1. Citizenship

Throughout the INNOV8 marketing pitch, I acted as a responsible team member by helping manage the presentation flow and taking initiative to lead the introduction. I made sure to respect everyone’s ideas during group discussions and encouraged quieter team members to share their thoughts. I consistently met deadlines and contributed research for the statistics section. I also helped review others’ scripts to make sure our messaging was clear and unified. As part of the "Safe Callers," I made it my responsibility to highlight the real-world impact of scam calls and why our solution was meaningful.

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2. Collaboration

Our team worked efficiently by dividing tasks based on individual strengths. I focused on the introduction and helped with editing the final slides. Patrick took on the main solution pitch, while another member wrote the physical product description. When we faced challenges, like choosing which features to prioritise or how to differentiate our app and physical product, we held group meetings to discuss and vote on ideas. We also kept each other updated through shared Google Docs and a group chat.

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3. Communication

During our pitch, I focused on speaking clearly and with confidence, especially in the introduction where I had to hook the audience. We used visuals such as diagrams of the app interface and colour-coded dashboards to make our product easier to understand. My tone was formal but passionate, and I maintained eye contact to keep the judges engaged. The feedback we received mentioned that our pitch was well-researched and had strong potential. We were praised for addressing a real-world problem with two different solutions.

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4. Creative and Critical Thinking

It was challenging to create both an app and a physical device, especially while making sure they weren’t repetitive. We had to think critically about what features would be realistic, affordable, and unique. For example, the physical product had to offer global blocking, unlike the app which was country-based. We also had to problem-solve how our product could update in real time and how users could interact with it.

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5. Conclusion

I’ve learned that I enjoy combining creativity with real-world problems. I grew the most in communication because I had to think about how to present ideas clearly and confidently. Next time, I would spend more time refining the physical product concept earlier so we could develop visuals for it. Overall, I’m proud of our team and what we accomplished.

On top of that, we began creating our slide presentation to explain the journey of SafeCall. We chose a dark blue and gold theme to match our brand, which looked professional and modern. Everyone had a section of the slides to work on, and we helped each other edit and give feedback. I was in charge of the introduction slide and some visual elements. We made sure everything was readable and matched our theme.

Overall, this week helped us get more organised and confident in how we were going to present. We started planning what our posters and stall would look like and got feedback from our teacher, which helped us refine both the pitch and the slides. We’re in a good spot now and ready to start working on our physical prototype next.

At the same time, we began building the model of our physical device. Since we were using an Amazon Alexa as the base, we created a custom screen interface and uploaded it so the Alexa could act as our SafeCall prototype. I helped design the interface using the dark blue and black theme, and we added a large “Connect” button with real-time call stats for the Australian region. It actually turned out way better than we expected, and it looked really convincing as a working model.

We also printed some flyers and discussed what props we’d bring to decorate our table—things like extra visuals, branding elements, and possibly some giveaway items. At this point, we’re feeling a lot more confident because everything is starting to come together visually. The posters, the Alexa prototype, and the slides all match and support each other. Now our next big focus is to finalise the setup and rehearse everything before the big expo next week.

Before the event started, we each ran through our elevator pitches a few more times. We made sure they were memorised, timed well, and sounded confident. At 4:30pm, people started coming around and we began pitching our idea. It was a bit nerve-wracking at first, but once we got into the rhythm, it became more fun and natural. I pitched multiple times to teachers, parents, and even judges. They asked some good questions, like “How does the app stay updated with new scam numbers?” and we were able to answer confidently.

Overall, we had a really great experience at the expo. Our stall looked professional, the prototype worked well, and we got a lot of positive feedback. One judge even said our interface looked “super sleek” and complimented how well thought out the concept was. We’re really proud of what we’ve created and how far we’ve come. Next week, we’ll be reflecting on the whole journey.

The expo last week was a major highlight. It felt really rewarding to see all of our hard work on display. The posters, the flyers, the Alexa acting as our physical product—all of it came together in a way that looked polished and professional. I was nervous at first when people started approaching our table, especially judges, but once I got into the flow of explaining SafeCall, it felt natural. I delivered our elevator pitch multiple times and answered questions clearly and with confidence. My groupmates did great as well, and we really worked as a team to support each other throughout the event. Seeing people interested in our prototype and asking follow-up questions showed that they understood and believed in our idea.

What I’ve learned from this whole process is how important it is to balance creative thinking with real-world practicality. We didn’t just imagine a product—we had to consider who it was for, how it would work, how to market it, and how to make it visually appealing. I learned how to give and receive feedback, how to improve my communication skills, and how to work under time pressure with a group.

From the early stages of brainstorming our target audience, to building our prototype and designing posters in the later weeks, I feel like we made consistent progress. Each week brought new challenges, but also new wins—whether it was improving the pitch, polishing the slides, or making our interface look real. I also realised how useful tools like empathy maps, brand colours, elevator pitches, and mock-ups are when trying to turn an idea into something that feels professional and convincing.

If I could change anything, I would have started our prototype interface earlier so we had more time to test other versions. Still, I think we adapted really well and managed our time effectively overall. We all contributed and communicated strongly throughout the project. The skill I developed most was definitely communication, both in the way I explained ideas and how I collaborated with my group.

INNOV8 pushed me out of my comfort zone and helped me grow in areas like presenting, teamwork, and thinking creatively. I’m proud of what we accomplished—and even more proud of how we got there together.