, See it Solved to check your work.
See It Solved
Instructor Notification
Notification that sits outside a card container
Token scopebrand:demmeWorkspace · live
Delivered · Lesson 5 compThe artboard the rebuild answers to.
05Getting there
Live · Mobile navigation
Live · token-drivenThe nav, reorganized around the new sitemap.
Resting bar, open drawer, and the Subjects shelf expanded. The working frames from the navigation redesign, live.
Demme Learning / Mobile nav · 3 statesLive
SubjectsSupportShop
390 × 844
00
State 0 · Resting
Bar closed. Hamburger / search / Demmo wordmark / Login pill, with three quick-access pills below.
SubjectsSupportShop
390 × 844
01
State 1 · Menu open
Menu reveals five top-level destinations and the Digital Toolbox login card.
SubjectsSupportShop
390 × 844
03
State 3 · SubjectsWorking frame
Subjects expanded: Math-U-See, Spelling-U-See, WriteShop, Grammar. The working frame for the engagement.
Token scopebrand:demmeSpecimen panel
Delivered · Navigation redesign
Live · Mobile top bar
Live · token-drivenSix iterations, one working frame.
Top-bar 0 through 5 rebuilt as live components. Each iteration trades chrome for clarity; top-bar 3 is the working frame the team tested against.
Demme Learning / Mobile top bar · 6 iterationsLive
SubjectsSupportShop
390 × 844
00
State 0 · Resting
Bar closed. Hamburger / search / Demmo wordmark / Login pill, with three quick-access pills below.
SubjectsSupportShop
390 × 844
01
State 1 · Menu open
Menu reveals five top-level destinations and the Digital Toolbox login card.
SubjectsSupportShop
390 × 844
02
State 2 · Community
Community expanded: Blog, Podcast, Events. Vertical guide ties the children to their parent.
SubjectsSupportShop
390 × 844
03
State 3 · SubjectsWorking frame
Subjects expanded: Math-U-See, Spelling-U-See, WriteShop, Grammar. The working frame for the engagement.
SubjectsSupportShop
390 × 844
04
State 4 · Products
Products expanded: Books, Manipulatives, Kits, Downloads. The shop side of the IA.
SubjectsSupportShop
390 × 844
05
State 5 · About Us
About Us expanded: History, Philosophy, Culture, Careers. The publisher story.
Token scopebrand:demmeSpecimen panel
Design the system, not the skin.
Engagement principle · 2023
See yourself in this work
If your product roadmap is outgrowing your brand, the system is the deliverable that outlasts the launch schedule.
Before
A trusted curriculum brand with a growing software roadmap and no design system to hold it.
After
One brand foundation, one IA, and a token-based system in Figma and code. When the build resumes, every screen is already themed.
Brand stage
RebrandEstablished
Engagement
Identity system
Vertical
Education
Scope
Multi channel
Duration
9 months
Work like this
Live brand book
The Demme Learning system is live and navigable.
Tokens, voice, components, and patterns rendered from the source on disk. The same record powers this engagement, the product, and the agents on stack.