GI Follow-on Project: PlotBox

The winning team at the Generation Innovation 2023 Work Experience Programme (Belfast) worked with GI partner PlotBox and their sister company Discover Everafter to come up with a solution to the company challenge: How might Discover Everafter provide a solution that allows users to pay respect to their loved ones anytime, anywhere?

Following the Work Experience Programme, PlotBox invited students to their Ballymena office to participate in a follow-on project, further exploring the team’s solution to the company challenge.

We caught up with GI participant Eve and PlotBox Digital Marketing Specialist Jonathan.

Eve, Generation Innovation 2023 Work Experience Programme participant

What was involved in the GI follow-on project?

Upon arrival, we met with the PlotBox team and were tasked with implementing the idea we had pitched to Plotbox and the judges. We revisited the mission statement and how we aimed to solve this issue, using the design process to organise and develop our ideas.

What were some of the key outcomes and skills you gained from Generation Innovation and this follow-on project with PlotBox?

The Generation Innovation programme enabled me to build on my time management skills. It has also developed my confidence greatly; talking in front of large groups of people has never been something I was comfortable with but now I have taken on so many opportunities that I wouldn’t have previously. I also learned how to make informed and crucial decisions under pressure all while managing other people, and these key skills will benefit me greatly in my future career.

What was your highlight of the day of the follow-on project?

The follow-on project allowed me to share my ideas with professionals. I enjoyed getting feedback on my ideas and seeing them being implemented through the company. I was pleasantly surprised that my ideas were valued in the real world; it has raised my confidence and I feel more able when doing things, especially in school.

What advice would you give to a young person wanting to expand their career options and find out more about careers in innovation?

Take all opportunities that are offered to you – don’t let fear of doing new things put you off, we all must learn somewhere. Experiences like this are a way to broaden your skills that will enable you to broaden your future career options.

Jonathan, Digital Marketing Specialist at PlotBox / Discover Afterafter

How did the follow-on project originate following Generation Innovation?

Our one-day design sprint was born out of the remarkable presentations and innovative ideas presented by both student groups at Generation Innovation. The broader team unanimously agreed that we wanted to express our gratitude to the students and provide them with a practical opportunity to collaborate with our team at Discover Everafter in order to bring their ideas to fruition. The one-day design sprint entailed interactive working sessions with our product teams and senior managers, aimed at formulating a fresh problem statement based on their generated ideas and exploring novel approaches to enhance and expand upon the original concepts.

How has Generation Innovation and this follow-on project benefited your company?

After consolidating the insights obtained during the one-day design sprint, we've incorporated all of the ideas into our product roadmap. This day proved invaluable in helping us refine concepts we had contemplated before but lacked the opportunity to thoroughly evaluate.

What opportunities are there for young people in your company going forward?

We are great believers in bringing early career/entry-level talent into PlotBox. In fact, almost 20% of our current headcount came into the business via this route – a statistic that we are immensely proud of!

We work with universities, colleges and local schools to ensure young people hear about PlotBox from an early stage in their academic career, helping to showcase the work we do and the varied roles we can offer. 

Our most popular roles for young people include GIS Operatives and Customer Support roles – the travel element to these roles is a huge appeal for young people. We have also sent many of our staff to spend a year in the United States or Australia, where they not only learn about the business but get exposure to new cultures and experiences.

What was your highlight of the Generation Innovation 2023 Work Experience Programme?

Apart from seeing our team go on to win, the true highlight was the event itself and the opportunity to mentor the students over the course of the week, observing the abundance of young, creative talent available in this country.

What skills do you look out for in potential future employees when you're working with students at GI?

Attitude is hugely important – it's hard to teach a good attitude so if someone has it, we can always teach the skills we need. Attached to that is the willingness to learn as well as taking on board feedback on how they can improve ways of working, processes, and interactions with others.

The ability to work with ambiguity and uncertainty – we rarely have the luxury of complete certainty and it is important that people are comfortable with that and are flexible and adaptable when things change. 

Our core values of tenacity, teamwork, and trust are hugely important here at PlotBox plus strong communication and empathy also go a long way!