Call for New Projects
The Innovation Hub is ready to take on new design thinking projects for the Fall-Winter 2024-2025 academic year. We can help your team to co-create programs, services, resources, and spaces with students. Working together, we help you build positivity around your project and ensure the highest possible student engagement in the process. Our student teams are hired and trained specifically for your project and work directly with you and your teams throughout the process.
Connect with Us
We would love to set up a conversation to discuss your project idea. Fill in some details in the form below and we’ll be in touch soon! Have any questions? Contact Julia Allworth, Manager, Innovation Projects at julia.allworth@utoronto.ca
Contact us by May 17th, 2024.
The Innovation Hub provides an outstanding and innovative solution to this challenge of speaking to students in the student voice.
“While University staff work diligently to support the student experience, there are times when the best people to speak to students on sensitive topics are other students.
– Andrea Russell, Director of Academic Affairs, Office of the Vice-President & Provost
Working with the Innovation Hub is the perfect way to engage students in researching an issue or project, creating space for student voices, and identifying a path forward for a relevant problem or issue that you’re focusing on.
The employment of design thinking not only makes the process that much more meaningful, but it also enables the project team to ask critical questions that get the clients and users to think about the roots of the issue – thus, better enabling them to frame a solution that is more sustainable and impactful. And on top of it all, they’re a great team to work with! Always a pleasure and so thoughtful in their approach.
– David Kim, Warden, Hart House
Their approach is unique as it is truly empathetic of student experiences and expert in designing solutions that reflect student needs.
As an integral part of the Faculty of Kinesiology, whose main strategic focus is to excel in advancing healthy living through inclusive movement, Sport and Rec strives to make programs and services accessible and representative of student wants and needs. To do so, we needed to improve at being truly accessible and reflective of the diverse student body, and this meant hearing from students who use our services and those not yet participating. The Innovation Hub provides that input by developing student-led teams that consult with peers in innovative ways. The results are wholesome, precise and invaluable insights that mainstream consulting firms simply cannot offer.
– Luc Simard, Director, Sport and Recreation
The Innovation Hub is nothing short of amazing.
Through their networks and user-oriented design thinking methods that connect and understand our diverse users’ perspectives, they helped our Project Team approach space re-design with an open mind. The story-based discussion with our users brought genuine and valuable feedback that helped establish Design Guidelines for our space planning. The student-led team helped us with the space renovation that our students embraced. We will be working with them on future space initiatives!
– Glen Morales, Chief Administrative Officer, University of Toronto Libraries
It was an incredible experience working with the Innovation Hub team.
We were curious to learn more about our student experiences. They set out a clear vision, were super organized and timely, and kept in communication with us over the project; the team was enthusiastic and reliable and led us every step of the way. The Innovation Hub helped us understand that there are many ways that the Faculty of Dentistry can foster the courage to face the discomfort of learning in our students. I recommend working with the Innovation Hub on any project to generate new ideas and insights.
– Samantha Freeman-Attwood, Registrar and Manager, Office of Student Services, Faculty of Dentistry
Why Partner with the Innovation Hub?
8 years of experience consulting with students
Fully trained team of student design researchers
Peer-to-peer research model = honest feedback
Personalized branding for your project
Receive a vision, personas & design principles to support planning
Professional reports and presentations of data
Support Meaningful Student Employment
Being a UofT student is more than just academics and classes, and Innovation Hub has provided me the opportunity to grow my professional skills and explore my career options.
– Yannie Mork, UTQAP Team Coordinator, Honours Bachelor of Arts, Sociology & Ethics, Society, and Law
I learned navigating change. that came in multiple forms; change in teammates, change in pace, and even change in mindset when it comes to designing.
– Tehseen Sarwar, Digital Storyteller, Honours Bachelor of Arts, Architectural Stuides and Environmental Studies
Working at the Innovation Hub has strengthened my leadership and interpersonal skills.
– Eli Rose, Design Research Team Lead, Honours Bachelor of Arts, Political Science
Learning how to work in a team for a variety of projects has been made possible by an environment that fosters connection and collaboration. This is also where I have developed my most employable skills.
– Ruth Rodrigues, Qualitative Data Archivist Team Lead, Master of Education, Social Justice Education
Being a member of the Innovation Hub encouraged me to find connections between my academics and my work. I learned transferrable skills that helped me better identify what I am most passionate about.
– Katrina Soong, Qualitative Data Archivist, Honours Bachelor of Arts, Philosophy, English, and History
My role as a design researcher has taught me how to utilize empathetic thinking & prioritize active listening skills.
– Reese Halfyard, Design Researcher, Bachelor of Information
I've learned so many skills that will no doubt be used later on in my professional career.
– Delphine Ji, Design Research Team Lead, PhD Candidate, Neuroscience