As part of a broader initiative to foster practical innovation skills among university students, Solveo organized a two-week training program on Digital Transformation and AI Tools. The workshop brought together 20 participants from FINKI, FEIT, Faculty of Civil Engineering, and UIST to explore the intersection of emerging technologies and strategic brand innovation. The program was led by experienced Solveo facilitators.
This training was about using AI hands-on, in real-time, to tackle real challenges, develop ideas, and test concepts through a structured digital innovation process.
Students often lack exposure to the tools and frameworks that are shaping today’s digital transformation — especially in fields like AI, lean product design, and agile methodology. The goal of this workshop was to give participants practical experience with advanced AI tools while guiding them through a structured innovation process. By the end of the training, students would be able to think strategically, act with confidence, and pitch creative solutions for brand and product transformation.
Our Approach
Spanning two weeks, the training followed a structured progression across six sessions, blending design thinking, agile methodology, and advanced AI tools into a cohesive learning experience.
In Week 1, we kicked off by demystifying the basics of AI and showing students how to apply it immediately. Participants selected well-known Macedonian brands as case studies and used tools like Perplexity, ChatGPT, and Claude to conduct in-depth research. Instead of only discussing digital transformation in theory, students were pushed to uncover actual challenges these brands face and then frame those as strategic opportunities.
From there, we dove into user persona development — a key step in human-centered design. Students worked in small groups to build rich, data-backed personas using techniques like the A-E-I-O-U framework and empathy mapping. These exercises helped students sharpen their understanding of how to connect digital solutions to real user needs, bridging business goals and human behavior.
By the end of Week 1, teams had developed early ideas and low-fidelity prototypes. Using visual tools like Midjourney, Ideogram, and Journey Maps, they brought concepts to life quickly, validating their directions through informal peer feedback.
Week 2 shifted the focus to iteration and polish. With early feedback in hand, students refined their concepts using technical tools like Cursor and GPTEngineers. We worked closely with each team to help improve not only the product logic, but the communication strategy — how to present their value clearly and effectively.
To wrap up, we supported each team in preparing final presentations. They used tools like Gamma to structure their pitch decks and v0 to mock up simple UI components. Two rounds of rehearsals gave students the chance to improve delivery, get feedback on their narrative, and build confidence before the final day.
The result? Every participant walked away with a real product concept, built using real tools, and refined through collaboration, testing, and reflection.
Skills Acquired
Participant Reflections Students consistently highlighted how the workshop helped them:
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