JOURNEY TO RECREATION
How might we help those in need acquire technology related resources for recreational use through reachability of information access.
October 19, 2021
HOW MIGHT WE… create, solve, leverage, improve, challenge, differentiate! This project applies the human-centered design methodologies 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 the opportunity to practice the methods of discovery and ideation to more deeply understand the unmet need they are hoping to address through their own venture.
This assignment is a group project, with each group being three to four students strong and for each group to develop roles and responsibilities (in form of written bylaws) per each group individually.
Outcome a presentation pitch deck per each team to introduce your solution to your defined problem in the area of recreation.
Recreation: activity done for enjoyment when one is not working.
· Today we went over a short description for our next project over recreation and what that means to us.
RECREATIONAL IDEAS
October 21 , 2021
Detail: ideas
· Reading — people buying more ebooks — financial
· Drawing/painting- tablets instead of supplies-expenses
· Trailing
· Swimming
· Rollerblading
· Carnival
· Arcade
· Mall shopping
· Going to coffee shops
· Constructing
· Graphic design
Detail: lack of assets to attain supplies
The main ideas that I brought were reading and drawing/painting and how people may not have the financial assets to attain these supplies for recreational use. Then as we discussed with the professor and the rest of the class the main issue could also be “time”. I know personally I have two books waiting for me to finish but do to allocating my time in other areas, I rarely get the time to read them.
FRAMING THE DESIGN CHALLANGE
October 26, 2021
Detail: Compiling ideas into one
Today we paired up in groups with students that had similar ideas and challenges that we wanted to tackle; my group wanted to tackle the challenge along the lines with accessing technology and programs for minorities and low-income families. So, we went ahead and framed our design challenge which is “How might we inform low income or marginalized communities about the access to resources, technological, and programs needed for recreational use”.
What is the problem we’re trying to solve?
Giving minorities and people of certain communities’ access to resources, technology and programs needed for recreational use.
JOB TO BE DONE
October 28, 2021
Detail: research (what is out there?)
After further investigation I had reached out to Diane Insley the library director at the San Marcos public library for a physical tour of the building and a Q&A afterwards. From this tour I discovered that various types of people use the resources at the library, but Diane wishes to see more of the Hispanic community come in or a better way for senior citizens to feel safer in being welcomed back with covid-19 going on or the lack of transportation for them at times.
Henna: had reached out to her fellow co-workers and found that information access is the root of the problem, rather than quantity of resources.
Jaycee: reached out to Simply Mac and found out they will do computer rentals to students and locals in San Marcos, Texas if the need is there.
After discussing it more with my group, we figured out and agreed that at this point it’s not really the lack of resources since they are out there; its more the lack of information not being distributed in the right manner to certain unserved groups.
Job to be done: How to distribute information of public resources to marginalized groups for educational or recreational use.
CONSTRAINTS TO CONSIDER
Detail: Limations or restrictions
· Transportation
· Time of service
· Certain groups are more populated than others
· Not enough resources/capital
· Too much information?
· Not enough information?
PAINS & GAINS
November 2, 2021 (pains & gains — personas/empathy maps)
Detail: Problems faced by the current users (citizens of San Marcos)
In this step we are describing the positive and negative points of the citizens with using public resources such as the public library.
Pains:
- Transportation to the facility
- Having overdue books because of distance
- Not knowing how to use the technology
- Not being able to gain access to a library card because lack of identification
- Not knowing of the information out there
- Don’t feel that their personal information is safe
Gains:
- An accessible system for the person’s needs
- Having drop off lockers or sections for books
- Having an assistant for help in various ways and platforms
- Being able to attain a library card with a more flexible system
- Gaining access to the information through their preferred way of method
- Delivering assurance that the library is public no their personal information
XYZ
Detail: (Doing X through Y to change Z)
We are helping marginalized groups acquire recreational resources through increased information access.
TEAM’S FEARS & HOPES
This process helps expose aspirations and concerns that the team may have about the project by asking questions such as what about this project are you really excited about? What has potential? and what are you concerned about? This will help prepare everyone to start.
Naim:
Hopes:to target the Hispanic/low-income families that are uninformed about the broad selection of services that are out there for them.
Fears:Not being able to translate information out to the Hispanic community and making them feel welcomed to an environment that may be new to them.
Henna:
Hopes: That I can find and collect research and resources that can help me in my continual outreach at the library. That we can reach out to people experiencing homelessness, LGBTQ+ people, and racial minorities so they know they have a safe space and where they can access these resources.
Fears: That we won’t address the root of the problem and that we figure out there’s not actually a solution, or there’s not a shortage of information at all, it truly is a shortage of resources.
Jaycee:
Hopes: I hope to reach out to the children of the communities in San Marcos who don’t have access to computers.
Fears: That it will solve problems for more adults than children
PERSONAS & EMPATHY MAPS
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.
EMPATHY MAP
Mary
Female, 60 yrs. Mixed
Thinks
- Only if I didn’t have body pains, I would enjoy the trip
- Only if they had drop offs near me
Does
- Goes on library social media to look at events
- Gets on bus after waiting a while to go to the library
Feels
- It’s a hassle and time consuming just to get here
- Exhausted just walking and getting to the library
Says
- “Darn bus takes an hour to get here and then 4 for me during transit”
- “It would be better for the public library to just have a curve side pickup”
Dulce
Female, 30 yrs. Hispanic mother
Thinks
- Where can I go to get my legal documents to be scanned and printed
- Don’t want to share my personal information though
- Where can my 10 yr. old daughter be for online school while I’m at work
Does
- Asks around friends and family he may know where to go and get these services
- Tries to navigate the web for info but its not an expert so he gives up
Feels
- Stress due to lack of information
- Anxiety from piled up tasks he has
Says
- I must hire a babysitter to help my kid with school but that is expensive
- Only if I knew more English to get around
PERSONAS
Ray
Male, 22 years old, Hispanic
- Experiencing homelessness after he was kicked out of his house for being queer
- Lived in San Antonio and was close with his immediate community but had to leave
- Now resides in San Marcos and lives out of his run-down car
- Spends most of his money repairing his car so he has some sort of stability
- Used to play video games online with his friend but doesn’t have a computer anymore.
- Works at Whataburger but is constantly worried about how long it will last
- Eats after every shift
- He has lots of down time but spends most of it in his car because he’s not sure where else to go Doesn’t do much in his spare time but would like to play video games again with his old friends
PRIMARY RESEARCH
November 4, 2021
Detail: Survey
We sent out our survey with some very detailed questions to see where marginalized people struggle with recreation and the various ways they go about approaching this activity. There was one challenge with this survey, which was a very lengthy survey with some fill-in text replies; so our fear was that not many people will take the time to take it.
PIVOT POINT
November 9, 2021 (pivot point — primary researc)
Detail: Reframing the Design Challenge
After sending out the first initial survey we were expecting a decent amount of feedback and participants to guide us in the right direction of where we needed to narrow down an audience and initial problem. Unfortunately that was not the case, we didn’t receive many participants taking the survey just as we feared, so we were unable to pinpoint the problem and right audience. After discussing with the group and Professor Claudia we agreed that the challenge was that we were tackling a broad selection of marginalized groups of people and that the platforms we sent the form through required us to have an Institutional Review Board (IRB); which would protect these groups of their rights and welfare for participating in the research. It’s perfectly normal to come across an obstacle like this in any research process, because it helped us see that we neede to reframe our design challenge by revisiting our initial proposed topic which was technology.
“The purpose of IRB review is to assure, both in advance and by periodic review, that appropriate steps are taken to protect the rights and welfare of humans participating as subjects in the research.”
— Office of the Commissioner, Office of Clinical Policy and Programs, Office of Clinical Policy, Office of Good Clinical Practice
REFRAMING THE DESIGN CHALLENGE
Detail: Updating the goal
HOW MIGHT WE
How might we inform people with no internet or hardware within reach about the access to technology related resources needed for recreational use.
XYZ
Detail: (Doing X through Y to change Z)
We are helping those in need acquire technology related resources for recreational use through reachability of information access.
PAINS + GAINS
In this step we are describing the positive and negative points with technology and what people would benefit out of it.
Detail: Specific problems faced by the current users
Pains
- No internet
- No computer
- No clue of information for accessing stable internet
Gains
- Providing access to computers and internet they can use some
- Good deals they can purchase through pamphlets with QR code
- Recommendations on accessibility and attainability for stable internet connection
FEARS AND HOPES
This process helps expose aspirations and concerns that the team may have about the project by asking questions such as what about this project are you really excited about? What has potential? and what are you concerned about? This will help prepare everyone to start.
Detail: Groups hopes & fears
Fears
- Creating a system that’s already out there
- Not being able to reach out to the right community
- Not being able to narrow down on the initial problem
- We can’t showcase data on the need for hardware
Hopes
- To deliver a system that helps with recreation
- Being able to solve the root of the problem
- Being able to narrow down on a target audience
- Providing hardware to those in need
JOB TO BE DONE
Detail: current
To deliver an easier recreational experience through attainability/accessibility of stable internet
AUDIENCE
Detail: People with no internet or hardware within reach
We also defined our audience as San Marcos, Texas residents that may not have no stable internet .
GROUP ROLES
Detail: Primary research, Secondary research, and Immersion
As a group we discussed on who would be best suited for the specific parts of the research process with primary, secondary and immersion. Hennah would oversee the primary research with creating a survey form to send out to the public. Jaycee would be immersing herself in local areas within San Marcos to do some internet speed-tests. Last but not least I would oversee the secondary research of comparing prices and services providers offer and other possible hardware rental systems that are out there.
PRIMARY RESEARCH
Detail: Survey
Henna oversaw creating the survey for our second test on narrowing down on a target audience. Since we were racing against time to get the survey out to the public once again JC and I did contribute to some of the questions as well. Our goal here was to gather data once again on how many use technology for recreational use, how many have access to it and feedback on what the actual problem is for them in this area.
SECONDARY RESEARCH
November 11, 2021 (secondary research — immersion research)
Detail: Market Analysis
For this part of the research I dove into how local San Marcos internet providers such as Grande distribute their information with internet/cellular packages according to the locations where they serve. After meeting with my group I got some assistance in finding more research in seeing whats out there service wise. We found that the federal commission already offers discounts on packages according to your location and anual housedhold income.
Links that Jaycee shared
Link that Hennah shared
IMMERSION RESEARCH
Detail: Internet Speed-tests (local San Marcos areas)
Jaycee would go ahead and visit public/local coffee shops, restaurants within San Marcos to run speed-tests to see how effective and stable their internet connection. The goal with this would be to figure out if people visit their local places for a stronger internet connection than from what they already have at home or may not even have at all.
IDEATION
November 16,2021
Detail: Brainstorming
Packages — Mediator — Providers
As we brainstormed towards our job to be done, we went over on how we would specifically deliver the information for internet/hardware accessibility and attainability; to those who are unable to access the web to do research or must commute to their local towns or shopping areas. After further discussion we agreed that we would be a mediator for those in need of hardware or affordable internet/cellular packages to deliver the right information that’s best for them.
THIRD PIVOT POINT
November 18, 2021 (third pivot point — BMC)
Detail: Our concept already exists
We decided to pivot once more after collecting more secondary data on whats out in the market already, and found out that there is a program already in existence with the FCC and the state of Texas itself that delivers internet plans and a certain amount of credit to purchase a new computer, iPad, or desktop.
FRAMING THE NEW DESIGN CHALLENGE
HOW MIGHT WE
Detail: current
How might we make video games more accessible?
XYZ STATEMENT
Detail: current (Doing X through Y to change Z)
We are providing video games through an arcade space to help people ages 8–28 access video-games they don’t have at home.
JOB TO BE DONE
Detail: current
To provide video games, consoles and digital recreation to the user that doesn’t have them home
IDEATION
Detail: Brainstorming
providing digital assets by creating a space where people of all communities can come create a membership to play video games between the hours of 8am-8pm.
This will provide low-income communities to enjoy digital recreation
POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS
Detail: Ideas
· Provide a physical space
· Provide video game access in San Marcos, TX
· Create a safe space for kids to play
· Find a solution that is low cost for our user
To market this amazing new digital recreation place we will be camping brochures in low-income communities either through fleet graphics, banners or mass email marketing.
STORY BOARD
Detail: graphic organizer
After discussion on the new pivot towards an arcade setting Hennah came up with a storyboard to envision how our users would feel and interact from the minute they walk in the building to the experience they have while being there to the last minute they exit.
BUSINESS MODEL CANVAS (BMC)
“The Business Model Canvas is a strategic management template used for developing new business models and documenting existing ones”.
Detail: strategic management template
A business model canvas was created to define and communicate are concept even more and to showcase how feasible it would be to create our ideal business model.
PROTOTYPING
November 23, 2021
Detail: physical layout of building
Henna oversaw in creating a visual prototype that included the layout of the building along with sections that had the gaming consoles and how our users would approach and interact with these tools.
PITCH DECK TEST
December 7, 2021
Detail: Overview of business idea
Today as a group we did a test run on our brief presentation with the class to showcase a quick overview of our proposed business idea that has been compiled throughout this journey; this way we can gather feedback for more improvement and minor touchups for our final pitch deck.
