NXU
How might we design a better high school model for tomorrow?
In 2015, the XQ Super School Project, a national competition organized by Laurene Powell Jobs, called on the nation to reimagine and design the future high school. Openbox played a lead role in engaging a core team of stakeholders for this initiative, including: NYC education innovators, including: KIPP NYC College Prep, Uncommon Schools, Riverdale Country School, and Transcend Education. Together, the UKA Ventures team and our sister company, Opendox, constructed a powerful concept called “NXU,” an innovative lab school and education platform named after the Latin word for connections, nexus.
Inspired by emerging, informal education models — including experiential and skills-based programs — we sought to re-imagine the traditional high school experience. Our research insights set the stage for a unique vision brought to life through a student-centered program model and a digital platform.
This collaboration, and the resulting multimedia submission served as the strategic and creative foundation for NXU programming as it evolves toward development and implementation. The school has received initial funding and is being piloted the summer of 2017 in NYC.
Client: UKA Ventures
Role: Project Lead, Research, Experience Designer
Research Process
We approached this engagement with the goal of going deep in understanding the needs of NYC high schoolers, while also drawing inspiration from teachers, parents and a cross section of leading education experts from around the country.
Film was used as a primary vehicle for capturing student and expert stories, as well as a medium for sharing findings with the client. Research activities included: In-depth interviews and discussions, student visioning workshops, stakeholder alignment meetings, educator in-depth discussion, facilitated leadership team workshops and concept and design testing.
Design Deliverables
The work produced for our high school concept, named NXU, was comprehensive and linked closely to core principles: diversity, authenticity, rigor and agency. All told, our team produced 21 distinct deliverables as part of our final deliverable.
