Students will launch the project by interacting with real users, conduct firsthand interviews and observations about plant and animal structures, and create structured empathy maps grounded in direct evidence to inform later problem definition.

Students will synthesize their interview notes and empathy maps into clear, evidence-based problem statements that define how to help younger students understand how plant and animal structures support survival. They will identify patterns across user feedback, draft and critique "How Might We" statements, and produce a grounded design brief to guide ideation.

Students will generate and refine multiple user-centered exhibit concepts for their Living Structures Gallery, moving from rapid brainstorming to evidence-based selection and annotated concept sketches grounded in real user needs and science standards.

Students will build, test, and revise low- and medium-fidelity prototypes of their interactive ecosystem exhibits, using real user feedback from peers and visiting 4H partners to improve how clearly their models explain structure-function relationships and sensory responses.

Students will conduct a final round of user testing with new audiences, refine their Living Structures Gallery ecosystem models based on real feedback, and present their full design journey—linking user research, problem definition, prototype iterations, and scientific evidence—to visiting students and community partners.