Web design: Taster Challenge
What is a day as an Interactive Media Designer really like? With the Taster Challenge, I built an answer that pupils can try out for themselves. The game is called «Agentur-Challenge», is available in German only and runs directly in the browser, on a phone or a computer. Over 8 levels, young people build a website for Lara and her bike workshop: they hold the client meeting, choose colours, write the copy, check the code and take the site live. No login, no database, and at the end there is a result to print out.
Built in-house, without WordPress: The challenge is a static website made of HTML, CSS and JavaScript, with no WordPress, no site builder and no ready-made template. A custom build script puts all the pages together and checks the language along the way. More than 400 automated tests click through every level before any change goes live, on phones and on computers.
8 levels, 8 badges: Each level stands for a real task from the job, from the listener in the client meeting to the colour expert, architect, copywriter, photographer, speed maker and coder, all the way to the AI detective who exposes the details an AI has made up. Anyone who completes a level earns the matching badge and up to three stars. Three short quiz questions per level reinforce the key term it covers.
Ranks and high score: With every task, players collect points and rise from intern to junior and designer, all the way to web pro. The high score stays saved, even when someone plays the challenge again to beat it. For sharing in the class chat, a result card with name, rank and stars is created right in the browser.
Lara's website grows as you play: Next to every task, a preview shows what Lara's website currently looks like. Chosen colours, copy and images appear in it straight away. That way, young people see after every step what their decisions change.
A result on paper to finish: After the eighth level comes the summary with rank, points, high score and stars. The certificate with the player's own name can be printed or saved as a PDF. The challenge takes around 30 to 45 minutes, is free of charge and works both at home and in a careers lesson at school.
Progress stays in the browser: There is no account, no database, no cookies and no tracking. Name, answers and progress stay on the player's own device. Anyone who wants to switch devices saves their progress as a file. For shared devices in the classroom, there are instructions so that nothing is left behind.
The aim was a career exploration that pupils can try straight away, without signing up. It should use real tasks rather than descriptions to show what an Interactive Media Designer EFZ does, work on any device and collect no data. At the end, there is a result that young people can print out and take with them.
Solutions
- Scope: 8 levels with tasks, quiz, badges, ranks, high score and certificate
- Target group: Pupils aged around 13 and over, at home or in a careers lesson
- Data protection: No login, no database, no cookies and no tracking, progress stays in the browser
- Finish: Summary with rank and points, certificate to print or save as a PDF
Highlights
- Go Live: 26 September 2026
- Quality: More than 400 automated tests, on phones and computers
Technologies
- Technology: Static website with HTML, CSS and JavaScript, without WordPress or a site builder
- Build: Custom build script that also checks the language while assembling the pages
- Storage: Progress stored in the browser, save and load as a file
- Tests: Automated tests for every level, on phones and computers
- Fonts: Self-hosted fonts, no external services
- Accessibility: Keyboard accessible, image descriptions and sufficient contrast
- Print: Certificate and summary to print or save as a PDF
The Taster Challenge is Swiss Media Design's own project. It was a pleasure to make the job of Interactive Media Designer EFZ tangible for young people. Teachers and parents will find all the information on using it in the classroom and at home on the website.