PHASE 2 — BUILD SKILLS & CREATE
Weeks 5–8
Build the toolkit. Learn to communicate. Turn ideas into useful solutions.
Students now begin developing the practical skills they will need to help a real business.
Embedded Files
WEEK 5
Branding, Design & WhatsApp
Before opening Canva, students learn the fundamentals of good visual communication.
They explore:
visual hierarchy
whitespace
consistency
colour and typography
the three-second test — can someone understand the message almost immediately?
Students also learn that context matters.
A poster displayed in a shop window, a notice on a community board and an image forwarded through WhatsApp are different communication problems and need to be designed differently.
Students create:
Branding Kit — basic identity, flyer and poster adapted for print and WhatsApp
WEEK 6
Social Media, Content & Storytelling
Students learn that effective marketing is not simply about posting frequently.
It is about having something relevant to say to the right audience.
They explore:
content calendars
storytelling for small businesses
consistency
calls to action
matching content to the right channel
WhatsApp vs Facebook vs printed communication
Students create a content plan for one of the businesses they have already studied and then review one another's work.
Students create:
30-Day Content Calendar for a real local business — peer reviewed
WEEK 7
Video Marketing
Students learn how to communicate a business idea in 30 seconds.
The process begins not with filming, but with the story.
Using AI to help develop and refine their ideas, students learn a simple structure:
PROBLEM → SOLUTION → PROOF → ACTION
They write a script first and then use accessible tools such as Canva Video to turn it into a short promotional piece.
Students progressing more quickly can experiment with additional editing tools such as CapCut.
Students create:
30-second promotional video — AI-assisted, student-created
WEEK 8
Business Discovery & Tool Recommendation
Now students begin putting everything together.
They conduct a structured discovery conversation with a real local business owner — perhaps a vendor, neighbour, family business or community contact.
They listen before recommending.
Students explore:
the business's customers
its challenges
its existing tools
how customers currently find it
which digital intervention could actually be useful
Students are introduced to tools such as WhatsApp Business Catalogues, Broadcast, Status and other digital formats — but learn that the goal is not to use every tool.
The goal is to recommend the right tool for the right problem.
Students create:
Business Discovery Report + Recommended Digital Solution
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