On May 2, as part of Technoscience Day, a science and technology event hosted by Cap Campus at the University of Montréal, CGI’s STEM program brought together 36 high school and CEGEP students to take on a real-world challenge with meaningful impact: rethinking the user experience of carapace.ca, Nature Conservancy of Canada’s platform for reporting and learning about at-risk turtles.

The participants were divided into 11 teams and given three hours to imagine innovative, accessible digital solutions centred on users’ needs.

Before developing their prototypes, the students took part in an accelerated design thinking workshop, an approach that places users at the centre of the process. This was followed by an introduction to intuitive programming, also known as vibe coding, a new way of designing applications using artificial intelligence and natural language.

The teams could then choose from several creation platforms and tools, including Thunkable, Base44, Bolt.new, Lovable, Replit and Figma.

Then, the countdown began:

110 minutes of development. Not a minute more.

What particularly stood out to the CGI and Cap Campus volunteer mentors and judges was the rigour and maturity of the participants’ approach.

Rather than rushing straight into code, the teams took the time to think through the user experience:

  • Who will use the platform?
  • In what context?
  • What obstacles might they face?

The students mapped out user journeys, considered how to make information more accessible and designed practical solutions before moving into prototyping.

The results exceeded expectations.

The teams presented functional, thoughtful prototypes that demonstrated how technology, when applied to a concrete goal, can become a powerful driver of innovation.

During a meeting held a week later with Nature Conservancy of Canada, representatives from this organization were impressed by the quality of the solutions developed in only 110 minutes.

Among the ideas that particularly caught their attention were:

  • A quick-reporting button, clearly visible on the homepage, to help support urgent interventions.
  • A follow-up mechanism after a report is submitted, keeping citizens informed on the progress of the rescue.
  • An intelligent assistant powered by Nature Conservancy of Canada documentation to answer observers’ questions.
  • A simplified information architecture that allows users to access any information in three clicks or less.

The three winning teams will have the opportunity to visit CGI’s offices this summer with Cap Campus. All prototypes were also shared with Nature Conservancy of Canada to help inform future thinking around the evolution of carapace.ca.

Seeing young people use design, artificial intelligence and technology to contribute to a concrete environmental cause is an inspiring demonstration of the potential of Quebec’s next generation.

As World Turtle Day approaches on May 23, we at CGI are proud to support initiatives that help young people develop their skills while creating a positive impact in their communities.

Thank you to Cap Campus, Nature Conservancy of Canada, our volunteers and all participants for their commitment, creativity and vision.