Swinburne students AI-powered learning platform wins Design for Change 2026

Swinburne’s Master of Information Technology students won the 2026 Design for Change competition with VidVersity Transformation, an AI-powered platform designed to make educational video creation faster, simpler and more accessible.

The project was developed by Himeshi Abeysekara, Junjie Wu, Indradi Lukman, Jiyang Zhang, Shouyu Li and Yufan Sun from Swinburne's Master of Information Technology and Master of Data Science programs. The team brought together expertise in software development, data analytics, artificial intelligence, user experience and quality assurance.

Turning a learning challenge into an innovative solution 

Swinburne 2026 Design for Change winners.

As video continues to become a foundation of learning across universities, schools and workplaces, the team identified a gap between professional editing software and the needs of educators. 

Their solution aims to make learning video creation and editing simpler, faster, and more accessible. VidVersity Transformation provides a learning-focused workflow that helps users create, edit, caption, structure, and enhance videos without needing specialist production skills. By using AI to assist with tasks, it reduces manual effort for students, professionals, and other learners.

"I’ve always enjoyed editing videos from friends’ and family trips. This project brings those interests together: understanding real user problems, simplifying workflows, and using technology to make video creation easier,” said team leader Himeshi Kanchana Abeysekara Loku Kaluarachchilage Dona, a Master of Information Technology (Professional Computing) student specialising in data analytics.

“This project gave me valuable experience in applying software development, AI integration, and collaborative problem-solving within a real team environment, while contributing to an education-focused product,” says Yufan Sun, a Master of Information Technology student specialising in software development.

Each team member contributed specialist skills across software engineering, AI integration, testing and user-centred design to deliver a platform focused on improving learning experiences.

Supporting the next generation of innovators

Design for Change is an annual competition delivered through Swinburne's Shaping STEM Futures Program, led by Dr Bita Zaferanloo. The competition gives students from science and related disciplines the opportunity to further develop innovative projects, collaborate with industry and showcase their work beyond the classroom.

 Supported by optional work-integrated learning workshops, students strengthen their communication, teamwork, networking and pitching skills before presenting their ideas to industry representatives and potential employers.

“It was great hearing directly from industry professionals, who shared their real-world experiences, advice, and insights into what they look for in innovative solutions. That perspective helped us better understand how our work could apply outside of university,” said Himeshi Kanchana Abeysekara Loku Kaluarachchilage Dona.

By connecting students with industry challenges, Design for Change equips emerging STEM professionals with the skills and confidence to thrive in their future careers.