Test Labs UK - Biomedical Sciences
Partner sector: Professional Scientific and Technical Activities
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Partner sector: Professional Scientific and Technical Activities
Live Brief case study: Test Labs UK and ARU Biomedical Sciences students
ARU students on our BSc (Hons) Biomedical Sciences course in Peterborough participated in a Live Brief with specialist medical device company Test Labs UK.
The brief: Evaluating antimicrobial innovations for medical devices
Test Labs tasked students with evaluating the suitability, sustainability, and safety of various antimicrobial materials for specific types of medical equipment such as ward beds, surgical instruments, and infusion pumps.
Students collaborated in small groups, each focusing on a specific category of medical devices or equipment to research and analyse materials like metals, enzymatic coatings, and hydrogels.
They assessed the performance and limitations of these materials, their compatibility with existing hospital cleaning practices, their effectiveness in reducing contamination and adherence to regulatory standards.
The students delivered their findings in the form of poster presentations on the advancements in antimicrobial innovations, recording detailed evaluations and practical recommendations ensuring suitable solutions for medical devices and services within health care.
See the posters produced by the students and read the Test Labs UK blog about this Live Brief
ARU students presenting their work to Test Labs UK:
How the brief benefited Test Labs UK
Working with ARU students allowed Test Labs UK to access the results of time-consuming research tasks and fresh views on antimicrobial technologies from students who are not yet ingrained in industry norms.
That has helped their busy staff to stay updated on antimicrobial technologies, and provided useful information on cost-benefit analyses to help Test Labs UK make decisions about which technologies are most viable for development.
In turn, the Live Brief collaboration has the potential to support the NHS, where hospital-acquired infections exceed 650,000 cases annually and there is an urgent need to strengthen infection prevention and control measures to mitigate the spread of infections in healthcare settings.
Tautvydas Karitonas, Managing Director of Test Labs UK, delivered the launch session to the students at the start of the Live Brief. He said:
“Today's session with the ARU students for their 2024 Live Brief was great. This year's topic, "Advancements in Antimicrobial Innovations: Ensuring Suitable Solutions for Medical Devices and Surfaces Within Healthcare" sparked some excellent questions about their research. I can't wait to see their final posters.”
Read Tautvydas Karitonas’ LinkedIn post about this Live Brief
Holly Scott, Executive Assistant at Test Labs UK, attended the students’ presentations of their work to Test Labs UK at the end of the Live Brief. She said:
“It was a remarkable privilege to participate in ARU’s Life Brief assessment this year, Observing the students exhibit their expertise and enthusiasm in devising solutions for real-world industry challenges was truly amazing. The proficiency and presentation abilities displayed by the students was nothing short of inspiring.”
Read Holly Scott’s LinkedIn post about this Live Brief
How the Live Brief benefited ARU students
Students gained the invaluable opportunity to interact directly with experts in the biomedical science industry.
They received detailed professional feedback on their initial research and draft posters from Test Labs UK Managing Director Tautvydas Karitonas, which helped them learn how to adjust their research and written summaries as the project developed.
They developed their teamwork and networking skills, and gained valuable practice in presenting themselves professionally and responding to questions about their posters from industry experts.
ARU Biomedical Sciences student Aaliyah Aziz said:
“From this presentation I have improved skills in communication and building up confidence in public speaking. I was part of the group researching ‘antimicrobial coatings for non-invasive patient care equipment.’ We selected medical carts. Together as a team we compiled our findings and research to create our poster.
“This was a great opportunity for our class to improve on skills outside of studying. Thank you to all the staff and to Test Labs UK for making this happen.”
Read ARU student Aaliyah Aziz’s LinkedIn post about this Live Brief
ARU Biomedical Sciences student Princelah Opoku said:
“I am so proud of our ARU Peterborough Biomedical Science groups after this week's 2024 Live Brief session!
“Diving into "Advancements in Antimicrobial Innovations: Ensuring Suitable Solutions for Medical Devices and Surfaces Within Healthcare" was eye-opening. I'm happy to hear that our questions were on fire, and I'm stoked to hear that we are heading in the right direction. I cannot wait to showcase the awesome posters we'll create!”
“Guided by our lecturer, Ian Tennant, we had the chance to ask questions about the assigned projects and look into their career and the organisation's goals.
“It was a very eye-opening visit, and for that, I'd like to thank Test Labs for kindly addressing all our questions and taking the time to accommodate us and give us a tour, enriching our knowledge of the work environment of a laboratory as well as enlightening us on the importance of sustaining and sterilising medical devices to ensure long-term reusability issues at the forefront of the healthcare system, especially the NHS.”
Read ARU student Princelah Opoku’s LinkedIn post about this Live Brief
Partner sector: Information and communication
Live Brief case study: Monitree, Orli Health and ARU Business and Management students
ARU students on our undergraduate Business courses at ARU’s Cambridge campus participated in a Live Brief with two tech start-up companies, Monitree and Orli Health. They were supported by their lecturer, Dr Outi Blackburn.
Monitree was founded by two NHS doctors, Stuart Foster and Sabrina Ahmed. It is a digital platform that brings together in one place a selection of financial and career-enhancing opportunities curated specifically for healthcare workers. These include healthcare jobs, paid research and discounts exclusive to healthcare workers.
Orli Health was founded by another NHS doctor, Mark Cox, together with psychologist Euan Bell. The start-up supports children and young people who are neurodivergent and / or have mental health conditions, and their families. They do this through an app that allows families to create a personalised journey of science-backed tools and recommendations. It aims to ease anxiety, build connection and help find trusted expertise, support and services.
The brief: Marketing and customer engagement strategies for business growth
The two startup companies asked ARU students to design strategies to support marketing and business growth.
Monitree had two main marketing objectives:
Orli Health’s main objectives were:
Students worked in small groups over several weeks, focused on either Monitree or Orli Health, designing detailed strategies to meet the startup company’s needs, and presentations to communicate them.
Monitree and Orli Health then came to ARU’s Cambridge campus for half a day, to hear each student group pitch their presentation in an individual session, ask the students questions about their proposed strategies, and provide them with feedback on their work.
How the brief benefited Monitree and Orli Health
Collaborating with ARU students provided Monitree and Orli Health with a range of valuable insights that would otherwise have required potentially costly marketing consultancy.
For example, the students highlighted the importance of considering issues such as app store optimisation (ASO), and market segmentation by factors such as age, lifestyle, values, level of digital use, and preference for early or late adoption of new technologies.
Dr Stuart Foster of Monitree said:
“A huge thank you to all of the amazing students for the impressive level of enthusiasm, knowledge, imagination, nerves and reciprocal appreciation they showed us. They have very bright futures ahead and should be proud of themselves.”
Dr Mark Cox of Orli Health said:
“The students were impressive - giving us new ideas, affirming some of what we already are planning, and showing us where we can improve. It was clear that young people have fresh ideas.”
Read Monitree’s LinkedIn post about this Live Brief
Read Orli Health’s LinkedIn post about this Live Brief
How the brief benefited ARU students
Students gained the invaluable opportunity to work on an in-depth client project, simulating a professional or commercial context, which helped them develop their teamwork, planning, analytical and presentation skills.
They received detailed professional feedback and questions from Monitree and Orli Health on their group presentations, which enhanced their understanding of a client organisation’s perspective and requirements.
The Live Brief gave students valuable experience of responding to questions as they would when presenting to a commercial client, requiring them to think on their feet, explain their ideas clearly and refine their recommendations.
Live Brief case study: Active Essex and ARU Public Health students
ARU students on our BSc Public Health course participated in a Live Brief with Chelmsford-based activity and sport partnership organisation Active Essex.
The brief: Innovative ways to increase activity levels across Essex
Courtenay Mosley (Active Essex Relationship Manager, Health and Social Care) asked students to help analyse issues underlying five of Active Essex’s key strategic priorities, and recommend innovative ways to achieve better health outcomes in each priority area:
Students worked in groups to develop a detailed response to each of the priorities, which they then presented back to Courtenay. The students recommended considering a range of approaches, such as:
How the brief benefited Active Essex and ARU students
Courtenay said:
“Live Briefs give Active Essex and other similar organisations a really good opportunity to share with students the things that we’re focused on as important priorities right now.
”Live Briefs also give students a valuable chance to do some research into the evidence and current topics in public health that are out there at the moment and bring some conclusions from their own perspective.
“Having the opportunity to present their recommendations really builds students’ employment skills, and helps them prepare for working life.”
BSc Public Health student Tina Cooper said:
“Having Courtenay explain Active Essex’s priorities and her role to us has given us a great insight into our potential future roles as Public Health practitioners, and what we could become involved in after we finish our degree.”
Partner sector: Human Health and Social Work Activities
Live Brief case study: Deafblind UK and ARU Sociology students
ARU students on our BA (Hons) Sociology course participated in a Live Brief with Deafblind UK, a national charity providing practical and emotional support to people living with sight and hearing loss (dual sensory loss).
Deafblind UK team members Carolyn Parkin and Tonicha Frith led the collaboration, and the students were supported by their lecturer David Skinner, ARU Associate Professor in Sociology.
The brief: Research to help Deafblind UK enhance its services
Carolyn and Tonicha asked ARU students to carry out research to identify other relevant organisations the charity could potentially work with or link to, issues relevant to people living with dual sensory loss not already covered by Deafblind UK, and any other resources that could help the charity enhance their services.
Students collaborated in small groups to carry out their research, and then presented their findings and recommendations to Carolyn and Tonicha at a lecture session at ARU’s Cambridge campus.
How the brief benefited Deafblind UK
Collaborating with ARU students provided Deafblind UK with a range of valuable insights that would otherwise have required potentially costly consultancy, or greater in-house staffing resources.
For example, the students identified organisations providing support relevant to people with dual sensory loss that Deafblind UK had not previously been aware of or linked with.
Tonicha said:
“The research the students have done is incredible, and the references on the charities that they came across were really informational for the job that I do - so thanks to them, I'm going to look at other charities and different sectors that I just didn't think of looking at in the past.”
Carolyn said:
“I think our colleagues at Deafblind UK will really get a lot out of the presentations and the research that the students shared with us today – I’m really looking forward to sharing it with our team.”
How the brief benefited ARU students
Students gained the invaluable opportunity to work on an in-depth client project, simulating a professional or commercial context, which helped them develop their teamwork, research, analytical and presentation skills.
Carolyn and Tonicha arranged a technology showcase demonstration for the students, giving them hands-on experience of a range of special technology for people with dual sensory loss.
Students gained valuable insight into the needs of people living with dual sensory loss, and the priorities of a non-profit organisation focused on supporting them – both issues being highly relevant to their studies, and to their employability skills as potential future members of the workforce.
Partner sector: Public Administration and Defence; Compulsory Social Security
Live Brief case study: Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough and ARU Graphic Design Students
ARU students on our BA Graphic Design course in Cambridge participated in a Live Brief with the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.
The brief: Designing a new brand for the OPCC
The OPCC asked ARU students to design a new brand for the organisation, covering all its traditional and digital suite of materials. The existing brand was too similar to the Constabulary logo, causing public confusion. The aim was to create a distinct brand representing the OPCC's independent role from the police.
The brief was led by Catherine Kimberley, Head of Engagement at OPCC, on behalf of the Police and Crime Commissioner, Darryl Preston.
The students conducted research, engaged in design iterations, and received feedback from the OPCC. They then delivered a range of innovative branding solutions in May 2024 that provided the OPCC with diverse options for rebranding.
One design, created by ARU student Faria Akhtar, was selected by the OPCC to become the new brand, which will be used across all their communications. It was unveiled at ARU’s Graduate Showcase on 23 May 2024. and will be applied across all OPCC’s traditional and digital platforms, including their online presence, social media, letterheads, reports, and email signatures.
How the brief benefited the OPCC
Faria’s winning design concept
Police and Crime Commissioner, Darryl Preston said:
“Both myself and my team were blown away by the designs – each one of the students has worked incredibly hard on the brief and produced some amazing and innovative work.
“In the build-up to the local PCC Elections, I spoke to a lot of residents about my role, and while people are starting to understand the service I and my team deliver, a new brand will help make our work more accessible to all.
“Faria’s design perfectly encapsulates what PCCs do – holding the Chief Constable to account for an effective police service, working with partners to reduce crime, delivering early intervention and prevention initiatives which support people from getting involved in crime in the first place, and providing funding which improves support services for victims.”
The project also attracted attention from other Police and Crime Commissions across England, showcasing the high-profile nature of this collaboration.
Read OPCC’s press release about the Live Brief.
How the brief benefited ARU students
Students gained the invaluable opportunity to work with a high-profile client on a real-world project, producing a design that required approval at the highest level from the English parliament and Home Office.
Professor Catherine Lee MBE, Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Humanities, Education and Social Sciences at ARU, said:
“The fact that students get the opportunity to take part in professionally relevant tasks, with real outcomes, is incredibly rewarding for them. Faria has done a fantastic job, and we can’t wait to see this new logo for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough’s Police and Crime Commissioner being rolled out across the county in the coming months.”
Module Leader Ian Bennett observed:
"This Live Brief was a demanding yet highly beneficial project for our students. It provided them with invaluable experience in handling a real-world client brief and developing solutions that meet professional standards.
“The nature of this project required research, experimentation and evolutionary practice. The experience of this was a very worthwhile exercise indeed and a great confidence boost for our junior graphic designers.”
Some of the other design options produced by ARU Graphic Design students
Partner sector: Arts, Entertainment and Recreation
Live Brief case study: Friends of Jesus Green Lido and ARU Illustration students
ARU students on our BA Illustration course participated in a Live Brief with the Friends of Jesus Green Lido in Cambridge, Cambridge City Council and Better, who jointly manage the Jesus Green Lido.
The brief: A series of outdoor banners to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Lido
The idea for the project came from The Friends of Jesus Green Lido and it was project-managed by their committee member Caroline Lewis.
The students’ brief was to come up with eye-catching designs that celebrate the hundredth anniversary of Cambridge’s Jesus Green Lido (the longest outdoor pool in Britain) with 30 unique lamp post banners which pay tribute to the iconic pool’s history, as well as reflecting the Lido’s values – community, voice and legacy.
How the brief benefited the Jesus Green Lido
Caroline Lewis, Friends of Jesus Green Lido, explained:
“We had a series of meetings with the students, telling them about the Lido’s history and sharing old photos of the pool. They then visited the Lido to experience its amazing atmosphere and wonderful community for themselves.
“We are delighted with the quality and diversity of the designs from the students - the flags are a brilliant addition to Jesus Green and the Lido.
“The students’ response to the brief has been fresh and exciting. We are lucky to have such talented students to work on the project.”
Cllr Mairéad Healy, Cambridge City Council’s Executive Councillor for Communities, said:
“These banners are fantastic – I’m so impressed with the quality of each piece of artwork and grateful to all the students for their creativity. Each banner tells a visual story of the Lido’s vibrant history, its role as a community hub, and the joy it has brought to generations of Cambridge’s residents and visitors alike.
“They are a fitting tribute to the Lido in its hundredth year. If you’ve not visited the Lido before, perhaps this centenary year is the perfect time to do so!”
Daryl Emes, Partnership Manager for Better, a social enterprise which runs the Lido in partnership with Cambridge City Council, said:
"From the first time we met with staff and students, to the installation of the artwork in the Lido and across Jesus Green, we have been blown away by their creativity, skill level and professionalism.
“We are thrilled to have these artworks in place, and we encourage everyone to come down and see them when they visit. The positive feedback we have had has been overwhelming and we especially love how each student has captured a unique aspect of the Lido, including its history as well as its place now in the community."
How the brief benefited ARU students
Allan Drummond, Senior Lecturer: BA (Hons) Illustration, Cambridge School of Art, Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), said:
“Opportunities to work with Live Briefs are essential to students. It is the illustrator’s job to collaborate with clients, and the Lido centenary project was fantastic because it enabled our students to meet real clients, to develop and discuss visual ideas with them and to deliver final artwork that solved a real life problem - how to promote the existence of the Lido, its history and the joy of swimming outside. The brief encompassed more than 30 flags and so enabled every student’s design to be considered.”
Frances Ives, Associate Lecturer: BA (Hons) Illustration, Cambridge School of Art, Anglia Ruskin University, said:
“I am so proud to see the flags flying in such a wonderful position across Jesus Green. To be able to see all the students’ hard work come together to celebrate the centenary is in itself a celebration of the communities across Cambridge as well as the facility. The range of illustration styles, people and seasons make for a vibrant, joyful cycle through the park - now I just need to brave the pool..."
Read Cambridge City Council’s news feature about the Live Brief
Read the Friends of Jesus Green Lido’s news feature about the Live Brief
ARU students on our BA Illustration course participated in a Live Brief with Cambridge-based social and behaviour change agency Social Change.
The brief: A campaign to end violence against women and girls
Social Change challenged ARU students to develop a creative concept, designs and artwork for a county-wide campaign led by Cambridgeshire Constabulary, Know Violence Against Women, to help end violence against women and girls in the region.
How the brief benefited Social Change
Students produced a range of impactful images and designs for use at the campaign’s launch event and exhibition in the Grand Arcade centre in Cambridge, attended by the regional media and Det Supt Tim Nasta, head of protecting vulnerable people at Cambridge Constabulary.
Read the BBC news item about the students’ work.
Have a look at some of the students’ work:
Partner sector: Animal welfare charity
Live Brief case study: For Tigers and ARU Animal Management students
ARU students on our BSc (Hons) Animal Management course at ARU Writtle participated in a Live Brief with animal welfare charity For Tigers.
The charity is dedicated to improving the welfare of the many tigers bred in captivity in Thailand for the purpose of tourist attractions, through research, education and direct aid.
The brief: A social media strategy to grow the charity’s support
For Tigers had identified some goals they wanted to achieve through their social media channels. The charity needed to:
They needed to achieve this without using sensationalist or traumatic content, as this was known to be counter-productive to their aims.
For Tigers asked students to evaluate the charity’s current social media presence, and to provide recommendations for future strategy and content to help them achieve their goals.
Students collaborated in small groups, each focusing on a different social media platform. They assessed the opportunities and limitations of each platform, which included Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, X, and For Tigers’ own blog.
The students then presented their findings and recommendations in groups to For Tigers’ Founder and Director Tanya Erzinclioglu at a lecture session at ARU’s Writtle campus.
How the brief benefited For Tigers
Collaborating with ARU students provided the charity with a range of valuable insights that would otherwise have required potentially costly marketing consultancy.
For example, the students highlighted the value of more diverse content to attract a broader, consistent audience of followers. Periodically, more in-depth educational content can then be integrated, while lighter content keeps the audience engaged.
Tanya Erzinclioglu, Founder and Director of For Tigers, said:
“The students were tasked with looking at all our social media sites and giving some critique and some suggestions on how to improve it.
“They’ve come up with some amazing ideas and raised some incredibly important points that we hadn't even considered, which we will hopefully be utilising going forwards.”
Read For Tigers’ LinkedIn post about this Live Brief
How the brief benefited ARU students
ARU students presenting their work to For Tigers:
Students gained the invaluable opportunity to work on an in-depth client project, simulating a professional or commercial context, which helped them develop their teamwork and analytical skills.
They received detailed professional feedback and questions from Tanya on their group presentations, which enhanced their understanding of a client organisation’s perspective and requirements.
The Live Brief gave students valuable experience of responding to questions as they would when presenting to a commercial client, requiring them to think on their feet, explain their ideas clearly and refine their recommendations.
ARU BSc Animal Management student Jack Newby said:
“I've enjoyed the Live Brief and the feedback from the employer, and it's been a really nice experience.”
Partner sector: Animal welfare charity
Live Brief case study: Universities Federation for Animal Welfare (UFAW) and ARU Animal Science and Management students
Students on our BSc Animal Management and Animal Science courses at ARU Writtle participated in a Live Brief with Universities Federation for Animal Welfare (UFAW), a UK charity that works with the animal welfare science community worldwide to promote the welfare of animals through scientific and educational activity.
UFAW Development Officer Dr Stephen Wickens led the collaboration, and the students were supported by their ARU Writtle lecturers Dr Jonathan Amory, Associate Professor in Animal Behaviour and Welfare, and Catherine Farren, Senior Lecturer in Animal Health.
The brief: Campaign ideas for a range of animal welfare issues
Stephen asked ARU students to devise campaigns to promote a range of issues relating to animal welfare, with a focus on awareness-raising, public education, scientific evidence, policy change, and generating support.
Students collaborated in small groups to choose the issue they most wanted to focus on, devised their campaigns, and then pitched them to Stephen in group presentations at ARU’s Writtle campus.
How the brief benefited UFAW
Collaborating with ARU students provided UFAW with a selection of well-developed campaign approaches to a wide range of animal welfare issues that are highly relevant to UFAW’s mission and priorities. The options generated by the students would otherwise have required potentially costly consultancy, or greater in-house staffing resources.
The issues focused on by the students’ campaigns included these examples:
Students devised campaign tactics that included:
Stephen commented on one of the students’ presentations:
“A very nice campaign. I thought you identified very clearly what your goals are and how you’re going to achieve them. I love the fact that you picked a petition to government, so it gets debated – I think that’s a very clever thing to have done.”
How the brief benefited ARU students
Students gained the invaluable opportunity to work on an in-depth client project, simulating a professional or commercial context, which helped them develop their teamwork, research, analytical and presentation skills.
They received detailed professional feedback and questions from Stephen on their group presentations, which enhanced their understanding of the many important issues to consider when proposing a campaign strategy to a client organisation.
The Live Brief gave students valuable experience of responding to questions as they would when presenting to a commercial client, requiring them to think on their feet, explain their ideas clearly and refine their recommendations.
Read students’ LinkedIn posts about their experience of this Live Brief:
Partner sector: Public Administration and Defence; Compulsory Social Security
Live Brief case study: Cambridgeshire County Council and ARU Ecology, Biodiversity, Conservation and Zoology students
ARU Cambridge students on our BSc (Hons) Ecology and Conservation and BSc (Hons) Zoology courses participated in a Live Brief with Cambridgeshire County Council’s (CCC) Biodiversity and Green Spaces team.
Deborah Ahmad, CCC Ecology Officer and Philip Clark, CCC Green Spaces Manager led the collaboration.
The brief: A management plan for the Giants Hill national heritage site
Deborah and Philip asked ARU students to devise a 5-year management plan, with a focus on the biodiversity sampling protocol, for land owned by Cambridgeshire County Council at Giant’s Hill, Rampton - a listed National Heritage site that includes the earthwork remains of a motte castle, medieval settlement and associated field system.
CCC needed the plan to consider monitoring of the site’s biodiversity through time, archaeological interest and public access, as well as land being farmed on the site.
How the brief benefited Cambridgeshire County Council
ARU students worked in groups first on site at Giant’s Hill and then on campus to analyse their findings and produce their plans, which they presented to Deborah and Philip.
The students' plans included a range of practical suggestions that CCC can consider implementing to protect the site’s biodiversity, archaeology and recreational interests.
The students’ proposals included:
Deborah said:
“The Live Brief with ARU students has been really engaging, and we hope to take forward their suggestions to deliver the management of our nature reserve.”
How the brief benefited ARU students
ARU students gained invaluable experience of applying their academic learning as they would do in a professional environment, practising key skills such as group work, formulating and presenting detailed plans, and responding to questions from the client.
The feedback from Philip and Deborah gave students very helpful insights into how their proposals would be evaluated and discussed in a professional working scenario, and how they might need to modify their proposals in light of the feedback.
