ProgramsFall 2025: Live Case CompetitionProjectsReimagining Tallo's Career Discovery Journey

Project Title: Reimagining Tallo's Career Discovery Journey

Tallo

Details
Project Title Reimagining Tallo's Career Discovery Journey
Project Topics Product Design & Development Software Design & Development Strategic Planning UX/UI & Human-Centered Design
Skills & Expertise Business Analysis Collaboration Competitive Analysis Creative Problem Solving Critical Thinking Data Interpretation Design Thinking Digital Communication Empathy Mapping Experience Design Journey Mapping Market Research Product Strategy Prototyping Stakeholder Communication Storyboarding Strategic Planning User Experience (UX) Design User Research Visual Presentation
Project Synopsis: Challenge/Opportunity
At Tallo, our vision is to be the co-pilot helping individuals navigate from career uncertainty to confident action. A critical part of this is supporting our "Early Explorer" segment. These are young people aged 13-18 who are figuring out what they’re good at and what they might want to do in the future. We currently offer several tools to help them, including career assessments, career search, and community features. 

  • The User Challenge: We know that simply providing a collection of tools is not enough. The journey of self-discovery is overwhelming, and users often feel unsure of how to connect the dots between their interests, their skills, and their future options. The current experience can feel disconnected, leaving users without a clear path forward or a reason to return.  

  • The Business Opportunity: Our goal is to build a sticky experience that creates a long-term relationship with young users. A one-time successful interaction is not enough. Your challenge is to design a model that not only delivers immediate value but also creates a core product loop that drives repeat usage. Think about the entire user journey as a cycle: what motivates a user to take an action? What value do they receive? And most importantly, what about that experience makes them want to come back and invest more of their time and data into the platform?

How might we create an experience that feels like a supportive guide, leading Early Explorers from career uncertainty to confident action, and in doing so, become a key part of their career journey? 
Project Synopsis: Activities/Actions Required
To help us solve this challenge, we are asking you to step into the role of a Product Strategist. You will work through a simplified design and strategy process to develop your solution. 
 
  1. Understand the User and the Problem:  
    1. Review the provided "Early Explorer" journey map and user persona to understand their goals, motivations, and frustrations. 
    2. Sign up for a free account at https://tallo.me/CapsourceBadge to get an understanding of the current experience. 
    3. As a team, reflect on and discuss your own experiences with career exploration. What has been helpful? What has been confusing? 

  2. Competitive Analysis:  
    1. Explore other websites, apps, or tools that excel at guiding users through a process (e.g., educational apps, goal-tracking apps, or even video games with skill trees).
    2. For 2-3 of these examples, analyze how they create a seamless user journey. How do they connect one action to the next?
    3. Where does the competitive landscape fall short in providing a truly integrated experience? How can Tallo differentiate by becoming the platform that finally connects the dots for Early Explorers?

  3. Brainstorm Solutions:  
    1. Based on your research, your primary goal is to design a model that transforms Tallo's disconnected features into a single, intuitive, and continuous journey. Don't just think about individual features; think about the "connective tissue" between them.  
    2. To help guide your thinking, consider the following: 
      1. The Starting Point: How does a user begin their journey in a way that sets clear expectations and introduces them to a guided path, not just a collection of tools?
      2. Self-Discovery: How can a user’s interaction with one feature (like an assessment) directly and logically inform the next step (like personalized career recommendations)? How do we create a cycle of discovery, learning, and action?
      3. Exploration & Decision Making: How should Tallo present career and education information to empower a user to make a real choice and decide, "Is this path right for me?" How does the act of exploring careers and skills seamlessly transition into finding real-world opportunities (like mentorship, projects, or events) on Tallo?
      4. The Outcome: What is the result of this connected journey? Is it a dynamic action plan? A living portfolio? How does this outcome create a compelling reason for the user to return and continue building on their progress?

  4. Prototype:  
    1. Create a storyboard or a user flow diagram that maps out your proposed journey step-by-step. Show how a user would move from one part of the product experience to the next. 
    2. Develop a prototype of your proposed solution. This can be done using:  
      1. Pen and paper sketches of the key screens. 
      2. Digital tools like Canva, Google Slides, or Figma to create simple wireframes. 
      3. AI prototyping tools like Lovable or Replit 
        1. A note on platform: Web vs. Mobile: You can choose to design your solution for either a web (desktop/laptop) experience or a mobile (smartphone) experience. 
        2. While you only need to create your prototype for one of these platforms, you should think about how your key features would adapt to the other platform. 

  5. Share Your Vision:  
    1. Prepare a short presentation to share your findings with the Tallo team. Your presentation should cover: 
      1. Your competitive analysis: A high-level analysis of 2-3 tools you reviewed as inspiration for your solution. 
      2. Your proposed solution and prototype: Your proposed solution and prototype should include a clear demonstration of the user's path, showing how a student moves from a state of uncertainty to one of clarity with tangible next steps 
      3. The business impact: Explain how your design will help Tallo achieve its business outcomes. How will your journey increase user stickiness, engagement, and retention? How does your proposal meet user needs and help Tallo’s business goals? 
Project Synopsis: Expected Results
This project will be a success if it provides Tallo with fresh, user-centered ideas that are grounded in sound business strategy. We are looking for creative and thoughtful solutions that help us better serve our users and achieve our business goals. 

What a successful project looks like for us: 
  • An Innovative & User-Centric Concept: A well-reasoned proposal for a new, guided journey that helps users discover their strengths, explore potential futures, and plan their next steps. 
  • A Clear & Actionable Prototype: A visual prototype that effectively communicates your proposed user flow. 
  • A Compelling Business Case: A clear explanation of how your ideas will impact Tallo's key business metrics and long-term strategy. 
Your ideas should directly contribute to our key business outcomes: 
  • Increase Return Visitor Rate: Design a "sticky" experience with a compelling reason for users to come back regularly. 
  • Increase Weekly/Daily Active Users (WAUs/DAUs): Create a core product loop that encourages repeated use. 

Project Timeline

Tallo - Reimagining Tallo's Career Discovery Journey
Due Date
Activities
Deliverables
Status
Action
Mon, 10/20/25
12:00 PM Canada/Eastern (UTC-04:00)
Project Kickoff Webinar
Web Conference Recording: https://www.loom.com/share/968e78252ad74c1fa7613223e4f793b9?sid=9368a426-bd7e-448e-b4e0-8a25ceaeacaf

AGENDA:
- About the Competition
- About the Company
- Project Goals
- Grading Rubric
- Open Q&A
No Deliverables
No deliverables are required for this action item.
Join
Guiding Questions:
Web Conference Recording: https://www.loom.com/share/968e78252ad74c1fa7613223e4f793b9?sid=9368a426-bd7e-448e-b4e0-8a25ceaeacaf

AGENDA:
- About the Competition
- About the Company
- Project Goals
- Grading Rubric
- Open Q&A
Location: Virtual
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4082595973
Fri, 10/24/25
11:59 PM UTC
PRE-KICKOFF SELF EVAL
Required Evaluation
Evaluation submission is required.
View
Thu, 10/30/25
12:00 PM Canada/Eastern (UTC-04:00)
Q&A Webinar
Web Conference Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4082595973

Recording: to be uploaded after session

Submit your questions in advance: https://forms.gle/Jrh4u9urP1iMkjqK7
No Deliverables
No deliverables are required for this action item.
Guiding Questions:
Web Conference Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4082595973

Recording: to be uploaded after session

Submit your questions in advance: https://forms.gle/Jrh4u9urP1iMkjqK7
Location: Virtual
Fri, 10/31/25
12:00 AM Canada/Eastern (UTC-04:00)
Schedule Office Hours
Please use this Calendly Scheduler Link to schedule office hours with the Tallo team: https://calendly.com/tallo-ux/15min

You may schedule up to two (2) total 15-minute office hours sessions. We recommend that you choose a time where your whole team can be present. Please make sure to be prepared and professional.
No Deliverables
No deliverables are required for this action item.
Guiding Questions:
Please use this Calendly Scheduler Link to schedule office hours with the Tallo team: https://calendly.com/tallo-ux/15min

You may schedule up to two (2) total 15-minute office hours sessions. We recommend that you choose a time where your whole team can be present. Please make sure to be prepared and professional.
Location: In Person
Fri, 10/31/25
11:59 PM UTC
Temperature Check (Mandatory Evaluation)
Required Evaluation
Evaluation submission is required.
View
Thu, 11/13/25
12:00 AM Canada/Eastern (UTC-04:00)
Office Hours Closed!
This is the last day to schedule office hours!
No Deliverables
No deliverables are required for this action item.
Guiding Questions:
This is the last day to schedule office hours!
Location: In Person
Mon, 11/17/25
12:00 AM UTC
Top 12 Teams Announced & Final Presentation Schedule Announced
Tallo and their panel of judges will be using your Executive Email Written Submissions to determine which Top 12 Performing teams will present live virtually on November 21st

This will be communicated by email update
No Deliverables
No deliverables are required for this action item.
Guiding Questions:
Tallo and their panel of judges will be using your Executive Email Written Submissions to determine which Top 12 Performing teams will present live virtually on November 21st

This will be communicated by email update
Location: In Person
Fri, 11/21/25
10:00 AM UTC
FINAL PRESENTATIONS!
Location: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4082595973

Final Presentation Schedule (Eastern Time, ET)
10:00 AM - 10:20 AM | Shepherd University Group 3
10:30 AM - 10:50 AM | Lindsey Wilson College Group 6
11:00 AM - 11:20 AM | Lindsey Wilson College Group 32
11:30 AM - 11:50 AM | Lindsey Wilson College Group 12
12:00 PM - 12:20 PM | Lindsey Wilson College Group 10
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM | JUDGES' LUNCH BREAK
1:30 PM - 1:50 PM | Lindsey Wilson College Group 2
2:00 PM - 2:20 PM | Shepherd University Group 4
2:30 PM - 2:50 PM | Lindsey Wilson College Group 11
3:00 PM - 3:20 PM | Shepherd University Group 5
3:30 PM - 3:50 PM | Lindsey Wilson College Group 3
4:00 PM - 4:20 PM | Lindsey Wilson College Group 15
4:30 PM - 4:50 PM | Shepherd University Group 1

The top 12 teams based on graded written submissions will present virtually during one of these slots above
No Deliverables
No deliverables are required for this action item.
Join
Guiding Questions:
Location: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4082595973

Final Presentation Schedule (Eastern Time, ET)
10:00 AM - 10:20 AM | Shepherd University Group 3
10:30 AM - 10:50 AM | Lindsey Wilson College Group 6
11:00 AM - 11:20 AM | Lindsey Wilson College Group 32
11:30 AM - 11:50 AM | Lindsey Wilson College Group 12
12:00 PM - 12:20 PM | Lindsey Wilson College Group 10
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM | JUDGES' LUNCH BREAK
1:30 PM - 1:50 PM | Lindsey Wilson College Group 2
2:00 PM - 2:20 PM | Shepherd University Group 4
2:30 PM - 2:50 PM | Lindsey Wilson College Group 11
3:00 PM - 3:20 PM | Shepherd University Group 5
3:30 PM - 3:50 PM | Lindsey Wilson College Group 3
4:00 PM - 4:20 PM | Lindsey Wilson College Group 15
4:30 PM - 4:50 PM | Shepherd University Group 1

The top 12 teams based on graded written submissions will present virtually during one of these slots above
Location: Virtual
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4082595973
Mon, 11/24/25
12:00 PM Canada/Eastern (UTC-04:00)
Awards Ceremony
Join us for an awards session and debrief with the Tallo team!  Discover which teams were the top performers and learn more about their approach. Congratulate the teams winning these top prizes.... and potentially paid summer internship(s)!

1st Place Team Prize - $800
2nd Place Team Prize - $400
3rd Place Team Prize - $200

Web Conference Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4082595973
No Deliverables
No deliverables are required for this action item.
Guiding Questions:
Join us for an awards session and debrief with the Tallo team!  Discover which teams were the top performers and learn more about their approach. Congratulate the teams winning these top prizes.... and potentially paid summer internship(s)!

1st Place Team Prize - $800
2nd Place Team Prize - $400
3rd Place Team Prize - $200

Web Conference Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4082595973
Location: Virtual
Sun, 11/30/25
11:59 PM Canada/Eastern (UTC-04:00)
End of Project Self Reflection (Mandatory)
Required Evaluation
Evaluation submission is required.
View
Sun, 11/30/25
11:59 PM Canada/Eastern (UTC-04:00)
End of Project Peer Reflection (Mandatory)
Required Evaluation
Evaluation submission is required.
View

Teams

Team Name  Project Name  Team Members 
Lindsey Wilson College Group 23 Reimagining Tallo's Career Discovery Journey
Lindsey Wilson College Group 9 Reimagining Tallo's Career Discovery Journey
Lindsey Wilson College Group 11 Reimagining Tallo's Career Discovery Journey
Lindsey Wilson College Group 18 Reimagining Tallo's Career Discovery Journey
Lindsey Wilson College Group 2 Reimagining Tallo's Career Discovery Journey
Lindsey Wilson College Group 22 Reimagining Tallo's Career Discovery Journey
Shepherd University Group 1 Reimagining Tallo's Career Discovery Journey
Lindsey Wilson College Group 17 Reimagining Tallo's Career Discovery Journey
Lindsey Wilson College Group 16 Reimagining Tallo's Career Discovery Journey
Lindsey Wilson College Group 12 Reimagining Tallo's Career Discovery Journey
Lindsey Wilson College Group 1 Reimagining Tallo's Career Discovery Journey
Lindsey Wilson College Group 13 Reimagining Tallo's Career Discovery Journey
Shepherd University Group 4 Reimagining Tallo's Career Discovery Journey
Lindsey Wilson College Group 6 Reimagining Tallo's Career Discovery Journey
Lindsey Wilson College Group 5 Reimagining Tallo's Career Discovery Journey
Lindsey Wilson College Group 14 Reimagining Tallo's Career Discovery Journey
Lindsey Wilson College Group 26 Reimagining Tallo's Career Discovery Journey
Shepherd University Group 2 Reimagining Tallo's Career Discovery Journey
Lindsey Wilson College Group 3 Reimagining Tallo's Career Discovery Journey
Lindsey Wilson College Group 8 Reimagining Tallo's Career Discovery Journey
Lindsey Wilson College Group 34 Reimagining Tallo's Career Discovery Journey
Lindsey Wilson College Group 36 Reimagining Tallo's Career Discovery Journey
Lindsey Wilson College Group 35 Reimagining Tallo's Career Discovery Journey
Lindsey Wilson College Group 33 Reimagining Tallo's Career Discovery Journey
Lindsey Wilson College Group 29 Reimagining Tallo's Career Discovery Journey
Lindsey Wilson College Group 15 Reimagining Tallo's Career Discovery Journey
Lindsey Wilson College Group 30 Reimagining Tallo's Career Discovery Journey
Lindsey Wilson College Group 4 Reimagining Tallo's Career Discovery Journey
Lindsey Wilson College Group 25 Reimagining Tallo's Career Discovery Journey
Lindsey Wilson College Group 32 Reimagining Tallo's Career Discovery Journey
Lindsey Wilson College Group 28 Reimagining Tallo's Career Discovery Journey
Lindsey Wilson College Group 20 Reimagining Tallo's Career Discovery Journey
Lindsey Wilson College Group 21 Reimagining Tallo's Career Discovery Journey
Lindsey Wilson College Group 27 Reimagining Tallo's Career Discovery Journey
Lindsey Wilson College Group 10 Reimagining Tallo's Career Discovery Journey
Lindsey Wilson College Group 7 Reimagining Tallo's Career Discovery Journey
Lindsey Wilson College Group 31 Reimagining Tallo's Career Discovery Journey
Lindsey Wilson College Group 19 Reimagining Tallo's Career Discovery Journey
Lindsey Wilson College Group 24 Reimagining Tallo's Career Discovery Journey
Shepherd University Group 3 Reimagining Tallo's Career Discovery Journey
Shepherd University Group 5 Reimagining Tallo's Career Discovery Journey
Lindsey Wilson College Group 37 Reimagining Tallo's Career Discovery Journey