The Shipyard

A behind-the-scenes look at the construction of our curriculum, resources, and digital storefront.

The Shipyard offers a behind-the-scenes look at how LearningKeel’s curriculum, resources, and digital storefront are thoughtfully built, where every detail is crafted with care to support meaningful learning for Muslim families.

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Building the Hull: How 20 Books Led to LearningKeel

Every ship has its origin story, and mine began in 2021 amidst the sleeplessness of a health struggle and a global pandemic. What started as a single draft of a Makkah Seerah workbook became a masterclass in perseverance.

Early on, I learned a vital lesson: a creator needs to be in control of their tools. While my first workbook was beautifully set in Illustrator by a friend, I found myself "adrift" when I couldn't make my own edits. I needed a "dry dock"—a workspace where I could build freely. After disastrous attempts with Word and frustrating trials with complex design software, I found my anchor in Microsoft Publisher. It allowed me to treat every page like a canvas, perfectly placing the sensory tools and boxed questions that define my curriculum.

Through steep learning curves and the intricacies of Amazon KDP, that single draft grew into a library of 20 published books. LearningKeel is the next logical step in this voyage—a professional space to share the intersection of classroom expertise and the technical craft of independent publishing. Welcome to the shipyard; I’m so glad you’re here for the build.

Professional Book Design on a DIY Budget: How I broke through the "Technical Wall" to build a multi-book series.