I'm Aaron, I am finishing my final year studying Digital Design at Ulster University. My passion for design is rooted in a love of problem solving, I enjoy creating thoughtful solutions to user challenges and approaching complex briefs with innovation and creativity, always aiming to push the boundaries of what’s been done before.
Medley is an educational platform designed to enrich secondary school students’ cultural awareness through the subject of music. Students are provided with the opportunity to play music live with other classes and teachers from around the world, both expanding their music and teamwork skills and developing empathy for the traditions and people of the world.
The product aims to combat a trend of misinformation surrounding world cultures and people groups, uplifting traditions around the world and bringing people together to appreciate and enjoy, rather than fear, their differences starting from school age.
The initial problem was identified through research of world affairs, blogs and message boards. My research then gleaned that children who grow up with exposure to other cultures grow up to have a more positive idea of ethnicities outside of their own. As a member of the music teaching sector, I found that the sector has a natural connection to the problem, as music is a valuable part of all cultures that can be enjoyed by anyone, regardless of age or origin.
Following interviews with teachers and students, I devised sketches, to low/mid-fi prototypes, ending with the final high-fi prototype, with user testing perforned throughout the process.
From this process, I devised the solution, Medley, a digital product for schools that pairs classes with others around the globe to play and learn music together with the aim of cultural enrichment and world collaboration.