Justin Dickinson

Branding Easel: Creating a Distinct Identity for TPT’s Digital Future

As Teachers Pay Teachers (TPT) expanded beyond a marketplace for printable resources, the company was building its first major digital product: Easel which needed its own brand identity. This interactive tool was built to empower educators to create, edit, and share digital lessons—a major shift from TPT’s traditional offerings. The goal was to define the brand identity for Easel, ensuring it felt distinct yet seamlessly integrated into TPT’s ecosystem.

This work was happening alongside TPT’s overall rebrand, making it essential to ensure Easel fit within the evolving TPT brand architecture and visual language while establishing itself as a recognizable, standalone product.

The Challenge: Branding a New Product Within an Established Marketplace

TPT was well-known and trusted by educators, with years of brand equity tied to a marketplace for printable lesson plans. Easel represented a new era for the platform—one focused on interactive, digital-first teaching tools. The challenge was twofold:

  1. Create a fresh identity that makes Easel feel like an innovative, standalone product.
  2. Ensure alignment with TPT’s rebrand so that Easel was a trusted and recognizable part of the platform.

Because the TPT rebrand was happening concurrently, Easel’s branding had to be developed in lockstep with the evolving TPT identity, ensuring that as TPT introduced a more modern look and feel, Easel would seamlessly fit into this new brand system.

The Approach: A Strategic & Research-Driven Brand Process

1. Naming the Product

We needed a name that was simple, memorable, and reflective of the product’s purpose. After brainstorming and testing multiple options with leaders across the company, teachers, and teacher-authors, we landed on Easel—a term familiar to teachers that conveys creativity, flexibility, and a blank canvas for learning.

2. Visual Identity & Brand System

The Easel brand needed to feel modern and digital-first while aligning with TPT’s rebranded look and feel. Collaboration with brand designers and external consultants led to the creation of:

  • A distinct logo that echoed TPT’s visual language but introduced a fresh, digital-friendly aesthetic.
  • A color palette that complemented TPT’s but gave Easel its own personality as a digital tool.
  • Typography and iconography that felt intuitive and approachable for educators to compliment the more complex UI.

3. Integration into TPT’s Brand Architecture

Since TPT was undergoing a broader rebrand, we ensured Easel’s identity fit within this new framework by:

  • Defining its role within the TPT ecosystem, positioning it as the flagship digital tool.
  • Ensuring visual consistency, so elements like color, typography, and UI patterns matched the new TPT brand.
  • Creating a seamless user experience, where Easel was clearly differentiated but still felt like a native part of TPT.

Results & Impact

The branding work helped successfully position Easel as a core part of TPT’s evolution:

  • High adoption rates, with teachers embracing Easel as a trusted new tool.
  • A strong, flexible brand identity that scaled across product, marketing, and support materials.
  • Seamless integration with TPT, ensuring Easel felt like a natural and valuable addition to the platform.

Key Takeaways

  • Branding a new product within a legacy company requires balance – Easel had to feel innovative and fresh while still being part of the larger TPT ecosystem.
  • A well-researched name builds instant familiarity – Educators immediately connected with Easel as a tool for teaching and creativity.
  • A distinct yet cohesive identity drives adoption – By aligning with TPT’s branding while introducing a fresh look, we ensured both trust and excitement.
  • Integration matters as much as differentiation – Easel’s branding was designed to stand out while feeling like a natural extension of TPT’s evolving brand.

This project reinforced the power of thoughtful branding in product adoption—a carefully crafted identity not only attracts users but also makes them feel at home in a new experience, even as the larger company undergoes transformation.