CRITICAL THINKING / ORIGINAL IDEAS

The idea is only
the beginning.

Two original ideas shaped by the same interest: understanding the problem behind a product. Robinhood Shelter explores how support reaches shelters. SkillPath explores how students can demonstrate career readiness.

01 / FOOD & SHELTER COORDINATION

Robinhood
Shelter.

Interactive prototype

My idea and interface prototype for connecting donors, available supplies, and shelter needs.

Explore the prototype
THE QUESTION

How can we connect available food and support with the shelters that need them—and make the handoff visible?

THE PROBLEM

Giving and receiving are separate tasks.

A donor needs to know what would help. A shelter needs supplies in useful quantities, with a practical way to request and receive them. A donation button alone doesn’t show that whole process.

THE REFRAME

Connecting the whole support journey.

I brought donor activity, shelter inventory requests, pickup information, volunteer capacity, and a transfer view into one prototype. My focus was the connection between a need, an available resource, and the handoff that brings them together.

  1. 01See the need

    Shelter updates and requested supplies.

  2. 02Choose support

    Donations, volunteering, or shared inventory.

  3. 03Request a handoff

    A shelter selects quantities and submits a request.

  4. 04Follow activity

    Request records, notifications, and a simulated transfer view.

The thinking behind the prototype

01

Different roles need different actions.

I separated donor and shelter views because giving support and requesting inventory involve different information and actions. Each role has a workflow built around its part in the exchange.

02

Availability constrains what can happen.

The request basket checks quantities against listed stock, while volunteer signups account for available slots. Both choices connect the interface to the practical limits of a shared resource.

03

Trust and privacy need to coexist.

I included donation records alongside an anonymous-giving option. The design brings visibility to support activity while giving donors a choice about how they appear in the public ledger.

MY CONTRIBUTION

Original product idea and an interactive interface prototype connecting donor activity with shelter coordination.

PROJECT FORMAT

A browser-based demonstration with sample records and simulated payment, delivery, and rescue activity.

02 / CAREER READINESS

SkillPath.

Final-year project idea

My proposed web-based Skill Gap Analyzer and Career Readiness Recommendation System for Computer Science students.

THE QUESTION

What if career readiness reflected what a student can demonstrate, rather than how confidently they rate themselves?

THE PROBLEM

“Beginner” means different things to different people.

A self-rating can confuse confidence with competence. It can also miss skills a student has but doesn’t recognize, leading to a learning plan built on an uncertain starting point.

THE REFRAME

Evidence as the starting point.

My idea starts with students selecting subskills from a skill tree. The proposed system then checks those claims through several assessment methods, creating an evidence-based foundation for career and learning recommendations.

  1. 01Select subskills

    Students identify the knowledge they believe they have.

  2. 02Provide evidence

    Quizzes, practical tasks, written answers, and certificates.

  3. 03Compare career paths

    The skill profile is weighted against eight possible paths.

  4. 04Close the gaps

    Prioritized learning, recommendations, and progress over time.

Different evidence for different skills

KNOWLEDGE

Randomized MCQs

Varied quiz questions assess understanding of selected subskills.

APPLICATION

Python & SQL challenges

Code submissions are assessed against real test cases, connecting claimed knowledge to practical problem-solving.

EXPLANATION

Written answers

AI-assisted grading assesses how a student explains a concept or reasons through a problem.

EXTERNAL EVIDENCE

Industry certificates

AI vision reviews uploaded industry certificates as an additional source of evidence alongside direct assessments.

PROPOSED SKILL CLASSIFICATIONS
  • Verified
  • Discovered
  • Self-declared
  • Weak

These four categories are central to the concept: they distinguish demonstrated ability, newly identified strengths, personal claims, and areas for improvement.

THE INTENDED OUTPUT

From a skill profile to a learning path.

The verified profile would be weighted against eight career paths, including Data Analyst, Data Scientist, and ML Engineer. Students would receive best-fit rankings, a readiness score, prioritized missing skills, and a personalized path with course and certificate recommendations.

THE FEEDBACK LOOP

Progress students can follow.

As students learn and demonstrate missing skills, the system would track their profile and readiness over time. The goal is progress tied to demonstrated ability rather than a higher self-rating.

MY CENTRAL INSIGHT

The quality of a career recommendation begins with the quality of its skill evidence. Recognizing an answer, writing working code, and explaining a concept reveal different aspects of ability.

PROJECT STATUS

Final-year project concept. The assessment workflow, career matching, and learning recommendations describe the proposed system.

FROM QUESTIONS TO BUILDING

Good systems begin
with careful thinking.

See my builds