Test Labs UK - Biomedical Sciences
Partner sector: Professional Scientific and Technical Activities
Live Briefs can help:
If you have any questions, or an idea for a Live Brief that you would like to discuss further, please contact us at [email protected].
Partner sector: Professional Scientific and Technical Activities
Live Brief case study: Test Labs UK and ARU Biomedical Sciences students
ARU students on our BSc (Hons) Biomedical Sciences course in Peterborough participated in a Live Brief with specialist medical device company Test Labs UK.
The brief: Evaluating antimicrobial innovations for medical devices
Test Labs tasked students with evaluating the suitability, sustainability, and safety of various antimicrobial materials for specific types of medical equipment such as ward beds, surgical instruments, and infusion pumps.
Students collaborated in small groups, each focusing on a specific category of medical devices or equipment to research and analyse materials like metals, enzymatic coatings, and hydrogels.
They assessed the performance and limitations of these materials, their compatibility with existing hospital cleaning practices, their effectiveness in reducing contamination and adherence to regulatory standards.
The students delivered their findings in the form of poster presentations on the advancements in antimicrobial innovations, recording detailed evaluations and practical recommendations ensuring suitable solutions for medical devices and services within health care.
See the posters produced by the students and read the Test Labs UK blog about this Live Brief
ARU students presenting their work to Test Labs UK:
How the brief benefited Test Labs UK
Working with ARU students allowed Test Labs UK to access the results of time-consuming research tasks and fresh views on antimicrobial technologies from students who are not yet ingrained in industry norms.
That has helped their busy staff to stay updated on antimicrobial technologies, and provided useful information on cost-benefit analyses to help Test Labs UK make decisions about which technologies are most viable for development.
In turn, the Live Brief collaboration has the potential to support the NHS, where hospital-acquired infections exceed 650,000 cases annually and there is an urgent need to strengthen infection prevention and control measures to mitigate the spread of infections in healthcare settings.
Tautvydas Karitonas, Managing Director of Test Labs UK, delivered the launch session to the students at the start of the Live Brief. He said:
“Today's session with the ARU students for their 2024 Live Brief was great. This year's topic, "Advancements in Antimicrobial Innovations: Ensuring Suitable Solutions for Medical Devices and Surfaces Within Healthcare" sparked some excellent questions about their research. I can't wait to see their final posters.”
Read Tautvydas Karitonas’ LinkedIn post about this Live Brief
Holly Scott, Executive Assistant at Test Labs UK, attended the students’ presentations of their work to Test Labs UK at the end of the Live Brief. She said:
“It was a remarkable privilege to participate in ARU’s Life Brief assessment this year, Observing the students exhibit their expertise and enthusiasm in devising solutions for real-world industry challenges was truly amazing. The proficiency and presentation abilities displayed by the students was nothing short of inspiring.”
Read Holly Scott’s LinkedIn post about this Live Brief
How the Live Brief benefited ARU students
Students gained the invaluable opportunity to interact directly with experts in the biomedical science industry.
They received detailed professional feedback on their initial research and draft posters from Test Labs UK Managing Director Tautvydas Karitonas, which helped them learn how to adjust their research and written summaries as the project developed.
They developed their teamwork and networking skills, and gained valuable practice in presenting themselves professionally and responding to questions about their posters from industry experts.
ARU Biomedical Sciences student Aaliyah Aziz said:
“From this presentation I have improved skills in communication and building up confidence in public speaking. I was part of the group researching ‘antimicrobial coatings for non-invasive patient care equipment.’ We selected medical carts. Together as a team we compiled our findings and research to create our poster.
“This was a great opportunity for our class to improve on skills outside of studying. Thank you to all the staff and to Test Labs UK for making this happen.”
Read ARU student Aaliyah Aziz’s LinkedIn post about this Live Brief
ARU Biomedical Sciences student Princelah Opoku said:
“I am so proud of our ARU Peterborough Biomedical Science groups after this week's 2024 Live Brief session!
“Diving into "Advancements in Antimicrobial Innovations: Ensuring Suitable Solutions for Medical Devices and Surfaces Within Healthcare" was eye-opening. I'm happy to hear that our questions were on fire, and I'm stoked to hear that we are heading in the right direction. I cannot wait to showcase the awesome posters we'll create!”
“Guided by our lecturer, Ian Tennant, we had the chance to ask questions about the assigned projects and look into their career and the organisation's goals.
“It was a very eye-opening visit, and for that, I'd like to thank Test Labs for kindly addressing all our questions and taking the time to accommodate us and give us a tour, enriching our knowledge of the work environment of a laboratory as well as enlightening us on the importance of sustaining and sterilising medical devices to ensure long-term reusability issues at the forefront of the healthcare system, especially the NHS.”
Read ARU student Princelah Opoku’s LinkedIn post about this Live Brief
ARU students on our BSc (Hons) Environmental Management course based at our Peterborough campus participated in a Live Brief with Natural England.
The brief
Natural England asked students to investigate possible causes and remedies for some environmental issues affecting Castor Hanglands National Nature Reserve near Peterborough. The ground at Castor Hanglands is drying out faster than expected, with potentially negative consequences for the reserve’s rich biodiversity.
How the Live Brief benefited Natural England
ARU students worked together to devise and carry out various forms of in-depth observation, testing and analysis of the soil, ponds, watercourses, plant and animal life at Castor Hanglands over a period of a few months.
They did this using site visits, previous data about the site held by Natural England, and publicly available resources such as satellite imagery of the site over several years.
The students then analysed the results of their research in the lab and wrote up detailed reports and recommendations for options that Natural England could consider to help tackle the problems affecting the site.
Ruth Angrave, Senior Reserve Manager at Castor Hanglands for Natural England (at the time of the Live Brief), said:
“Tasking the students with this challenge has allowed us to investigate some things that normally we wouldn’t be able to get done, because we just don’t have the time.
“For us, it means that we can get more research done, and we can get studies done that we don’t have the facilities for – ARU has access to labs, and we haven’t. It also means I’ve got more brains available to solve problems for me.
“The students have raised some really interesting ideas, for example about how the tree growth on the site might be affecting the water, and even the impact that moles may be having. It’s been great, really inspiring.”
How the Live Brief benefited ARU students
Tom Everrett, BSc Environmental Management student, said:
“The Live Brief has been great, getting hands on with the field-work, doing a range of tests in the environment, and then bringing our results back to the lab and learning skills that are really useful professionally.
“It's been excellent for me and my fellow students to work with the client as we would in the working world - a really positive experience."
ARU students on our BSc (Hons) Accounting and Finance, BSc (Hons) Business and Management, and BSc (Hons) Marketing courses based at our Peterborough campus participated in a Live Brief with Peterborough United FC (also known by their nickname “The Posh”).
The brief
Peterborough United FC asked ARU students to help them capitalise on the success of England’s women’s team in the UEFA European Championships to promote their own women’s team, POSH Women, with a specific focus on growing the fan base and increasing the number of supporters buying tickets for fixtures, both home and away.
How the Live Brief benefited Peterborough United FC
ARU students carried out in-depth marketing environment analyses of POSH Women’s current situation in its sector using the SWOT and PESTLE models, and considering relevant ethical and sustainability issues. They then devised and presented a range of recommended marketing actions to support POSH Women to achieve their growth aims.
The students’ plans included tactics such as increased use of social media and appealing content targeted at attracting a younger fan base; introduction of a merchandise range and fan loyalty scheme, and consideration of a scholarship programme. The students also set out the business case to justify the actions they were recommending.
How the Live Brief benefited ARU students
BSc Marketing student Ludmila Vreme said:
“The Live Brief was a good experience for me because it brings to life everything that you learn in the class, so you can use it and speak about it. It’s not easy, but you need these challenges so you can move upwards with your professional way of speaking, and presenting yourself in an interview. I really enjoyed it.”
Live Brief case study: Neurogether and ARU Business students
ARU Business undergraduate students taking the second-year module The Entrepreneurial Journey participated in a Live Brief with early-stage start-up company Neurogether, a new global social networking platform that aims to bring together people interested in neuroscience and related fields.
The brief: A strategy for sustainable growth
Neurogether asked the students to develop a strategy supporting Neurogether's planned transition from the pre-revenue to the revenue stage of business, rethinking and reinforcing the business model and marketing strategies to support quick, sustainable, and scalable growth of the company.
In response to the Live Brief, students devised and pitched a range of strategies for achieving various lead generation and brand awareness targets set by Neurogether.
The targets included specific increases in the numbers of users of Neurogether’s digital channels (website, app and social media) and in-person attendees at Neurogether’s annual conference, and acquisition of specific new user profile types.
Neurogether founder and CEO, Utkarsh Gupta, describes his Live Brief experience:
“The Live Brief was an amazing experience from my perspective as an entrepreneur leading an early-stage start-up, because I got to brainstorm ideas with students who were so capable that for me, the experience was more like working with fellow entrepreneurs."
“It was a very valuable session, from which I’ve learned and gained so much that I can implement."
“I think Live Briefs are an absolutely amazing opportunity for other organisations to come on board and have this experience of brainstorming brilliant ideas with the students here at ARU.”
Live Brief case study: Tees Law and ARU Law students
Legal services company Tees Law worked with ARU Law students on a real practice-based scenario that enabled the students to develop their skills in analysing and presenting legal arguments around a contract law case.
The Live Brief concluded with a “mooting”, a realistic simulation of a legal trial to consider the case, conducted with full court protocol and etiquette. Students playing the roles of opposing pairs of legal counsels present legal arguments in front of an acting judge - who decides, based on the presentations, which of the sides wins.
Emily Jones, Solicitor with Tees Law, took the role of acting judge for the mooting.
Live Brief case study: Active Essex and ARU Public Health students
ARU students on our BSc Public Health course participated in a Live Brief with Chelmsford-based activity and sport partnership organisation Active Essex.
The brief: Innovative ways to increase activity levels across Essex
Courtenay Mosley (Active Essex Relationship Manager, Health and Social Care) asked students to help analyse issues underlying five of Active Essex’s key strategic priorities, and recommend innovative ways to achieve better health outcomes in each priority area:
Students worked in groups to develop a detailed response to each of the priorities, which they then presented back to Courtenay. The students recommended considering a range of approaches, such as:
How the brief benefited Active Essex and ARU students
Courtenay said:
“Live Briefs give Active Essex and other similar organisations a really good opportunity to share with students the things that we’re focused on as important priorities right now.
”Live Briefs also give students a valuable chance to do some research into the evidence and current topics in public health that are out there at the moment and bring some conclusions from their own perspective.
“Having the opportunity to present their recommendations really builds students’ employment skills, and helps them prepare for working life.”
BSc Public Health student Tina Cooper said:
“Having Courtenay explain Active Essex’s priorities and her role to us has given us a great insight into our potential future roles as Public Health practitioners, and what we could become involved in after we finish our degree.”
Live Brief case study: Norfolk County Council and ARU Medical Science students
Fifty BSc (Hons) Medical Science students taking the second-year module Fundamentals of Epidemiology participated in a Live Brief with Norfolk County Council (NCC).
Tim Winters, NCC Head of Public Health Information (PHI), asked the students to use publicly available data to understand the local health system and investigate differences between areas, disease trends and populations, and to suggest improvements to help NCC target resources and reduce inequalities.
Tim said: “The students’ fresh eyes on the problem provided a valuable different perspective, and will help our PHI team as they contribute to determining priorities in our regional cancer workstream.”
Students analysed complex data in detail
The students needed to examine and understand the Norfolk and Waveney area – the population structure and forecasts, inequality measures, summary lifestyle indicators – and look at the available statistics relating specifically to cancer in the area, including rates by age and risk factors, deaths and contribution to the life expectancy gap between most and least deprived.
The Live Brief revealed an important insight
But this wasn’t just research in the name of academic learning – the students were able to reveal trends in the data that had gone unnoticed within the wealth of information.
“What Tim and his team didn't know is that smoking among 15 years old is rising in the area,” explains Dr Rudolph Schutte, Associate Professor and Course Leader for Medical Science at ARU who led the brief.
“That is a valuable insight that his team hadn’t picked up yet and they can now think about addressing it.”
Partner sector: Public Administration and Defence; Compulsory Social Security
Live Brief case study: Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough and ARU Graphic Design Students
ARU students on our BA Graphic Design course in Cambridge participated in a Live Brief with the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.
The brief: Designing a new brand for the OPCC
The OPCC asked ARU students to design a new brand for the organisation, covering all its traditional and digital suite of materials. The existing brand was too similar to the Constabulary logo, causing public confusion. The aim was to create a distinct brand representing the OPCC's independent role from the police.
The brief was led by Catherine Kimberley, Head of Engagement at OPCC, on behalf of the Police and Crime Commissioner, Darryl Preston.
The students conducted research, engaged in design iterations, and received feedback from the OPCC. They then delivered a range of innovative branding solutions in May 2024 that provided the OPCC with diverse options for rebranding.
One design, created by ARU student Faria Akhtar, was selected by the OPCC to become the new brand, which will be used across all their communications. It was unveiled at ARU’s Graduate Showcase on 23 May 2024. and will be applied across all OPCC’s traditional and digital platforms, including their online presence, social media, letterheads, reports, and email signatures.
How the brief benefited the OPCC
Faria’s winning design concept
Police and Crime Commissioner, Darryl Preston said:
“Both myself and my team were blown away by the designs – each one of the students has worked incredibly hard on the brief and produced some amazing and innovative work.
“In the build-up to the local PCC Elections, I spoke to a lot of residents about my role, and while people are starting to understand the service I and my team deliver, a new brand will help make our work more accessible to all.
“Faria’s design perfectly encapsulates what PCCs do – holding the Chief Constable to account for an effective police service, working with partners to reduce crime, delivering early intervention and prevention initiatives which support people from getting involved in crime in the first place, and providing funding which improves support services for victims.”
The project also attracted attention from other Police and Crime Commissions across England, showcasing the high-profile nature of this collaboration.
Read OPCC’s press release about the Live Brief.
How the brief benefited ARU students
Students gained the invaluable opportunity to work with a high-profile client on a real-world project, producing a design that required approval at the highest level from the English parliament and Home Office.
Professor Catherine Lee MBE, Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Humanities, Education and Social Sciences at ARU, said:
“The fact that students get the opportunity to take part in professionally relevant tasks, with real outcomes, is incredibly rewarding for them. Faria has done a fantastic job, and we can’t wait to see this new logo for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough’s Police and Crime Commissioner being rolled out across the county in the coming months.”
Module Leader Ian Bennett observed:
"This Live Brief was a demanding yet highly beneficial project for our students. It provided them with invaluable experience in handling a real-world client brief and developing solutions that meet professional standards.
“The nature of this project required research, experimentation and evolutionary practice. The experience of this was a very worthwhile exercise indeed and a great confidence boost for our junior graphic designers.”
Some of the other design options produced by ARU Graphic Design students
Partner sector: Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing, Ecology and Conservation
Live Brief case study: 9Trees and ARU Animation and Illustration students
ARU students on our BA (Hons) Animation and Illustration course in Cambridge participated in a Live Brief with 9Trees, a carbon offsetting Community Interest Company (CIC) that aims to tackle climate change by restoring new woodland habitats. Nine is the number of trees required to balance the average UK citizen’s carbon consumption each year.
9Trees Business Development Manager Eirini Chatzidaki led the collaboration.
The brief: Illustrations to support 9Trees’ social media campaigns
Eirini asked ARU students to create colour illustrations connecting annual events (such as Earth Day) to reforestation and conservation, to be posted on 9Trees’ social media platforms.
Each student chose an event and a native UK tree, researched the connection, brainstormed ideas, and pitched their sketches to 9Trees. After receiving feedback from Eirini, the students refined their sketches and created finished artwork.
The final deliverables included digital illustrations accompanied by a written fact related to their chosen theme.
How the brief benefited 9Trees
ARU students provided 9Trees with engaging conceptual images for their social media campaigns, helping to raise awareness of their mission.
As a small non-profit organisation with a limited budget, this collaboration allowed 9Trees to access bespoke visuals they hadn’t commissioned before.
The success of the project led to further collaboration with ARU students on animated assets.
How the brief benefited ARU students
The students gained invaluable real-world experience of the creative pipeline used in the creative industries, from research and ideation to pitching and receiving client feedback.
ARU Animation and Illustration lecturer Inbal Leitner added:
“The Live Brief enhanced the students’ presentation skills and built their confidence through pitching to 9Trees as a client. The students developed their adaptability in responding to client feedback, and their ability to communicate complex or intangible ideas through illustration, using techniques such as symbolism and metaphor.
“The project enabled students to develop their own creative voices further, and increased their understanding of global environmental issues and their local solutions.”
Partner sector: Arts, Entertainment and Recreation
The Mixed Museum and ARU History students
ARU students on our BA History course in Cambridge participated in a Live Brief with The Mixed Museum, a digital museum and archive organisation dedicated to preserving and sharing the history of racial mixing in Britain for future generations.
Mixed Museum Director and co-founder Chamion Caballero led the collaboration, and the students were supported by their lecturer Lucy Bland, ARU Professor of Social and Cultural History.
The brief: Research new material on Britain’s mixed-race history
Chamion asked ARU students to use digital and local archives to help research six of the Mixed Museum’s live projects.
Students had to apply their historical research skills to uncover material related to various aspect of Britain’s mixed-race history, using digital databases such as the British Newspaper Archive.
Chamion also tasked the students with visiting local and digital archive collections to gather material under the six project themes, which were:
Chamion (centre) with the students
How the brief benefited The Mixed Museum
ARU students unearthed some fascinating first-hand material that was entirely new to The Mixed Museum, including new stories, hidden voices, and fresh perspectives that Chamion and her team hope to incorporate into The Mixed Museum's collection over the coming year.
The content uncovered by the students included a 1961 novel centring on reactions to an Afghan-English mixed relationship, and an extract from the Evening Star newspaper from the 1980s containing residents’ memories of Black GIs in Ipswich.
Chamion said:
“The ARU Live Briefs programme is a fantastic initiative and we thoroughly enjoyed being part of it. It was amazing to see the extent of the new material that the students turned up, which we are gradually weaving into our collection and displays or using as starting points for further research.
“I was delighted to hear the teams present in person and offer feedback. The students did an incredible job – it was hard to believe that for many of them, it was their first time speaking in front of a large audience. So impressed by them, their efforts and the Live Briefs scheme as a whole.
“Thank you Lucy and ARU for facilitating our Live Briefs partnership, a really beneficial collaboration.”
Read The Mixed Museum’s blog about this Live Brief
Partner sector: Arts, Entertainment and Recreation
Live Brief case study: Friends of Jesus Green Lido and ARU Illustration students
ARU students on our BA Illustration course participated in a Live Brief with the Friends of Jesus Green Lido in Cambridge, Cambridge City Council and Better, who jointly manage the Jesus Green Lido.
The brief: A series of outdoor banners to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Lido
The idea for the project came from The Friends of Jesus Green Lido and it was project-managed by their committee member Caroline Lewis.
The students’ brief was to come up with eye-catching designs that celebrate the hundredth anniversary of Cambridge’s Jesus Green Lido (the longest outdoor pool in Britain) with 30 unique lamp post banners which pay tribute to the iconic pool’s history, as well as reflecting the Lido’s values – community, voice and legacy.
How the brief benefited the Jesus Green Lido
Caroline Lewis, Friends of Jesus Green Lido, explained:
“We had a series of meetings with the students, telling them about the Lido’s history and sharing old photos of the pool. They then visited the Lido to experience its amazing atmosphere and wonderful community for themselves.
“We are delighted with the quality and diversity of the designs from the students - the flags are a brilliant addition to Jesus Green and the Lido.
“The students’ response to the brief has been fresh and exciting. We are lucky to have such talented students to work on the project.”
Cllr Mairéad Healy, Cambridge City Council’s Executive Councillor for Communities, said:
“These banners are fantastic – I’m so impressed with the quality of each piece of artwork and grateful to all the students for their creativity. Each banner tells a visual story of the Lido’s vibrant history, its role as a community hub, and the joy it has brought to generations of Cambridge’s residents and visitors alike.
“They are a fitting tribute to the Lido in its hundredth year. If you’ve not visited the Lido before, perhaps this centenary year is the perfect time to do so!”
Daryl Emes, Partnership Manager for Better, a social enterprise which runs the Lido in partnership with Cambridge City Council, said:
"From the first time we met with staff and students, to the installation of the artwork in the Lido and across Jesus Green, we have been blown away by their creativity, skill level and professionalism.
“We are thrilled to have these artworks in place, and we encourage everyone to come down and see them when they visit. The positive feedback we have had has been overwhelming and we especially love how each student has captured a unique aspect of the Lido, including its history as well as its place now in the community."
How the brief benefited ARU students
Allan Drummond, Senior Lecturer: BA (Hons) Illustration, Cambridge School of Art, Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), said:
“Opportunities to work with Live Briefs are essential to students. It is the illustrator’s job to collaborate with clients, and the Lido centenary project was fantastic because it enabled our students to meet real clients, to develop and discuss visual ideas with them and to deliver final artwork that solved a real life problem - how to promote the existence of the Lido, its history and the joy of swimming outside. The brief encompassed more than 30 flags and so enabled every student’s design to be considered.”
Frances Ives, Associate Lecturer: BA (Hons) Illustration, Cambridge School of Art, Anglia Ruskin University, said:
“I am so proud to see the flags flying in such a wonderful position across Jesus Green. To be able to see all the students’ hard work come together to celebrate the centenary is in itself a celebration of the communities across Cambridge as well as the facility. The range of illustration styles, people and seasons make for a vibrant, joyful cycle through the park - now I just need to brave the pool..."
Read Cambridge City Council’s news feature about the Live Brief
Read the Friends of Jesus Green Lido’s news feature about the Live Brief
Partner sector: Human Health and Social Work Activities
Live Brief case study: Provide CIC and ARU Animation and Illustration students
ARU students on our BA Animation and Illustration course participated in a Live Brief with Essex-based community health and social care services organisation Provide CIC.
The brief: Animations to promote awareness of Provide’s health and social care services and career opportunities
Provide CIC is a Community Interest Company (CIC) that delivers a broad range of more than 40 health and social care services to children, families, and adults across Essex, East Anglia, and Dorset.
Services are delivered through a variety of community settings, such as community hospitals, community clinics, nursing homes, and primary care settings, as well as within people's homes and via online services.
Provide asked our students to create a series of four short animations to promote awareness of three of these services, and a fourth animation to promote the benefits of working for Provide.
How the brief benefited Provide
Students worked in groups to create the four animations, which aimed to convey key messages, reinforce Provide’s brand identity, and reflect the organisation’s core values.
For each animation, they produced a set of deliverables for Provide comprising:
Watch the animations created by ARU students
Provide’s Essex Sexual Health Service eC-card app:
Watch the students' Essex Sexual Health animation
Provide Wellbeing autism and ADHD referral process:
Watch the students' Provide ASD referral animation
Provide’s northern England React Homecare services (Brigg, Buxton, Congleton, Doncaster, Richmond, Scarborough and Worksop):
Watch the students' React Homecare animation
Provide Community career benefits:
Watch the students' Provide Perks animation
How the brief benefited ARU students
ARU students told us what they gained from the experience of working on this Live Brief:
Paige Palframan, BA Animation and Illustration, who worked on the Provide Essex Sexual Health App animation:
“The most beneficial thing about this project is the fact me and my team had the chance to work alongside a real-life client and help towards something super important in many people’s lives!”
Enma Carro Cancelas, BA Animation and Illustration, who worked on the animation for Provide’s Wellbeing autism and ADHD referral process:
“I thoroughly enjoyed my experience working as the leader of the project. It was a great opportunity to showcase my organizational and leadership skills and collaborate with an exceptional team. The project achieved our expectations, and I am grateful for the chance to have led such a talented group.”
Mafalda Camacho Fernandes, BA Animation and Illustration, who worked on the northern England React Homecare services animation:
“Working with the team for this project was rewarding. We all felt that working with Provide was an amazing opportunity in our journey in the art world and we gain skills that we will always cherish. Thank you Provide.”
Sam Richards, BA Animation and Illustration, who worked on the Provide Community career benefits animation:
“One of the most interesting aspects of the project for me was sharing my initial idea with the wider project group and seeing how it developed and formed into the final product, thanks to the input of each member's own creative practice.
“We focused on balancing Provide Community's existing comprehensive brand guidelines with our own visual influence and production methods, to make something both professional and characterful that would not just inform viewers, but also resonate with their individual experiences and be engaging to watch.”
Live Brief case study: Chelmsford Museum, Fitzwilliam Museum, Scott Polar Museum and ARU Primary Education Studies students
ARU students from the BA Primary Education Studies course participated in a Live Brief with Chelmsford Museum, the Fitzwilliam Museum, and the Scott Polar Museum (both in Cambridge).
The brief:
The museum staff challenged students to choose an item from one of the museum collections, and use it as a basis to design a humanities lesson for a class of primary school children from Years 1-6, promoting creative learning.
Have a look at some of the students’ work here:
“The sequence for the lesson plan was really clear – introducing creative and imaginary aspects to the topic while clarifying the difference between history and myth.” Professional partner
Dr Kate Noble, Senior Research Associate: Museum Learning at the Fitzwilliam Museum, introduced the museum’s collection to ARU Primary Education students
Students worked in small groups to design an accompanying lesson plan and create a supporting presentation to the museum staff.
The museums aim to use the lesson plans and activities devised by ARU students as part of their work with local schools in their regions.
ARU students on our BA Illustration course participated in a Live Brief with Cambridge-based social and behaviour change agency Social Change.
The brief: A campaign to end violence against women and girls
Social Change challenged ARU students to develop a creative concept, designs and artwork for a county-wide campaign led by Cambridgeshire Constabulary, Know Violence Against Women, to help end violence against women and girls in the region.
How the brief benefited Social Change
Students produced a range of impactful images and designs for use at the campaign’s launch event and exhibition in the Grand Arcade centre in Cambridge, attended by the regional media and Det Supt Tim Nasta, head of protecting vulnerable people at Cambridge Constabulary.
Read the BBC news item about the students’ work.
Have a look at some of the students’ work:
Partner sector: Arts, Entertainment and Recreation
Live Brief case study: Slow Theatre and ARU Media and Communication students
ARU students from the BA Media and Communication course participated in a Live Brief with Slow Theatre Company and the Wikipedia WikiProject Women in Red.
The brief:
Students contributed to the Women in Red Wiki project in partnership with Slow Theatre Company by producing a series of Wiki articles increasing awareness of the under-representation of women on Wikipedia.
ARU Course Leader Dr Sarah Gibson Yates described the Live Brief:
“Students had to choose a woman who was not already on Wikipedia, research her biography and write and publish a biographical entry live on Wikipedia. In this way, students changed this woman’s status in Wikipedia from red (no page entry) to blue.
“We all felt proud of the work that was produced and some of the student’s entries were particularly well received online, giving the students a boost of confidence and uptick in their skills and real-world media writing/journalism experience.”
How the Live Brief benefited Slow Theatre:
Students researched, wrote and published new biographical entries for a number of women who weren’t previously represented on Wikipedia, but who have achieved significant success and made valuable contributions to society across a wide range of fields.
Here are some examples of the new Wikipedia entries created by ARU students about these notable women:
Partner sector: Information and Communication
Live Brief case study: Creative Warehouse and ARU Film and Television Production students
Students from the BA Film Production course participated in a Live Brief with communications and PR agency Creative Warehouse.
The brief:
Cambridge struggles to attract younger tourists. Despite a healthy live music scene, nightlife, green spaces, incredible architecture and a genuine city buzz, Cambridge lags behind London and other destinations when it comes to attracting a younger crowd.
Creative Warehouse invited students to pitch to secure a (fictional) £10K commission for a 90-second film and an accompanying social media campaign intended to appeal to the 18-24 age group, to show an edgier, diverse Cambridge with attitude and real appeal, and draw younger tourists to Cambridge for a “Cam-cation”.
Each student team was also asked to submit a realistic budget detailing how they would spend the £10K budget for the film, and a one-page treatment summarizing their pitch (examples follow).
How the Live Brief benefited Creative Warehouse:
Students responded with a range of creative approaches, choosing various themes including online dating, self-care, nostalgia, perceptions of place through social media, and the styles of distinctive individual cinematographers.
Simon Hall, Director at Creative Warehouse, said:
“I was immensely impressed with the students. They did a terrific job on the Live Brief, immediately seeing what was required, and producing some creative, thoughtful, and highly effective solutions to the problem they have been set.
“Some of their thoughts were absolutely outstanding, and certainly not ideas which I, or the rest of the team could’ve come up with. So they added a great deal of value.
“I would strongly recommend ARU Live Briefs to any employer.”
Partner sector: Arts, Entertainment and Recreation
Live Brief case study: Churchill Archives Centre and ARU History students
ARU students from the BA History course participated in a Live Brief with partner organisation Churchill Archives Centre.
The brief:
Students were asked to contribute to a two-day international conference on diary-keeping and making organised by Churchill Archives Centre, held at Churchill College, Cambridge and online.
The students placed chosen diary materials in historical context and considered issues around digitisation and presentation (including copyright clearance), and the problems of interpretation and presentation of this material.
How the Live Brief benefited Churchill Archives Centre:
Students curated an online exhibition titled Keeping and Making Diaries: historical sources and perspectives, produced to coincide with the two-day conference.
Allen Packwood, Director of the Churchill Archives Centre, said:
“It was a real pleasure to work with the students on the selection and interpretation of our archival material.
“They brought a lively enthusiasm to the project, and it was fascinating to see their personal reactions to the original diaries.
“We learned a lot about our holdings and benefitted enormously from seeing them through new eyes.”
How the Live Brief benefited ARU students:
ARU BA History students Hattie Seager-Pope and Hanah Ansari described their Live Brief experiences and the positive impact they felt it brought for them:
Hattie Seager-Pope, BA History student
“I really enjoyed doing the Live Brief. We worked in small groups with a mentor from the Churchill Archives Centre to pick out diaries from their collection.
“Our diaries then went into their online exhibition that also went alongside a conference. It was very interesting as we got to learn how an archive works and we got to learn about handling documents.
“Picking a diary, we had to look through the online archive and choose a few diaries. We then looked through them and wrote about the diary and who wrote it.
“It really helped me when thinking about my future career and I will be doing some volunteering with them in the future in conservation.”
Watch ARU History student Hattie Seagar-Pope describe her Live Brief.
Hanah Ansari, BA History student
“Taking part in the Live Brief with Churchill Archives Centre was a fantastic and eye-opening opportunity for me!
“It not only provided me with the key skills of working with archive material – in preparation for researching my dissertation in my third year – but it also gave me an insight as to what it is like working with an archive, advancing my knowledge of the job market and employability with a history degree after ARU.
“Part of the project involved launching an online exhibition with the archive centre and via this I gained work experience, as well as a greater understanding of how to interpret and use primary sources, as a history student at ARU.
“I feel very fortunate to have been able to take part in this opportunity and really enjoyed learning about archived diaries.”
Live Brief case-study: Tech Balance and ARU Psychology students
ARU students on our BSc Psychology courses in Cambridge participated in a Live Brief with Tech Balance, a small start-up enterprise that is developing Balance, a wellbeing app focused on helping students achieve a healthy tech-life balance.
Balance is a personalized well-being app that checks in with students, helps them set goals, and track progress while offering tailored resources and crisis support through university signposting.
Tech Balance Founder and CEO Ryan Bell led the collaboration.
The brief: Evidence-based resources for a student wellbeing app
Ryan invited ARU students to produce content for Balance in graphical or written format, focusing on 3-4 key points, tips or strategies for students seeking to improve their wellbeing, plus supporting evidence.
Ryan asked students to think carefully about what they or their fellow students would value when accessing support themselves, focusing on easily understandable and actionable takeaways.
ARU students chose from three topics set by Ryan:
How the brief benefited Tech Balance
ARU students produced a range of draft content for the Balance app, giving Tech Balance access to various options that would not otherwise be available.
Ryan said:
“Through the Live Brief Project, I was fortunate to collaborate with ARU, where 250 psychology undergraduates contributed to the creation of evidence-based well-being resources and provided invaluable feedback for our app."
"The Live Brief Project helped Tech Balance build on our understanding of well-being from the students' perspective through their involvement in developing resources and their active engagement in co-designing the Balance app."
How the brief benefited ARU students
The experience was authentic and engaging for our students, and Ryan’s enthusiastic talks provided them with personalised and constructive feedback.
Ryan’s interest and commitment to working with students was of real value in supporting our students to develop their learning and employability skills.
The Live Brief helped students gain a deeper understanding of how their studies could be applied to the real-life work scenario of contributing to development of an app.
Partner sector: Professional Scientific and Technical Activities
Live Brief case study: PierceHill and ARU Quantity Surveying students
ARU students on our BSc (Hons) Quantity Surveying course in Chelmsford participated in a Live Brief with specialist construction consulting company Stature PierceHill.
Paul Comerford, partner at Stature PierceHill, led the collaboration with ARU.
The brief: A strategy report for residential development
Paul asked ARU students to help develop a procurement strategy report on the construction works needed for the residential development of an urban site.
Students had to carefully weigh and consider a range of factors about the site and the development plan, which in turn affected which type of procurement contract would be most relevant.
How the brief benefited Stature PierceHill
The students shared their proposals to Stature through written reports and small group presentations to Paul and a colleague. The Live Brief was also an opportunity for Stature to witness firsthand the fresh perspectives and innovative ideas that the next generation of quantity surveyors can bring to the table.
Paul said:
“The Live Brief has been fantastic. It's been great to meet the students and to get their input on the brief that we've set them. I've learned a lot, and the students’ presentations were excellent.”
“It’s a great initiative on the part of ARU to facilitate this collaboration with industry.”
How the brief benefited ARU students
The Live Brief tested students’ theoretical knowledge, but also honed their practical skills – such as team-working and presenting - in a professional setting.
It provided the opportunity to engage with an expert professional, receive constructive feedback, and apply their classroom knowledge to a real-world scenario.
Some of the students shared their experiences of the Live Brief:
“The Live Brief gave me valuable insight into how the process of procurement works in practice.”
“The live brief was good for me because it gave me a sense of what we were learning here, how you put it into practise in the real world, and how that applies to real projects.”
“It's also good to work in a team and collaborate a bit more when it comes to the written assignment.”
“I've got different points of views from different team members, as well as feedback from Stature which was helpful.”
Partner sector: Public Administration and Defence; Compulsory Social Security
Live Brief case study: Cambridgeshire County Council and ARU Ecology, Biodiversity, Conservation and Zoology students
ARU Cambridge students on our BSc (Hons) Ecology and Conservation and BSc (Hons) Zoology courses participated in a Live Brief with Cambridgeshire County Council’s (CCC) Biodiversity and Green Spaces team.
Deborah Ahmad, CCC Ecology Officer and Philip Clark, CCC Green Spaces Manager led the collaboration.
The brief: A management plan for the Giants Hill national heritage site
Deborah and Philip asked ARU students to devise a 5-year management plan, with a focus on the biodiversity sampling protocol, for land owned by Cambridgeshire County Council at Giant’s Hill, Rampton - a listed National Heritage site that includes the earthwork remains of a motte castle, medieval settlement and associated field system.
CCC needed the plan to consider monitoring of the site’s biodiversity through time, archaeological interest and public access, as well as land being farmed on the site.
How the brief benefited Cambridgeshire County Council
ARU students worked in groups first on site at Giant’s Hill and then on campus to analyse their findings and produce their plans, which they presented to Deborah and Philip.
The students' plans included a range of practical suggestions that CCC can consider implementing to protect the site’s biodiversity, archaeology and recreational interests.
The students’ proposals included:
Deborah said:
“The Live Brief with ARU students has been really engaging, and we hope to take forward their suggestions to deliver the management of our nature reserve.”
How the brief benefited ARU students
ARU students gained invaluable experience of applying their academic learning as they would do in a professional environment, practising key skills such as group work, formulating and presenting detailed plans, and responding to questions from the client.
The feedback from Philip and Deborah gave students very helpful insights into how their proposals would be evaluated and discussed in a professional working scenario, and how they might need to modify their proposals in light of the feedback.
Partner sector: Arts, Entertainment and Recreation
ARU students on our BSc (Hons) Animal Behaviour, BSc (Hons) Ecology & Conservation, and BSc (Hons) Zoology courses participated in a Live Brief with Wildlife Trust Beds, Cambs and Northants (BCN).
The brief
Wildlife Trust BCN asked students to research and produce posters to highlight the conservation issues around certain UK animal species, for use on the Wildlife Trust BCN website to help publicize their work and attract potential members and volunteers.
How the Live Brief benefited Wildlife Trust BCN
ARU students worked together to produce a range of infographics focusing on various species of interest for Wildlife Trust BCN, including the harvest mouse, nightingale, slow worm and common lizard.
The infographics highlight key facts about the risks facing each species, and ways that the public can support their conservation – for example by changing a small area of their garden to create a more favourable habitat.
Josh Hellon, Monitoring & Research Manager at BCN Wildlife Trust, said:“Our recent work with Anglia Ruskin University has been a new area for us. The Live Brief programme is an opportunity to present students with a real-world problem and challenge them to come up with a fresh and creative solution.
“In this case we asked students to research and produce posters to highlight the conservation issues around certain UK animal species.
“The work that has come from this has been genuinely impressive. It has been refreshing to see a different perspective on conservation and see such a variety of approaches. It is also great to see the younger generation so engaged with conservation issues.
“For the students, we hope that this project gives them a chance to work with a real conservation organisation and think how they might approach things in their future careers. It is incredibly important for us to help encourage the next generation of conservation practitioners.”
Read Josh’s blog about the Live Brief
How the Live Brief benefited ARU students
ARU Module Leader Peter Brown said:
“It is excellent for the students and me to work with a renowned employer and NGO in the wildlife conservation sector. The BCN Wildlife Trust team have provided some great feedback for the students.”
ARU students on our BSc (Hons) Crime and Investigative Studies course participated in a Live Brief with Forensic Analytics, a company providing innovative software solutions to improve the efficiency of forensic analysis in combatting crime.
The brief – preventing and detecting crime against women and girls
The issue of Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) is becoming increasingly important for UK police forces. Forensic Analytics asked ARU students to analyse a large data set about crimes of stalking and harassment of women, and to suggest ways in which police forces could prevent, detect and tackle these crimes more effectively.
How the brief benefited Forensic Analytics
Students worked in groups to:
The students then presented their findings and recommendations to Scott Fitzmaurice, Strategic Development Director at Forensic Analytics.
Examples of the students’ proposals included:
Scott said:
“I think it’s really refreshing how the students have undertaken the challenge, and some hard-hitting figures have come out of their work.
“For example, their analysis identified that 70% of those who initially commit harassment online go on to commit physical violence.
“The students also did a very good job of taking a victim-oriented approach. They really grasped the importance of identifying ways to proactively prevent crime, rather than only dealing with it after it has happened.”
Live Brief case study: Intergence and ARU Computer Science students
ARU Computer Science students participated in a Live Brief with digital technology consultancy company Intergence.
The brief: Internet of Things and digital systems to support recruitment
Intergence provided two project descriptions, from which the students worked as a team to design a software-based solution for their chosen project:
How the Live Brief benefited Intergence
Anthony Osborn, Intergence Product Manager, explained: “It was really great working with the students and to see their enthusiasm. They questioned things in ways that we hadn’t thought about – probably something to do with having 50 bright minds around a new problem!”
“You never get that in your work environment normally. It was fantastic to see the range of different solutions they had to the problems we wanted to solve, and it was a really good two-way benefit.”
Peter Job, Intergence CEO and founder, added: “We got a lot out of it and the students were really engaged with the process. We’d certainly be interested in doing another Live Brief.”
Partner sector: Public Administration and Defence; Compulsory Social Security
Live Brief case study: Essex County Council and ARU Psychology students
ARU Psychology students participated in a Live Brief with Essex County Council.
The brief:
Students worked with Essex County Council's Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Strategy and Innovation team to research current scientific evidence on the following topics and produce infographics to present their findings simply to non-psychologists:
How the Live Brief benefited Essex County Council
Lianne Canning, Emotional Wellbeing & Mental Health Coordinator for Essex County Council’s Social, Emotional & Mental Health (SEMH) Strategy Team, selected seven of the infographics produced by ARU students for use in educational settings within Essex.
The infographics focused on Getting Enough Sleep, Parent-Teen Conflict, Decision-Making, Peer Pressure, Feeling Blue, and Mobile Phones.
Have a look at some of the students’ work here:
Lianne explained:
“Taking part in the Live Brief was a rewarding experience. It provided us with the opportunity to support and encourage those who will potentially make up our future workforce and gave valuable insight to the creative ways that students can gain practical, real-world experience in the field.
“The work the students produced was of a high standard and gave a fresh perspective on our projects. It is also worth mentioning that the support and communication from ARU was fantastic, making the process smooth and enjoyable.”
How the Live Brief benefited ARU students:
BSc Psychology student Lovell Jones described the positive difference she feels the Live Brief brought to her studies:
“Having a Live Brief for an assignment was a breath of fresh air. It felt immediately more purposeful and important than other academic assignments.
“I felt more motivated to complete the assignment knowing that I was fulfilling a live need and that it could go on to help someone. The Live Brief made me reconnect with the idea of post-university life and career prospects.
“It’s easy to get lost in a sea of assignments at university, and I feel the Live Brief reminded me of the reason I was doing my degree and its future applications.”
Live Brief case study: Willmott Dixon and ARU Civil Engineering students
ARU Civil Engineering students and construction company Willmott Dixon worked together on a Live Brief to generate new design proposals for a footbridge crossing over the river Chelmer near to ARU’s Chelmsford campus.
The brief:
Students carried out in-depth analysis of factors influencing design options, including cost, aesthetics, material choice, construction type, local soil and geology, environmental impact, and resistance to flood risk.
They presented their design proposal options to Richard Davidson, Director of New Business at Willmott Dixon, who provided detailed professional feedback to the students.
How the Live Brief benefited Willmott Dixon
Richard described how the Live Brief has benefited Willmott Dixon. He told us:
“The Live Brief working with ARU has been really exciting for me as an employer, getting to meet some of the students and really understanding their dynamism and how they approach the brief."
"What's fascinating for me is seeing the solutions that they've proposed are actually as good as, if not better than some of my colleagues."
"That means we can put back into the industry, we can see those students develop, and it's really great to see a pipeline of talent being nurtured."
"So for me, that’s why I want to be here - I want to give back, but I also want to help improve the sector and improve my business.”
Live Brief case study: BAE Systems and ARU Mechanical Engineering students
Multinational defence, security and aerospace company BAE Systems worked with ARU Mechanical Engineering students on a brief to re-engineer a small drone to new specifications.
The brief
Students worked in groups to develop detailed designs, taking into consideration factors including cost, weight limits, strength, rigidity, modularity and ease of maintenance, appropriate materials and manufacturing processes, and ability of the drone to function in a range of operating environments.
Each student group presented their analysis and design process and results, and also produced a 3D prototype version of their design.
Moh Akhmad, Principal Scientist with BAE Systems, attended the presentation session to evaluate the design proposals and provide full feedback to the student groups on their work.
How the Live Brief benefited BAE Systems
Moh described how the Live Brief has benefited BAE Systems. He told us:
“It's very interesting to see the kind of refreshing innovation that the students have provided, and the different directions that they've taken the technology.”
