How The Power Of Design Reignites Classroom Engagement

During the pandemic, students learned remotely for safety reasons, but when they returned to in-person learning, many struggled with paying attention—or even physically remaining in the classroom. So how can educators encourage students to stay? Once Upon A Project podcast host AJ Paron, EVP and design futurist at SANDOW Design Group, dives into the topic with KI’s Bryan Ballegeer, vice president of education, and Jason Lazarz, A&D market lead, in this special NeoCon episode.

Recorded live by the SURROUND Podcast Network at The Mart in Chicago during NeoCon, which ran from June 9-11, the conversation explores the importance of inclusive design in the classroom. Education has been the heart of KI—a partner for Once Upon A Project for Season 3—since the company’s founding. The brand highlights this mission by creating inclusive furnishings that support the needs of neurotypical and neurodiverse students and teachers.

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Listen to the full Once Upon a Project episode recorded live during NeoCon for more insights into educational settings.

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One of KI’s newest offerings, the Cogni chair, was designed to help increase student engagement, which hit an all-time low after the pandemic. With its ergonomic structure, fun assortment of colors, and tactile nature, it’s the perfect chair to motivate students.

“We sought out to provide an [engagement] solution that maybe can help address that some. And our Cogni chair brings that to life,” Ballegeer says in the podcast. “We talked about choice and movement for students—they can bounce, they can get the flex, they can find that posture in that place without being disruptive.”

Ballegeer and Lazarz also share that creating fun, engaging spaces is crucial for helping students stay involved. To support this, they launched the Classroom Furniture Giveaway program, which empowers teachers and students to create dream classrooms tailored to diverse learning needs. Introduced three years ago, the competition invites participants to use KI’s online classroom planner tool to create and submit their ideal learning environments leading to an innovative array of spaces.

“What really strikes me is the outcomes. They are all improving the outcomes for these students,” Lazarz says. “There’s very nuanced ways to handle things, and it’s really inspiring. I think teachers can learn a lot from designers, but designers can learn a lot from teachers and how they’ve expressed themselves.” Listen to the full episode to learn more.