Wayside: A Case Study

Did you know that Wayside was originally redeveloped at Inspiring Communities in response to the needs identified by WeavEast Fellows? Or that we benefitted from the UX insights of a designer with a Master’s in technology entrepreneurship and innovation?

“Insights from the WeavEast fellowship revealed the need to connect changemakers across Atlantic Canada for the purpose of finding their way into shared practice, learning from each other and providing support for what’s working well and for what’s challenging the ecosystem.”

Most of you know Wayside’s origin story. When the charitable organization was taken on by Inspiring Communities, the act was driven less by strategy than by the vision and sense of possibilities. The journey was one of ‘building the bridge you are standing on’. Wayside benefited enormously from the skills and ambition of WeavEast Communications Coordinator, and later Inspiring Communities Online Animator, Olusegun Osunrinde. Olu set out to methodically develop the learning platform based on user insights and research, in alignment with the UX processes he was well-versed in.

We are pleased to share that Olu has drafted a Case Study of Wayside, which you can view here:

https://olusegun-portfolio.webflow.io/wayside-case-study

Wayside today has full social functionality. It connects people in a safe, non-commercial space, with discussion groups and private messaging. It also has the means to embed synchronous Zoom meetings within groups, and to host progressive courses. Whatever the next step is on the Wayside journey, it is worth acknowledging how far the platform has come in the last eight months.