Nonlinear designed a multi-frame, collaborative workshop experience that moved participants through a structured series of exercises, helping them think critically about everyday campus realities and develop high-impact, testable ideas.

The workshop began with participants mapping their academic and non-academic life using a quadrant framework. This exercise helped surface invisible friction points across classroom, co-curricular, and hostel life — often overlooked in traditional education.

Students then created layered journey maps from the perspective of three personas: Student, Professor, and Admin. This activity revealed systemic pain points, emotional stressors, and institutional blind spots throughout the student lifecycle.

To deepen understanding, students engaged in empathy exercises that uncovered anxieties around homesickness, placement pressure, identity crises, and social exclusion — capturing not only student concerns but also the viewpoints of faculty and administrators. This grounded their thinking in real, human experiences.

Using “How Might We” prompts, participants reframed these user pains into actionable opportunities. Emerging solution ideas included mental wellness platforms, placement support systems, inclusion initiatives for first-year students, and internship match platforms.

Next, students crafted product narratives to articulate their concepts. They answered questions like why the solution matters, what the core idea is, and how it fits into the user journey. Sample narratives included a wellness app for stress management and peer support, and a job search assistant that delivers encouragement and opportunities daily.

To conclude, teams used the Lean Canvas to map out their customer segments, channels, value propositions, and revenue models — bridging the gap between idea and execution, and layering in feasibility thinking from day one.