GJEN.R
Strategy, Innovation
An experience that transforms
Empowering the students
Vocational Education in Albania has a long history but in the last years enrollments have seen a significant drop. In its very overwhelming structure, pointing the finger to what were the causes of the problem, was almost an impossible task. Together with our clients, UNDP in Albania, we decided to start our investigation from the most crucial part of the system; the students.
We kicked off with a two-month discovery phase involving desk research, in-depth interviews with the students, a competitive audit, a cultural audit, and a review of the vocational training facilities. We learned that students were skeptical about the educational authorities, they thought that the system was outdated and the environment was not friendly. This was quite a contrast with the kind of experience they were seeking for.
Tapping into the experience
Through conversations with students, we found out that above all they value experiential learning, as an engaging method of getting to know new things. Many of the students were learning new things through social media and sharing their experiences with other students. The hands-on experience was the most exciting part of the process. This gave them the platform to become better decision-makers and many of them believed that this kind of experience would benefit them in the future.
Celebrating Youth
Building on the strategic foundation of this research and exploiting the experiential potential of the vocational system, we decided to build a brand that would resonate with the students. Through Rapid Brand Prototyping, we quickly evolved an ecosystem of digital platforms. The students would be the prime creators of the content and it would live in their own habitat, the social media channels they were using.
Generation R, rethinking the world
After testing the prototype and working with all the stakeholders, Gjenerata R was launched, an independent social platform, celebrating the experiences of the students, the experiences that they value most, and shaping their thinking. A brand for the students, by the students of vocational training. Its brand voice is just like its voice, practical, inspiring, and entertaining. The content is playful and expresses their view of the world and the future they want
A moving Identity
Harnessing the power of individual experience, we built an identity system that would reflect the brand voice and positioning.
The design team asked students to reinterpret in their own way the letter R. The result; A string of squiggly, spiky, and minimal iterations of the letter that were used in various colors and forms.
An Anthem Video was created to launch the brand, and shortly after that, three individual videos were published, telling the story of three students from the experience perspective.
In the next two months, tens of short videos and highly visual images were created and posted throughout social media, creating engagement with the Vocational training community.