2023

reimagining the future of transport in Tauranga

circular workshop design & facilitation for the Young Innovator Awards

Led by Priority One, Western Bay of Plenty’s economic development organisation, the Young Innovator Awards (YIA!) are an annual program that highlights and fosters innovative thinking of intermediate and high school-aged rangatahi (youth).

As part of my work at Circularity, we were invited to adapt our XLabs circular design sprint format as a gift for the finalists.

Design and deliver a workshop to the finalists of the YIA! that helps support and develop design thinking skills for the future of work in an ever-changing world.

With a lot of our work at Circularity at the time being in the region, we have been hearing firsthand and experiencing the traffic, the lack of diverse and accessible transport infrastructure, and the need for cleaner transport options.

This inspired us to focus our workshop on empowering these innovators with the following design challenge:

“How might we redesign your journey around Tauranga to be circular?”

A jam-packed half-day circular economy workshop for 86 finalists.

Our young innovators shared insightful future designs, expressing fears about safety, getting lost, and advocating for underground vehicles to preserve the beauty of their city and region.

Post-workshop reflections revealed that rangatahi in the region lacked the freedom to explore independently post-COVID-19, relying on parents for transportation. Key issues identified were untrustworthy public transport, safety concerns, and navigation challenges, as Google Maps didn't alleviate their concerns.

Designer & facilitator

Desk research, synthesis wall, trend analysis, HMWs, ideation, brainstorm, journey map, prototype.

Canva


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