Solutions to Drive Educational Innovation
From uncovering learner needs to launching digital products, Highland provides end-to-end support for your critical innovation initiatives. Our integrated approach ensures strategy, design, and technology work together to deliver solutions learners love and institutions can sustain.
Opportunity Exploration
Uncover Hidden Growth Opportunities
Innovation starts with identifying the right opportunities. We use behavioral research, Jobs to Be Done methodology, and co-creation workshops to reveal unmet learner needs and how your institution can uniquely address them.
What we deliver
Deep understanding of learner behaviors and motivations, objective market assessment, innovation strategy, and clear direction for investment.
Key capabilities
Digital Product Innovation
Launch Digital Products That Create Value & Revenue
Digital products can create recurring revenue and transform how you serve learners. Our five-stage process integrates research, strategy, design, and development to move you from concept to market-ready product with confidence.
Our process: Explore (research and market sizing) → Co-Create (refine with learners) → Design & Test (prototypes to working software) → Pilot (real-world validation) → Build (MVP launch)
This delivers: Products grounded in learner needs, reduced risk through validation, faster time to market, and scalable solutions.
Digital Product Innovation
Launch Digital Products That Create Value & Revenue
Digital products can create recurring revenue and transform how you serve learners. Our five-stage process integrates research, strategy, design, and development to move you from concept to market-ready product with confidence.
Our proven process
Stage 1: Explore - Create the strategic target through rigorous research and market sizing
Stage 2: Co-Create - Collaborate with learners to hone your value proposition and shape a compelling product
Stage 3: Design & Test - Use lean startup methods and rapid feedback loops to move from prototypes to working software
Stage 4: Pilot - Observe real-world behaviors to sharpen desirability and accelerate learning about product-market fit
Stage 5: Build - Develop and launch an MVP with go-to-market strategy and measurement built in
This approach delivers
Products grounded in learner needs, reduced risk through validation, faster time to market, and scalable solutions.
Concept Creation
Design Products & Experiences Learners Love
Our design team uses targeted research, rapid prototyping, and iterative testing to create compelling digital products and experiences. We ensure solutions work intuitively and solve real problems.
What we create:
- Intuitive UI/UX designs that feel natural to learners
- End-to-end service experiences that eliminate friction
- Rapid prototypes that bring ideas to life for testing and refinement
- Product strategies that align technology with organizational goals
Key capabilities:
- UI/UX Design
- Service Design
- Rapid Prototyping
- UX Research
- Product Strategy
Learn more about Concept Creation →
Digital Product Development
Build Custom Software with Confidence
Our development approach combines learner feedback, human-centered design, and quality engineering to build the right solution the first time. Our agile process ensures you see progress quickly and launch with confidence.
What we build:
- Custom web and mobile applications tailored to your needs
- Learning management and content delivery platforms
- Student success and engagement tools
- Administrative systems and portals
- Integration solutions that connect your technology ecosystem
Our approach:
- Agile development with regular demonstrations and feedback
- User testing throughout the build process
- Quality engineering practices that ensure reliability and scalability
- Strategic alignment between technology and institutional goals
Key capabilities:
- Custom Software Development
- UX Research
- UI/UX Design
- Rapid Prototyping
- Product Strategy
Why Our Integrated Approach Works
Unlike vendors who specialize in just one area—research OR design OR development—Highland brings all three together in integrated teams. This means:
✓ Research insights directly inform design decisions - No lost insights between handoffs
✓ Designers and developers collaborate from day one - No unrealistic designs or surprise constraints
✓ Strategy, design, and technology stay aligned - No drift between vision and execution
✓ Faster time to market - No waiting for sequential phases
✓ Single point of accountability - One partner, one team, one shared goal
This integrated approach is why we've successfully launched over 300 products while maintaining exceptionally high success rates.
