On Tuesday, September 23rd, Cohort 31 gave their bits-based project presentations in 190H. The project focused on digital innovation and using technology to solve a critical problem. Teams were tasked with finding a solution to the problem by taking the perspective of the ‘voice of the customer,’ working closely with feedback groups, and analyzing survey data to iteratively design a digital product.

Teams presented their final product design alongside their proposed business model, financial analytics, and completed wireframe. Topics covered a wide range of important issues including mental health, product waste and sustainability, and doctor-to-patient communication.

One team – Quality Enhancement Systems & Memes – tackled child education in conflict zones. Focusing particularly on the Syrian education crisis, the team proposed a mobile application designed to teach children in short, engaging spurts that would cater to their interests while also resulting in increased information retention.

Another team – Bennie and the QUEST – aimed to facilitate more effective communication between high-risk patients and their healthcare providers. The application not only allowed consistent and secure communication between patients and their doctors, but also incorporated wearable monitors that sent data to the doctors and could indicate potential risks such as high blood pressure or an irregular heart rate.

Each of the teams pushed themselves to tackle very important issues outside of their normal scope. Sam Pearlstein (Q31) said, “I was impressed by all of the innovative and impactful solutions my peers came up with. All of the teams stepped outside of their comfort zones.”

The passion behind the issues was evident in each of the teams’ careful consideration of possible solutions and incorporation of outside feedback. Sam noted, “This project boosted my team’s spirit and creativity. We were passionate about solving a problem that affected people all around us. For my team, it was mental health. Together, we worked hard to find a solution that was both impactful and innovative.”

Cohort 31’s next presentation will be the poster session on December 4th in which they present their process improvement projects with different clients within the University of Maryland. We look forward to their creative solutions and the impact they will have on campus in the coming weeks. Congratulations, Q31!