This project empowers high school students to address real-world challenges in their community by designing mobile apps through a hands-on, project-based approach. Students engage in design thinking to empathize with community needs, ideate innovative solutions, and create functional prototypes. By pitching their app designs to community members, students gain valuable feedback and refine their solutions, ultimately enhancing their problem-solving, collaboration, and communication skills. This experience not only meets academic standards but also fosters a deeper connection between students and their community, encouraging them to become active contributors to societal improvement.
Learning goals
Students will develop the ability to identify and address community challenges through the creation of mobile app designs, employing design thinking processes to empathize with users and ideate innovative solutions. They will enhance their understanding of the principles of design and art elements to effectively communicate ideas and emotions in their app prototypes. Additionally, students will gain proficiency in basic coding and multimedia skills, enabling them to create interactive and user-friendly app interfaces. Through peer and community feedback, students will refine their communication and presentation skills, articulating the impact of their designs on local issues.
Standards
[California] A1.1 - View and respond to a variety of industry-related artistic products integrating industry appropriate vocabulary.
[California] A1.2 - Identify and use the principles of design to discuss, analyze, and create projects and products across multiple industry applications.
[California] A1.3 - Describe the use of the elements of art to express mood in digital or traditional art work found in the commercial environment.
[California] A1.6 - Compare and analyze art work done using electronic media with those done with materials traditionally used in the visual arts.
[California] A2.2 - Demonstrate personal style and advanced proficiency in communicating an idea, theme, or emotion in an industry-relevant artistic product.
[California] A2.9 - Create a multimedia work of art that demonstrates knowledge of media and technology skills.
[California] A8.1 - Understand the component steps and skills required to design, edit, and produce a production for audio, video, electronic, or printed presentation.
[California] A8.7 - Evaluate how advanced and emerging technologies (e.g., virtual environment or voice recognition software) affect or improve media and design arts products or productions.
Products
Students will create mobile app designs addressing community challenges, culminating in paper prototypes and wireframes that illustrate user interfaces and experiences. Throughout the project, they will develop elevator pitches and presentation materials for the 'Community Pitch Fest' and 'App Expo.' Additionally, students will produce peer feedback reports and reflective journals documenting their learning journey and insights gained from community interactions.
Launch
Begin the project with a dynamic 'Community Voices Panel,' inviting local community members to share their personal experiences and highlight specific challenges they face. This will provide students with authentic insights to inform their app design process. Follow this with an interactive 'Design Thinking Workshop,' where students engage in empathy mapping and brainstorming activities to spark creativity and collaboration, setting the stage for innovative problem-solving.
Exhibition
Students will participate in a 'Community Pitch Fest' where they deliver concise elevator pitches of their mobile app designs to community members, emphasizing the app's purpose, user benefits, and real-world application potential. Following this, a 'Community App Expo' will be held, where students set up interactive booths to showcase their app designs, allowing community members to engage with the paper prototypes and provide valuable feedback. These events offer students the chance to articulate their learning journey and demonstrate the impact of their solutions in addressing community challenges.
