Florida State University’s Innovation Hub and College of Social Sciences and Public Policy (COSSPP) hosted a 24-hour Design Sprint for all FSU students focused on “Rapid Relocation: Enhancing Emergency Evacuation in Florida” starting Friday, January 31, and ending Monday, February 1.
“The College was excited to partner with the Innovation Hub on the topic of Rapid Relocation, which is one of the most pressing problems facing the state of Florida,” said COSSPP Dean Tim Chapin, Ph.D. “Getting people out of harm’s way when a hurricane is coming is one of our biggest challenges in a state of 22 million people.”
Through Design Thinking, a process taught by FSU’s Innovation Hub, students created innovative solutions to answer the question: With coastal communities facing escalating threats from hurricanes and flooding, how might we promote better and more complete evacuation of individuals living near Florida’s coasts?
“We like design thinking because it takes a practical approach to problem-solving,” said Ken Baldauf, founding director of the Innovation Hub. “Researching the problem first before jumping to conclusions, reframing the problem, and then using ideation methods to come up with solutions.”
Taking place at FSU’s Innovation Hub (located in the Shores Building), strategizing and planning in their teams occurred from 4 p.m. on Friday, January 31, until midnight on Saturday, February 1. At 9:00 a.m. on February 1, teams were instructed to practice their pitch and prep their solutions for judging at 1:00 p.m. $3,000 in prizes were distributed among the winners for best individual idea, first, second, and third placements for teams.
Students from various majors around the university participated, including those in our college who study economics, geography, urban and regional planning, Asian studies, and African American studies. Other students around FSU contributed innovations and expertise from their disciplines, including computational science, marketing, information technology, mechanical engineering, interior design, anthropology, and more.
Student teams also benefitted from COSSPP alumni and faculty experts who provided strategic insights throughout the challenge, such as Emergency Management and Homeland Security Director David Merrick, Associate Dean Deana Rohlinger, Ph.D., and alumnus Joe Paul (founder of OptimaNova AI).
“I think that these design sprints are really important because it brings a team of different majors and fields together in order to create an all-encompassing solution or strategy to a real-world problem that we’re all facing,” said Jad Dargam, an FSU student studying Information Technology.
Three individual prizes for $100 each were given to students on three separate teams, Mani Tyagi, Sophia Zaydon, and James Dzwil, who were deemed to have the most innovative ideas.
First place went to Team Storm Vision and their solution of an augmented reality app to show adverse weather conditions in real time. The team consisted of Esraa Arar, an urban and regional planning student, Zachary Merashoff, Sage Quillen, Jennifer Rabideau, and Tyler Reimer. The first-place prize money amounted to $300 for each member.
Second place went to Team Snap Safe and their solution of eco-friendly pods to privately house evacuated individuals. The team consisted of Jonathan Alcineus, James Dzwil, Alex Holton, and Taylor Marshall. The second-place prize money amounted to $200 for each member.
Lastly, third place went to Team Weather or Not, and their solution of an individual scoring app that assesses individual personal risk and helps citizens decide if they should evacuate. The team consisted of Johanna Rubin, Kelly Leffler, Sid Ngyuen, Ethan Kelly, and Wei Wang. The third-place prize money amounted to $100 for each member.
The Innovation Hub’s first Design Sprint was in 2019 and focused on improving the work experience of child welfare social workers. In the years since, campus and community partners have led Design Sprints focused on improving communities, such as reconstructing cities after major natural disasters, reducing energy consumption, and combatting human trafficking.
“We’re experimenting with the future of higher education. This is quite a different way of learning than sitting in a lecture hall and reading a textbook,” said Baldauf. “Students are learning face-to-face with the experts, doing the hard work of research, and taking ownership of their education.”
To see all pitch presentations and participants, visit innovation.fsu.edu/rapid-relocation. To learn more about the College of Social Sciences and Public Policy, visit cosspp.fsu.edu.
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