Assumption
What must be true for this idea to work?
CREATELAB · USTP · OCTOBER 22, 2026
When you want to
change the world,
where should
you start?
SCROLL TO DISCOVER ↓
EVERYTHING STARTS HERE
The Problem.
Someone is struggling.
Something takes too long.
Something should be better.
THE CONSTANT
Fall in love with
the problem.
Hold your solution lightly.
Let the evidence change your mind.
An app?A service?A simpler process?
THE POSSIBILITIES JUST EXPANDED
One problem.
More ways forward.
AI makes it faster to turn an idea
into something people can try.
DON’T BELIEVE ME?
Let’s build a product.
During this talk.
Teachers spend time turning learning goals into structured lesson plans.
Our hypothesis: a draft assistant could reduce preparation effort while keeping the teacher in control.
THE EXPERIMENT
Lesson Studio
Choose a grade and subject. Supply the competency and applicable template. Review and edit a draft. Export.
A prototype to test with teachers. DepEd alignment requires the correct references and human review.
Ready when you are
YOUR GUIDE FOR TODAY
Hi, I’m
Raven Duran.
Builder. Founder.
Chief Technology Officer, Symph.
More than a decade building technology products, advising businesses, and growing engineering teams.
The longer story ↗
PRODUCTS. PEOPLE. REAL-WORLD COMPLEXITY.
The work goes
beyond the screen.
THE HONEST VERSION
My first student
startup failed.
I built multiple startups.
A lot of them failed.
That was my tuition fee.
It taught me to test assumptions faster
and get closer to customers.
EXPERIMENTATION IS A PRACTICE
We can make the
next lesson cheaper.
Experiment
What is the smallest honest way to test it?
Evidence
What did people actually do?
Decision
Continue, change direction, or stop.
AI accelerates the building. You still own the learning.
THE REASON TO BUILD
A better day
for someone.
For a teacher More time for teaching.
For a community Better access to a service.
For a student A problem becomes an opportunity.
The opportunity starts with an unmet need. A beautiful demo is an invitation to investigate it.
WHAT ARE WE ACTUALLY TESTING?
Different stages.
Different evidence.
Prototype
Can someone understand and use this proposed experience?
Today: a UI with sample data.MVP
Can a small real offering deliver value and test the key assumption?
Next: a limited pilot with teachers.Learning
Did it help enough for people to use it again?
Measure effort, errors, and repeat use.THE HOW · 01
Clear thinking.
Clear instructions.
Prompt engineering starts with articulation.
VAGUE
“Build me a lesson planner.
Make it professional.”
BUILDABLE
“Create a mobile-friendly prototype for a Grade 7 teacher. The main task is reviewing a lesson draft against a supplied template. Use fictional data. Include editing, missing-reference warnings, and export.”
User + Task + Context + Constraints + Success criteria
THE HOW · 02
Your taste is
your direction.
The more you can notice,
the more precisely you can ask.
TEACHER APP
Welcome to the future!
Everything you need in one place!
Dashboard / Tools / Features / More
LESSON STUDIO / NEW DRAFTWhat are we
What are we
teaching today?
Science · Grade 7
Compare: hierarchy, spacing, contrast, language, and the clarity of the next action. Both interfaces are illustrative.
THE HOW · 03
Collect references.
Explain your choices.
“I like this” becomes
“Here is why it works.”
Borrow a clear navigation pattern. Notice typography and spacing. Combine useful ideas with your users’ needs and your own point of view.
“Use the spacious layout of reference A, the clear form labels of B, and our navy-and-gold palette.”
Use permitted assets. Credit sources where appropriate. Build your own expression.
YOUR STARTING POINT
Pick one tool.
Make one thing.
Lovable ↗Start free, within usage limits
A direct starting point for the UI exercise.
Gemini Canvas ↗Browser-based creationCheck Canvas access on your account.
ChatGPT / Codex ↗Project work with an agentDescribe, build, inspect, and revise.
Claude / Claude Code ↗Artifacts and coding workflowsChoose the interface that suits your experience.
Manus ↗Agent-led tasksUseful to explore multi-step creation.
Cursor ↗Code editor with AIMore control for those comfortable with a project.
Use an account you already have. Plans, credits, and institutional access vary. No purchase required for this exercise: pair up or sketch the interface if access is unavailable.
YOUR TURN · 12 MINUTES
One problem.
One person.
One useful screen.
- Name a problem you have observed.
- Choose the person who experiences it.
- Describe one task they need to finish.
- Generate a UI using fictional data.
- Try the task. Change one thing.
PROTOTYPE SPRINT
UI prototype only. No real student records.
ITERATION, IN PLAIN SIGHT
Feedback can become
the next version.
WHAT WE HEARD
“I don’t know what to do first.”Prepared UI comparison, not a live AI request
LESSON STUDIO
Your workspace
Plans · Resources · Templates · Settings
Explore tools
A useful revision prompt: “Make the primary task obvious. Keep everything else unchanged. Explain how I can test the improvement.”
BEYOND “NICE APP!”
Watch what
people do.
“Show me how you would
prepare tomorrow’s lesson.”
Observe hesitation. Record corrections. Compare effort with their existing process. Ask what would stop them using it again.
ILLUSTRATIVE PILOT
Five teachers. One task.
Agree on a success threshold before testing. Record completion, assistance needed, and time spent reviewing.
A small usability test gives early signals. It does not establish broad demand or educational effectiveness.
CAPABILITY COMES WITH RESPONSIBILITY
You can delegate work.
You own the judgment.
Use safe inputs.
Fictional data for prototypes. Keep student records, credentials, and confidential research out of unapproved tools.
Verify the output.
Check sources, facts, calculations, and code behavior. Never invent interviews, results, or citations.
Show the boundaries.
Disclose meaningful AI assistance. Label simulations and limitations. Respect authorship and asset permissions.
Keep people in control.
Teachers review lesson drafts. Test for bias and accessibility. Provide an option for students without paid tools.
A QUICK JUDGMENT CALL
Would you
ship this?
The lesson planner produced a polished activity.
The curriculum reference does not exist.
Choose an answer.
BACK TO OUR OPENING EXPERIMENT
What did we build
while we were here?
Time to open the agent’s result.
Connect the actual build when it is ready.
Try one lessonInspect the referencesEdit the draftName the next test
A working prototype is the beginning of validation. Show honestly what works and what still needs work.
THE CLASSROOM APPLICATION
Assess the thinking
behind the artifact.
A student assignment
Observe a real problem. Build a small prototype. Test it with permission. Revise based on evidence. Explain the role AI played.
Problem Whose need did you understand?
Judgment What did you accept or reject?
Evidence What changed after feedback?
Responsibility What did you verify and protect?
YOUR NEXT EXPERIMENT STARTS HERE
The tools are powerful.
The purpose is yours.
Find a problem worth caring about.
Make something people can try.
Learn enough to make it better.
Raven Duran
Guest teaching, student sessions, and practical AI workshops.
Resources & references
DepEd lesson preparation guidelines · Check current school and curriculum requirements.
Lovable plans · Gemini Canvas guide · MVP testing
Personal story adapted from Raven’s USTP Trailblazer keynote. Photography supplied by Raven. Concept artwork is AI-generated.