1. Discoverables Brief
Discoverabl.es is a social enterprise delivering a web platform service that helps young
people identify, develop and showcase their key strengths and soft skills to potential
employers or investors. Founder Eugenie Teasley describes it as: For jobseekers looking
to stand out from the crowd, @discoverables is a new free alternative to a CV.
Progressive organisations and freelancers, instead of posting job descriptions, can
discover raw talent through the site. The service formally launches at the end of January,
and is currently in alpha mode.
http://discoverabl.es/
BACKGROUND
With close to one million young people still unemployed, and the opportunities for paid
work experience narrowing, more aspiring young people than ever are facing a
competitive jobs market with little to no experience. At the same time the growing
sectors, such as creative, tech and entrepreneurship, have less well-trodden paths for
young people to follow, but an increasing need to find raw talent.
Whatever career paths they choose, soft skills are critical for young people’s success.
The connection between key character strengths, such as resilience or self-esteem, and
soft skills, such as collaboration or time-management, is rarely taught explicitly or
consistently in schools.
Discoverables takes a gamified approach to enabling young people to prove and
improve the strengths and skills that can significantly increase well-being, success and
fulfilment both in work and in life. Initially targeting marginalised young people in
areas of high youth unemployment, the aim is that Discoverables will develop and
showcase the talents of thousands of young people across the country. The project
is run by Eugenie Teasley, founder of aspirations agency Spark+Mettle, a youth charity
that helps people flourish.
HOW DISCOVERABLES WORKS
Young people who register for the site will have their own profile where they can
showcase their strengths and skills through the missions and challenges they’ve
completed. There are three types of tasks set: Go Pro briefs set by employers; self-
directed skills challenges to improve key employability skills; and set missions to
demonstrate core character strengths.
Within three days of going live, over 100 young people set up profiles on the site, and
hundreds more have taken the initial survey.
“I find trying to show potential employers what I can offer in the format of a traditional CV near on
impossible, Discoverables tears the constraints of that format into shreds and replaces it with the
opportunity to really show who I am. Discoverables has helped me to recognise my strengths, whilst
providing the opportunity to work on my weaknesses. It's fun, it's addictive, it's innovative; it's the
definition of awesome. AWESOME.”

2. —Hannah Petley, Discoverables tester
"I don't have time to wade through generic CVs. I want a place to find online profiles of
motivated, ambitious and talented young people. I want to see what their skills and
interests are. That's what Discoverables does."
—Alison Coward, founder and director of Bracket.
THE CHALLENGE
The Discoverables site is launching on 30 January. Their biggest challenge is to spread it
and get as many young people and employers registered and using it. They need specific
support with the following:
1. Develop a communications strategy for both young people & employers
Specifically:
Articulate what the site aims to achieve more powerfully & succinctly
Create web film of young people’s experiences (success stories) of using the site
to build human interest & engagement
Identify and compile a hit list of forward thinking organisations who might be
interested in using the service, setting brief challenges via Go Pro or becoming
partners
Get in touch with them if you can!
Develop web engagement tools to create a buzz around Discoverables
2. Build a critical mass of users
Challenge -> Create a way to get 1000 young people registered on the site by
launch date on 30 January
Create an engaging offline package of support for enterprises working with
young people.
3. Develop ideas to help make Discoverables self-sustaining
The website will always be free for young people to use and free for employers to
browse people’s profiles.
So how can we find smart ways for Discoverables to sustain itself financially?
Explore and prototype a freemium model, pay per successful placement etc.
WHAT WE HAVE TO WORK WITH
Logo and visual identity assets (fixed)
Examples of user profiles and challenges completed
A core group of young people who’ve used the site will be at the gig
The website in beta version
Animation that explains Discoverables concept