I undertook a capstone project in my final year, where I was a Team Leader managing four classmates. I was tasked with updating the Orientation portal on the Swinburne website. The brief revolved around prospective students getting important information in an easily digestible way while making sure the Orientation team were able to track what events those students attended.

We created a portal where each student could log in to an area of the website, sign up to events, register their details and access important information and tools. We also added a gamified feature, so students would have an incentive to complete the important tasks.

Alanna completed her capstone project as a Orientation Team Leader at Swinburne.

Taking part in the capstone unit meant that I developed skills that I will use throughout my career. I was able to practice my HTML, CSS and Bootstrap skills, gain experience in creating prototypes and conduct usability testing. It gave me a better understanding of the full scope of a project and how to plan my time to achieve deadlines.

I loved liaising with clients to really understand the brief and their requirements. I was able to develop strong communication skills, which is something I will be able to use in the future. I also built on my leadership skills and kept the team on task, assisting in finishing the unit with a product we were proud of. 

  • "One of the highlights of working on this project was that by the end of the unit, we actually created a working prototype that exceeded the client’s expectations."

    Alanna , Bachelor of Computer Science

In retrospect, it was really similar to working in an organisation, but with the added benefits of support from our academic supervisors and the secure environment of a classroom. It was a great way to experience working on a project before I graduated. One of the highlights was that by the end of the unit, we actually created a working prototype that exceeded the client’s expectations.

A key takeaway from the capstone unit was completing the project from start to finish. By experiencing all elements of a project, you will gain a better understanding of what is expected from your role while preparing you for the workforce. Not only did it give me eye-opening insights, it also assisted in building my portfolio, which is a key aspect in job seeking for me.

I encourage students to take on a capstone unit where they can. It is an invaluable way to get that little taste of industry experience whilst completing your studies.

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