[ 02 ] Service design · Brand · Public policy

NCAD Dublin / 2026

Client: Irish Government, DPER
Year: 2026
Team: 4 people
Duration: 4 weeks

Lifelong Learning Ecosystem

For the Irish Government.

The ecosystem, in one film

[ In one line ]

A national lifelong learning ecosystem designed with the Irish Government to help adults reconnect with education on their own terms.

The reframe

From “Becoming a Student” to “Becoming a Student Again.”

The brief began as “Becoming a Student”, a framing that quietly assumes education belongs to youth. For adults, returning to study isn't a next step, it's a disruption of identity.

How might we

How might we help adults rebuild and rekindle their relationship with learning, not for achievement, but for themselves?

Research

Field research: understanding the softer, human side.

We didn't start with assumptions. We did street interviews near Trinity, NCAD and UCD. Online communities on Reddit. Google Form responses. In-depth 1:1 video interviews. Peer discussions and informal storytelling. Our goal wasn't logistics, it was emotional truth.

01Financial uncertainty is a major barrier.
02The system is hard to navigate, and adult learners aren’t considered in it.
03Confidence barriers are often as powerful as structural ones.
04Learning is invisible to many adults.

A team member holding a “Free lollipop, 30 seconds” sign next to the research board in a park — 01 A free lollipop for thirty seconds of honesty.

The blue research board covered in sticky notes sorted by age group, outside NCAD — 02 The board, sorted by age group, outside NCAD.

Passers-by stopping to add notes to the research board — 03 Street interviews near Trinity, NCAD and UCD.

Archetypes

Three faces of the same journey.

Sarah, 38The Restarting ParentI've spent years looking after everyone else. Maybe it's my turn to learn.

Eoghan, 52The Burnt-out WorkerWork takes everything. I want something that's just mine, and maybe something I can share with my child.

Mark, 48The Textbook UpskillerThe field keeps changing and I want to change with it.

Shared timeline

Stage 01Hesitation before starting

Stage 02Confusion when accessing

Stage 03Difficulty sustaining once enrolled

Ecosystem

One ecosystem. Three pillars.

Addressing the barriers required more than a single solution. We designed a connected system spanning culture, structure, and maintenance, so that each pillar reinforces the others.

Pillar 01AwarenessHow might we make learning visible again?

Pillar 02AccessHow might we remove structural barriers to returning to education?

Pillar 03SuccessHow might we help adults succeed once they return?

Pillar 1: Awareness

Lifelong Learning Festival.

What it is

A national initiative that repositions learning as something adults can return to, through cultural events, conversations, and low-pressure entry points. Playful. Non-institutional. No serious talks.

The logo

We built our logo on a comma, to challenge the idea that education has an endpoint.

04 The comma mark and wordmark, four colourways.

The Lifelong Learning Festival flag flying in a park — 05 The festival flag, in a Dublin park.

Initiatives and events

The Craic and Course Tour vehicle, a pedal bar packed with people — 06 The Craic & Course Tour.

A yellow “What If?” booth installed in a Dublin park — 07 A “What If?” booth, in the city.

01Viking-inspired college tours. “The Craic & Course Tour”, a highly visible vehicle travelling through cities and creating curiosity around learning.
02“What If?” booths. Public installations where people get prompted to imagine alternate futures. “What if you studied psychology for 6 months?”
03Reverse classrooms. Instead of adults going to classrooms, classrooms come to them.

04Candid conversations. Events where a mature adult shares their own experiences and wisdom.
05Shared activities and hands-on workshops. 10-minute tasters, quick, low-pressure, high social energy.

Collage of the festival in the city: bus stop posters, a double-decker bus, a brick-layer turned piano teacher, the festival map — 08 The festival across the city: posters, buses, stories, the map.

Pillar 2: Access

Lifelong Learning Credit. €1,000 for every adult over 35. Every 5 years. No strings.

€1,000For every citizen over 35

5 yrsRenewable cycle

€2,000Unused credits, rolled over

Policy core: a state-backed learning account for every citizen over 35, renewable every 5 years. Valid for university degrees, formal courses, and anything under the umbrella of education. Roll-over option: unused credits double to €2,000 in the next cycle. Education becomes public infrastructure, not a financial risk.

The Lifelong Learning Credit as the first option on the MyWelfare “How can we help you today?” page — 09 Where citizens already are: first in line on MyWelfare.

Pillar 3: Success

Mature Learner track.

A parallel learning structure designed for adults balancing work, family, and financial commitments, to help mature learners feel seen, supported, and equipped to succeed.

Support 01Practical supportQuotas, simulation tools, academic translators.

Support 02Emotional and social supportAn identity reset ritual, ongoing check-ins, trained faculty, and dedicated community spaces.

Website

Lifelong Learning website.

Profile page↓

About page explaining the Lifelong Learning Credit

Course research page with filters and one-day experiences

Festival page of the Lifelong Learning website

Real stories page with interviews of mature learners

Live reactions

What people actually said.

We tested the concepts with real people on the streets of Dublin. The reactions were honest, and that made them valuable.

Positive reactions

“I have dementia. Engaging in these activities would give me purpose and keep me going.”
“I'm at a stage where I really want to do something with my life. This sounds nice.”
“Even just showing up would feel like doing something.”

Critical reactions

“It sounds a bit gimmicky, I'd want something more practical.”
“There's probably a catch with the funding.”
“Feels like it's for people who couldn't figure things out earlier.”

Three women under umbrellas holding up the Lifelong Learning Festival map — 10 The festival map, in the Dublin rain.

A worker in a hi-vis jacket reading a festival leaflet handed to him on the street — 11 Testing the concept on the street.

Impact

Impact on society.

For individuals

By making learning visible and approachable again, the initiative enables adults to reconnect with curiosity, confidence, and a sense of personal growth.

For the state

Supporting lifelong learning as a human experience leads to happier, more fulfilled citizens, more engaged socially and culturally, more adaptable to change, contributing to stronger communities and improved mental wellbeing across adulthood.

[ In the end ]

Education has no endpoint. Not an end, but an invitation to come back.

← All work

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