Design Challenge and Design Ideas

Our young people are inheriting the biggest challenges the world has ever seen from hidden poverty, mental health, lack of inclusion, climate change and so much more. They are facing an uncertain future and are educated in a system not fit-for-purpose, designed in the 1950’s.

We wanted to connect thousands of students across Ireland with hundreds of industry professionals to unlock knowledge and help them learn the skills to become the change makers of the future.

The idea was B!G; a multifaceted free online platform that could:

• Give teachers access to hybrid workshops and resources.
• Connect young people to industry professionals safely to share knowledge & learning.
• Allow students to share project ideas.
• Allow peer-reviewed mentoring.
• Organise data within an impact measurement framework.
• Create social profiles to build communities.
• Individualise stakeholder impact reports.
• Automate processes to reduce labour in a small but mighty team.
• Manage data, track engagement and support users.

How the brief was fulfilled

(Mic Drop) We did it!

Despite having limited financial resources, we harnessed the extensive expertise within our creative team, with invaluable support from Philip Farmer, Head of Digital at Unthink. The collaborative platform we developed stands as the linchpin of our globally recognised programme, even earning mention in an OECD report for its innovative impact on education in Ireland.

To ensure meaningful user engagement, we rigorously tested and refined user flows, including the critical ‘Ma & Pa test’ to ensure accessibility for non-tech-savvy individuals. These efforts extended to all stakeholder journeys. We seamlessly integrated impact measurement frameworks, crucial for non-profit reporting, and incorporated meaningful digital delights.

Hundreds of teachers accessed 24 game-changing creative thinking workshops, teaching resources, and optional support tools. Our plug-and-play digital workshops provided a comprehensive 360-degree learning experience for thousands of students, bridging digital activities with complimentary physical learning aids. Data collected on the backend was transformed into customized digital impact reports, sharing students’ learning progress and experiences.

With GDPR compliance in place, students shared their project ideas and received online mentoring at various stages, facilitated by industry professionals through their teachers. This timely confidence boost facilitated real-world learning experiences, offering exposure to diverse career pathways. Automated processes enabeled dynamic sharing of projects on our open-access online exhibition, showcasing innovative B!G ideas to a broader audience.

Our hardworking platform also offered a user-friendly dashboard for industry professionals worldwide to receive and evaluate 3-5 student projects. This feature enabled online feedback from a diverse collaborative group of 3-5 mentors, thoughtfully matched based on gender, sector, and experience. Promoting community engagement, branded social frames on dashboards allowed mentors to actively and proudly showcase their involvement, resulting in an estimated reach of 800,000+ on LinkedIn in 2023. Additionally, our platform dynamically integrated with our brochure website, automatically updating the Mentor page with mentors’ headshots and bios.

In alignment with the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), our platform continues to foster inclusive creative thinking skills among thousands of students, empowering them to address pressing global challenges.

Our platform would give you a burst of digital confetti right now. BOOM!