Students will launch the Mini Society business challenge by investigating customer needs through hands-on stations, analyzing how profit and branding connect to real business decisions, and drafting an evidence-based first business concept they can test in the next phase.

Students will gather direct customer evidence through interviews, surveys, and observations, then organize that evidence into an empathy artifact that identifies target audience traits, pain points, and assumptions to test. They will use feedback and revision to narrow a stronger business direction before moving into concept development.

Students will turn customer evidence into a focused business direction by clustering research, writing a design brief, generating multiple product-and-brand concepts, and selecting one concept using feasibility, customer need, and profit potential. They will document feedback, revise ideas, and leave the phase ready to prototype with a justified concept choice.

Students will refine a testable product and logo, use customer and peer feedback to complete documented revisions, and assemble the math and communication artifacts needed for the Market Day business pitch.

Students will present their finished business product, logo, financial model, and evidence-based pitch to an authentic audience at Market Day, respond to live questions, document real audience feedback, and submit a final portfolio that shows how customer research, math modeling, design revisions, and communication came together in their final business plan.