Article Source: https://www.yellowcar.io/post/why-it-is-so-hard-to-explain-what-makes-your-school-unique

I’ve said it before, but we live in an age where all schools tend to look the same. In fact, if you are a prospective parent, choosing a school in a location that offers a range of options is no easy task.

One might even go as far as saying that it can sometimes be as challenging as a person with achromatopsia (total colour blindness) trying to distinguish between red, green, and blue. To those on the outside, every school just looks a different shade of grey.

And if you are not yet convinced, allow me to illustrate the point by listing five headlines that I lifted from the home page of five different schools in the same capital city.

What are the skills your child will need to shape the digital age? Preparing students to thrive in an ever-changing world. Creating a world of opportunity. Igniting the spark of genius in every child. When they graduate, our students are ready for anything.

Individually, each of these headlines may well be a true and accurate description of the school to which they refer. Yet, if we put ourselves for just one moment in the shoes of the prospective family, we may start to realise just how difficult it is for them to properly distinguish between one school and another.

In her book, The Umami Strategy: Stand out by mixing business with experience design, Aga Szóstek provides a clue to answering this important question by turning her attention to the concept of “umami” in Japanese cooking. Umami, she says:

…is the fifth flavour that joins sweet, sour, salty and bitter, and elevates them to the next level. This is why so many people love pizza with its blend of tomatoes, mushrooms and parmesan cheese – seductive, potent and full of umami. This is the missing piece, the next level, the fifth element of yum.

Read More…