HOW MIGHT WE HELP THE BOBCAT COMMUNITY

How can bobcats conveniently assist each other in the exchange of goods and services safely.

August 26, 2021

This project introduces the human-centered design process through various exercises and how its methodologies can be applied to develop enterprises, services, or businesses. It also introduces a social justice lens, integrating issues of power and privilege into the design process. Students will have an opportunity to practice the methods of discovery and ideation to understand more deeply the unmet need they are hoping to address through their own venture.

This assignment is a group project, with each group being approx. Three students strong — part of the assignment will be the development of roles and responsibilities (in form of written bylaws) per each group individually.

The rest and I of the class are researching the various ways that we can avail the bobcat community here at Texas State University.

Framing The Design Challenge

August 31, 2021

As a class we individually started framing problems that the bobcat community may have, and to suggest possible outcomes that are feasible, desirable, and viable.

Initial problem to solve: How to connect other students outside their degree course?

Ultimate impact: Connecting all sorts of student majors that normally wouldn’t interact with each other.

Possible solution: a platform where bobcats can socialize, ask questions, gain interpersonal skills, and expand connections.

Constrains to face: Some possible constrains that may arise for this proposal could be geographical, technological, time, and in our current time mainly COVID-19 restrictions.

Pain & Gains

September 2nd, 2021

In this step we were asked to jot down the pains that would come with creating this system were students could connect safely and who would be reluctant to use it. On the opposite side we had to write down the positives as well with the users who would be for this inter-social system and how it would avail them down the line.

Pains:

· Hesitation about gathering in groups or meeting new people

· Learning a whole new system

· Making sure to provide easy accessibility to those in need

· Barriers: only communicating within the university

· Differentiating from other social apps

Gains:

· Expanding connections

· Building support groups

· New career paths

· Secure communication within the university

· Giving power to the bobcats

Jobs to be done

September 7, 2021

In this step we were guided to individually create a statement that states a proposed resolution that we will be delivering to the user in the end. Beforehand, I did some research on other similar platforms that are in the market such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to name a few; and compared their mission statements to interrelate them to my statement.

My statement was “to create an inter-social system in which bobcats can conveniently and mutually assist each other”.

XYZ (Im researching X through Y to change Z)

After coming up with our own statements we were paired in groups according to our similar initial problems and were needed to come up with a cohesive updated statement that defines the current issue. We pulled key terms from each other’s statements that interrelates to our framed challenge to narrow down on a common goal.

Updated statement: How can bobcats conveniently assist each other through the university to change how we interact with each other.

XYZ + “Unlike”

How bobcats can conveniently assist each other through the university to change how we interact with each other unlike twitter who has no barriers for whom to communicate.

in this statement I was comparing my own statement with twitter since my individual statement was to create a platform where bobcats could originally communicate with each other.

New XYZ + “Unlike”

Unlike Facebook and Craigslist who have no barriers for whom to communicate, we will help bobcats conveniently assist each other through the university in the exchange of goods and services securely.

The Challenge: To give Bobcats the power to conveniently attain affordable supplies in a safe place.

Revised “how might we”: How can bobcats conveniently assist each other through the university in the exchange of goods and services securely.

Fears & Hopes

September 9, 2021

This process is meant for us to discover aspirations and concerns that we and the audience may have about creating a new system for the exchange of goods safely.

Hopes

· Support from the bobcat community: faculty/students

· stronger relationships will be built along with trust

· It would inspire introverted people to interact and reach out

Fears

· Security: location/tracking

· Will become an open platform to others outside the university– authentication approval

· Won’t be able to compete with similar platforms

Personas & Empathy

September 14, 2021

Empathy Maps help to rapidly put your team in the user’s shoes and align on pains and gains-whether at the beginning of a project or mid-stream when you need to re-focus on your user.

Personas

Positive Paul

Says

· I’m glad I can search for products nearby

· It’s a great way to recycle old supplies

· A lot of majors may benefit from it

Does

· Research

· Creates own profile

· Posts his own supplies

Thinks

· I Could use this for future classes

· It may be convenient for me

· Easy to make extra income

Feels

· Excited

· At ease

· Open to change

Negative Nancy

Says

· I can shop elsewhere

· Is it worth the price?

· Don’t want to get a defective product

Does

· Looks up reviews

· Asks others for feedback

· Abandons cart

· Compares prices with other platforms

Thinks

· Unsure of the product quality

· I won’t have time to be doing this

· Why would I even need this

· I prefer newer items

Feels

· Unsure

· Finicky

· Opposed to change

Impartial Polly

Says

· Will it be easy to use?

· Will other students use this?

· I may just stick with what I know

Does

· Doesn’t really do research

· May asks some friends about it

· Observes others using the system

Thinks

· Who else is using this?

· What would I even offer?

· Should I give it a try?

Feels

· Unsure

· Indecisive

· Clueless

· May not commit

Empathy map

Negative Persona

· Unsure of the quality of items

· Unsafe with current COVID-19

· May get social anxiety in meeting new people

· May wonder why they even need this system

· Pricing is an issue

· Can shop elsewhere

Positive Persona

· Saving money

· Easier to recycle old supplies: second hand

· Interacting with similar users

· Engaged with others

· Attaining necessary and accessible materials

· Thrilled in not have to commute long distance for products

Impartial Persona

· How do I find the items?

· How to use this platform

· May not know what to offer

· Indecisive

· May not commit

Privilege introduction

September 16, 2021

At this point in our project my team “NETWORK” had the privilege to divide our research approach amongst each other. The research consists of an interview (primary), secondary, and immersion research. From this stage on I will oversee the primary research which consists of interviewing participants a set of survey questions that will give us insight and feedback of their own personal struggles and the variety of approaches the bobcats take towards the problem we’re trying to solve. This will also present to us if there really is an underlying issue at hand that will eventually emerge from this gathered data.

User Research Survey

September 21, 2021

Detail: Primary Research on the community

In this stage I presented the survey questions within our group “TEAM NETWORK”, and we worked on adding a few more questions and read proofed them so we could test them within our classmates to run test result feedback. After sharing with the class my group iterated a few more questions and organized the flow of content before sending it out to the bobcat community.

Brainstorm + Mindmap

September 23, 2021

We individually brainstormed ten ideas that will propose possible solutions towards our problem. Afterwards we gathered within our groups and discussed each other’s ideas to cohesively combine similar solutions and key points that connected back towards our how might we statement, which we also went ahead and iterated to “How can bobcats conveniently assist each other in the exchange of goods and services safely”.

We thought about going with bobcat bucks first in adding a $25 dollar per semester like Alkek Library, but then we questioned how that would benefit the students instead of actual money; so a percentage fee for students/professors to sell, would be implemented to mutually benefit the university as well.

Secondary Research

October 7, 2021

what kind of supplies would be offered? and is it all second hand?

Detail: Type of supplies/Markets

After gathering data through our primary research of the bobcat community a great relevant question was mentioned, “if all the supplies would be second hand”. So, through this survey my focus was to conduct a more in-depth market research of markets that people think of and tend to shop for supplies; while narrowing down the preference over new, secondhand, or renting supplies and the reason for these purchases.

Proposed solutions

October 12, 2021

Detail: App

· Digital marketplace

· boxes located in different locations for the product

There would be a place next to the parcel/storage locations where we will provide boxes of various different sizes, so that students can neatly package their materials without the trouble of having to individually wrap everything themselves, and having to pay out of pocket.

Detail: Security/Convenience/Checkout-process

· Student login

· Scan student ID to receive item

· Code notification in case of lost ID

· Reloadable card system

· Chat feature for customer assistance

· A map system for guidance

· Drop-off locker

Texas State University could offer lockers for the proposed online/app marketplace. Students would have to use their TXState login, ID card, or authentication code to use the system. Students would then drop off their product and the other student can pick it up conveniently and safely at locations around campus.