Published
February 27, 2024

How Google delivered scalable, localized training for global education departments

A multi-tenant LMS with co-branded dashboards, multi-language support, and a bespoke front-end built to enhance Google’s design system - without the cost constraints of per-user pricing.

Before Shapeshift: scaling training was cost-prohibitive & rigid

Google needed to provide training for education departments worldwide, but traditional LMS models weren’t built for this kind of scale.

The biggest roadblock? Pay-per-user pricing was a deal-breaker.

With over 1 million learners, per-user fees would have been financially unsustainable. At the same time, most LMS platforms lacked the flexibility to meet the needs of different government partners:

❌ Sky-high per-user costs - Scaling to millions of users would have been exponentially expensive.

❌ No co-branding options - Government education departments needed their own presence within the platform.

❌ Rigid content & UI - Training needed to be localized per country, and the UI had to feel native to Google.Building a custom solution would have been too slow and complex, but off-the-shelf platforms couldn’t meet their needs.

The Shift: Why Google Chose Shapeshift Flex Pro

Shapeshift Flex Pro gave Google the scalability, flexibility, and cost structure they needed, while maintaining a Google-driven experience.

🌍 Scalable Without Per-User Fees - No pricing penalties for growth. One fixed-cost platform, no matter how many learners.

🎨 Co-Branded Dashboards - Government partners got their own presence, with their logos in place - while maintaining a Google-like UX.

🗣 Multi-Language & Localized Content - Training adapted dynamically to each country’s language and available tools.

🎯 Bespoke Front-End, Designed for Google - Instead of forcing a third-party UI, Shapeshift extended and enhanced Google’s design system for a seamless user experience.

🚀 Enterprise-Grade Scalability - Millions of users, real-time performance, and global reach - all without slowdowns or additional costs.

After Shapeshift: A cost-effective, scalable, and fully localized LMS

✅ Fixed-cost scalability - Millions of learners onboarded, no per-user fees.

✅ Co-branded, but still Google-like - Government partners had their identity, but within a Google-driven experience.

✅ Localized & compliant - Training adjusted per country’s language, policies, and feature set.

✅ An evolved Google UI - The front end built upon Google’s design system, making it seamless for users.