Day 1: Settling in and learning about petitions

I came to the office and met Vicky, Liam and Leshaun, who I’d be working with for the week. We were going to be doing some research into how to improve young people’s engagement with the UK Parliament Petitions website that Unboxed designed, built and maintains. At the end of the week, we would present our findings and solution ideas to the 2nd Clerk to the Petitions Committee.

We began our research by looking through different articles and websites related to petitioning. For lunch, I enjoyed a Tesco meal deal.

Day 2: Gathering insights and early research

Leshaun and I continued our research and I interviewed some of my friends via WhatsApp, asking if they’d ever used any petitioning websites and why they weren’t engaging with politics. Some of the responses we got back included comments like “it's for old people” and there are too many “old heads.”

We compiled our findings into a document that we’d later turn into a presentation deck. We also joined Design Club, a weekly session where Unboxed team members present and discuss different topics. For lunch today, I had a Pilpel.

Day 3: Brainstorming the challenges

On the third day, Leshaun and I had a brainstorming session. Using post-it notes, we explored all the problems a person aged 14-24 might face when trying to engage with petitions. We categorised these issues and turned them into "how might we" questions, outlining the problems without yet suggesting solutions.

For lunch, I had bubble tea and Pilpel again.

Day 4: Gathering solutions and preparing to present

We spent the fourth day developing ideas to solve the problems we’d identified. For each problem, we came up with one or two solutions, then narrowed them down to the six strongest ideas — focusing on what could realistically be scaled and delivered across the UK.

We then compiled everything into a slideshow for our presentation to the 2nd Clerk of the Petitions Committee. For lunch, I grabbed a Greek chicken wrap and chips from Petticoat Lane Market.

Day 5: Final presentation and reflection

On the final day, Leshaun and I edited and finalised the presentation deck to make it client-ready. After a practice run-through with Liam, we had our call and presented everything we had learned, plus our suggestions. The call went really well, and we received some great feedback. Liam and Vicky were both very supportive.

After the presentation, we did a short retrospective of the week, reflecting on:

  • What I found difficult: Managing my time and putting my thoughts into words.
  • What I enjoyed: The great lunches, the helpful and kind people, and working with my fellow student, Leshaun.
  • What I’d change next time: Leave myself more time in the mornings to get in!

Reflecting on my week at Unboxed

This week was far more fun than I had expected. Everyone in the office was kind, interesting and welcoming. The whole vibe was amazing, and everyone was super helpful — especially Vicky and Liam. Leshaun and I got on great, and he was a very helpful partner.

A highlight from the week

The food and the great people.

One thing I learnt

I learned how an office functions day-to-day and how a consultancy like Unboxed works with clients and their requests.