Your Future Job, Powered by AI
+400 Points
$10000
You've probably heard two contradictory messages about the future of work: "AI is replacing entry-level jobs" and "you need experience before anyone will hire you." Both feel true, and that tension is real.
But here's what's also true: the professionals using AI tools every day are running into real gaps. These are things the tools don't do well, problems people still solve manually, and frustrations nobody has bothered to fix. Those gaps are opportunities. This Challenge asks you to find one problem and design something that actually addresses it. The best submissions won't be the most ambitious. They'll be the ones where you can tell a real person's real problem was truly understood. Get ready to wow the KPMG judges. This Challenge addresses the question:
What's one real problem in a career that you (and your teammates) are genuinely interested in, and how could AI help solve it?
This Challenge runs from April 13th through May 25th, 2026
Prizes: 1st Place: $5,000 đ„| 2nd Place: $3,000 đ„| 3rd Place: $2,000 đ„ | Please note: For team entries, prize amounts will be divided equally among team members.
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Skills you'll develop
- Collaboration
- Communication
- Problem Solving
This Challenge runs from April 13th through May 25th, 2026
Create a Product
It's time to get creative and CREATE a prototype of your idea. This is what you'll use to explain your awesome solution! By the end of the Create phase, you should be able to:
Show your Design Brief
Explain how you created your prototype(s)
Share your feedback and demonstrate how you revised your prototype(s)
Be ready to create your video pitch
Understand the Create Phase for a Product
â±ïžTime: 4-5 Hours (Week 3 of Challenge)
âïžUse the optional KNOtebook to record your ideas
đŒÂ Mentor: Get feedback from a mentor, and others, on your prototype
đŻÂ Future Ready Skills: Problem-Solving, Collaboration
Product Design
In this phase, you'll create a concept for a new or improved product. Perhaps an app? A game? An everyday item?
Meet a Product Professional
Yay! Youâre going to create a new product! First, letâs meet someone who creates new products.
A Great Product
Consider what makes a product great. Play the video to explore the Five Levels of the Product Pyramid to understand some of the characteristics.
Product Planning: A Design Brief
Before you start designing, it's helpful to do a bit of planning. A Design Brief helps you know where youâre headed. Learn about creating a design brief by reviewing each slide in the following presentation.
Prototyping
Prototyping Example
Prototyping is a process of developing a new product through the physical representation of an idea. Prototypes come in all sizes and shapes, and the type of prototype you create will depend on what youâre trying to learn about your idea and what stage you are in of the process. Check out this fun video to see an example.
Prototyping is an iterative process and involves the following:
Types of Prototypes
With a general plan in hand, youâre ready to make your ideas tangible with a prototype! Designing a new product involves an iterative process, so donât get too attached to your ideas - they may change - several times!
There are a lot of ways to prototype. Here are some you might consider. Flip the cards to learn about each.
Paper Prototype
Paper Prototype
Paper prototypes might be sketches and diagrams drawn quickly on a napkin or using a ruler and pen, but you donât need to be an artist! A paper prototype is useful at the beginning of the process of conceptualizing a new product, enabling you to create multiple versions of your idea quickly.
Storyboard/Wireframe
Storyboard/Wireframe
Storyboards can communicate a concept by visualizing user interactions and telling a story. A wireframe is a storyboard for an app or website, and is useful for developing the navigation, structure, and placement of content. Wireframes can also be clickable, linking several static wireframes.
Role Play
Role Play
Role plays are useful for certain ideas, like you saw in the example video. Some designers are now also using virtual or augmented reality to prototype their ideas as a âwalk throughâ experience.
Digital Prototype
Digital Prototype
Digital prototypes are computer-aided creations of a design, used to simulate and communicate designs. Digital prototypes have the benefit of the ability to be modified in real-time.
Physical Model
Physical Model
A prototype model can be made with anything from Legos to clay to wood to craft paper to a 3D-printed model. It doesn't need to have working partsâit just gives a rough idea of the design. Models work well for creating scaled concepts before producing something on a large-scale.
Working Model
Working Model
A working model prototype allows you to test the idea of a product to see if it actually functions the way you intended. This is useful for mechanized inventions or other designs with features that need to move or fit a certain way.Prototyping Tools
Using your Design Brief as a guide and your selected materials, determine which part of your product youâd like to prototype first and how youâd like to prototype, then start creating! Consider using any of the following tools:
Building materials: Great for prototyping processes, infrastructures, and work flows and just fun for everyone
Recyclables: Take something apart and use the parts for your prototype or dig into your recycling bin and see what you can use.
Video: A short and scrappy video can go a long way to communicate anything
Paper, cardboard: Sketching, drawing, diagramming, building
Digital Prototoyping Tools
Testing & Feedback
Now that you have your first prototype, it's time to share it and get feedback so that you can improve it.
Testing Plan
Take a look at a video of an example of creating a testing plan to get feedback.
Testing Suggestions
Getting Feedback
Consider using any of the following methods to structure and organize your feedback-gathering process. Select the plus signs.
Iterative Process
Iterating
After you get feedback, itâs time to make changes to your prototype or prototype another part of your product. Remember, the goal is not for your prototypes to be universally loved. The goal is to get as much feedback as you can to help you make your concept better. Continue to prototype, test, and iterate as much as you can, until you are satisfied with your prototype. This may be a multi-day process and is not to be rushed.
Mentor Moment
Get feedback from a professional who will be judging your project!
Consider how you will test and get feedback from a mentor who may be reviewing your prototype online and giving written feedback. Depending on what you create as prototypes, you could scan, take a photo, or capture video to share and get feedback. You may want to use the âI Like, I Wish, What If...â or the grid method.
Get feedback on your prototype now!
Next Steps
PITCH IT!
Now you get to create a video pitch for your idea. Be ready to WOW the KPMG judges!
