Our Client
MindFuel, a beacon in educational technology, is dedicated to fostering curiosity, inspiring innovation, and energizing the minds of future generations. Since its establishment in 1990, MindFuel has been a trailblazer in bringing STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education to life for young learners.
Background
MindFuel, an educational technology leader, envisioned a digital space to provide students with self-serve access to innovation opportunities, and fuel growth in youth STEM innovation across Canada. This new digital space, Connect2Innovate, would combine social media and non-curricular education features to establish a community where young innovators self-select real-world challenges, and are matched with the mentors they need to learn and deliver transformative solutions.
The Challenge
MindFuel was looking for a partner to guide them through a discovery and ideation effort to envision their future digital portal Connect2Innovate. The challenge was multifaceted, requiring deep technical knowledge but also the integration of educational insights, technology, and user engagement strategies to understand how to cultivate a dynamic community of young innovators through a digital presence.
Dura Digital, recognized for its proficiency in engineering and human-centered design, was selected by MindFuel to tackle this challenge and was tasked to identify and define the user personas that the portal would target, draft their user journeys, evaluate, and recommend technology platforms for the portal to leverage, and envision a roadmap for a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) for the digital portal to be implemented as efficiently and effectively as possible.
The Solution
Dura Digital employed its expertise in human-centered design and technical development to lay a solid foundation for the future digital platform, identify the personas that the solution would serve, and to map out key features and functionalities of portal.
Dura Digital conducted extensive workshops and interviews with subject matter experts and future end-users, ensuring that the portal was built with the needs of the youth in mind, leading to the creation of detailed user personas and journeys, providing a deep understanding of the target audience's needs.
Wireframes were developed, confirming user stories and outlining a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) for the portal. The evaluation of potential platforms informed the selection process, while the architectural design offered a structural blueprint that enables MindFuel to have a clear path forward for implementing the portal.
The Results
This meticulous planning and user-focused approach in the discovery phase was crucial for envisioning a platform that not only aligns with educational goals but also resonates with the young innovators it aims to serve, promising a robust and impactful digital solution in STEM education.
These efforts culminated in a comprehensive implementation plan, setting a clear direction for the MVP's development. This phase successfully laid the groundwork for a user-centric, effective digital STEM education portal that MindFuel will be building in 2024.
Services Provided
- Roadmapping
- Persona development
- Wireframes
- Business analysis
- MVP development
- Solution architecture
