Category: Projects Spring 2017
User Scenario
User Scenario
Product: Optumal Jobs
Problem: Retirees desire to stay in their home as long as possible, but this can become a lonely life without a spouse. Loneliness leads to mental illnesses such as depression, which can accelerate the deterioration of the body and ultimately force the user to need care outside of the home. Also, users struggle to find a purpose during retirement and often miss doing what they love and know.
Entice: Retirees will be able to volunteer to complete simple jobs in their area of expertise in return for jobs that they are not capable of completing. In addition, a tier system will rank and track the amount of jobs users have completed in order to distribute other rewards such as insurance benefits and coupons to local stores related to the users’ favorite jobs.
Enter: They can use their previous skills to sign up on a job board. Accessing the service through the website, users can create an account in order to earn rewards/points or complete small tasks as a guest. On the website, the user can browse for jobs that fit their expertise.
Engage: Retirees will be able to ask for tasks to be completed and complete tasks of their own that correspond to their area of expertise. This area of expertise most likely will be related to their former job, but it can also be a new hobby the user has picked up.
Exit: Once the user has completed/ shared as many tasks as they please, one can stop using the website whenever they please. The rewards, a sense of community, and a purposeful life should keep the user inside of the house for as long as possible.
Extend: The customized account will be on the internet for others to admire, and the experience and rewards the users may have earned should help the retirees pursue their hobbies.
User Scenario
Storyboard
User Scenarios Clay Clusters (Picture of storyboard)
Entice: Students are drawn into the school by the new mentorship program in place, Clay Clusters. Parents love that their kids get connected to school as freshmen, and that they have older mentors they can look up to. Students appreciate the friendly competition of the clusters, and enjoy having older members around the school who can look out for them and give them advice.
Enter: On the first day of freshman orientation, freshmen are placed into one of the many clusters around school. They meet their junior and senior leaders, and learn about how they can utilize the clusters program to help them succeed at school. They learn about athletic events, tutoring opportunities, service events, and everything else going on at school.
Engage: As they go through the year, the cluster groups meet regularly to talk about student life. This could include events, disciplinary issues, academic questions, and everything in between. They get engaged with the group and can use the members as a resource. As they get more experience at Clay, they can be shaped into leaders themselves and help freshman in the coming years.
Exit: When students graduate, they will hopefully still be connected with the members of their clusters through the years. They can become alumni resources for students to help with college or employment information in the future.
Extend: Perhaps some students from the program will come back to Clay to help improve the program, or help Clay increase enrollment in other ways. Ultimately, a program like this would encourage students to become more connected to their school, and take pride in Clay. This will have the short-term result of helping the student experience, and the long-term effect of making Clay look like a more attractive school for parents and students in South Bend.
Subject- What is the story about?
Our team is tackling the issue of low-enrollment at Clay High School, and trying to find opportunities for innovation in the student experience.
We came in trying to find ways to market Clay better, but came to realize that a major part of increasing enrollment involves improving student life, and making sure that all their needs are met.
Goal- What do you want to achieve with this story?
Ultimately, we want to present an idea to Clay on a program or activity that could help with their dwindling enrollment numbers. Even if it is just a prototype, we want the teachers and administrators to better understand where they can improve their school. Ideally, this would help Clay students feel more connected to their school, and through word of mouth, they could attract more and more younger students to Clay.
Audience-
Clay Administration and Teachers
Before – what does your audience think, feel, know, want, before they have experienced your story
They know that there could be improvements to the way that they market to school to potential students.
They understand the public high school system in South Bend
They are frustrated that Clay isn’t getting the recognition they deserve as an academic center.
They know what solutions they’ve tried, and what has failed in the past.
They want a solution that they can implement into their school. Ideally, it would be a way to entice students to come to Clay over other schools.
Set the scene – what do you need to introduce?
Stakeholders
Ethnographic Research
User Quotes
Guiding Principles
Takeaways
Make your point
Different possible prototypes
How each might be carried out at Clay
Potential challenges they could face along the way
Implementation strategies
Conclusion
Recommend one of our prototypes
-Increase enrollment by making freshmen feel more connected through the Clay Clusters
After
Clay better strives to meet the needs of incoming freshmen, making them feel more connected to the community from the start
Clay has more tools to better market themselves to the community, and show why they are an excellent high school
Clay is able to connect with local middle schools that could serve as feeders to entice younger students to attend their school
Prototype Feedback (Presentation)
On April 20th, both Clay High School teams presented our research processes and prototypes in front of an audience consisted of Clay teachers and staff members. This was a valuable experience in that we got the much needed feedback on our prototypes. We mainly received feedback by talking to them afterwards and through note cards that we passed out prior to the presentation. We have attached images of the note cards. Some of the more important feedback we got were 1) there should be more CTE related content in the brochure 2) there should be more content related to the Dual Degree program. The team will take these comments into consideration and revise our products accordingly for the final presentation.
User Scenario Graphic
Ethnography Interviews
Ethnographic Interviews
Date: 03/04/2017
Type: Expert Interview
Via Email
Participant: Jake
Expert: Mr. Jim Seitz
User Characteristics:
- Adams High School Principal
Memorable Quotes:
“The BGC is not advertised at all throughout the school. I do believe that our school counselors and social worker discuss the club with students individually.”
“I am not sure how students get to the club.”
“Our school offers a great deal of after school activities but we can always offer more. I would love to get more students involved.”
Top 3 Learnings:
- .Not many people at the school even know BGCA is an option, including staff
- There could be more efforts from the faculty to encourage students to attend BGCA
- Many teenagers are starting to partake in after school activities such as sports or clubs. This is clearly affecting the lack of teens at BGCA.
Key Insights:
- If there is increased awareness at the school, more students will go. If more students want to go, it will be easier to get a bus company to come.
- If the principal realized how hard it is for students to get there, he may help contribute to getting a school bus sent to the BGCA.
Date: 03/02/2017
Type: Expert Interview
Via Conversation
Participant: Jake, Jordan, Sarah
Expert: Mr. T
User Characteristics:
- African American Male
- Works 2 jobs, one of them being the athletic director for BGCA
- Trying to get his management degree at a community college
Memorable Quotes:
“ Kids Should be able to pay per visit because of sports commitments or clubs after school”
“ We should get flyers or advertisement saying some of the perks : free wifi, open gym, video games”
Top 3 Learnings:
- need a trial period for some kids
- open up later for some kids
- trial period will help BGCA find out what the new people would want for them to attend more
Key Insights:
- A lot of kids need a ride home later which could be a reason why they do not attend BGCA
- Advertising the perks of BGCA may help such as free wifi and tutors
- BGCA needs more people like MR. T
Date: 03/04/2017
Type: User Interview, Extreme #1
Via Phone Call
Team Participants: Jake, Jordan
User: Dolan Gilbert
User Characteristics:
- 16 years old
- White male
- St Joseph’s High school
- Parents both work past school hours
- Plays high school hockey
- Goes to hockey rink after school if no other commitments
- Does not know anyone at club in South Bend
Memorable Quotes:
“I am usually very busy with other things after school such as hockey to go to the Boys and Girls Club.”
“None of my friends go there, so I have never really had an interest in attending BGCA”
Top 3 Learnings:
- Kids that are getting older in high school are becoming busier with extra -curricular activities
- Not much awareness of the club at private schools like St Josephs
- Some kids might not find it cool enough to go to the club so they would rather join clubs or go sit at their parents work
Key Insights:
- Making the club “cooler” will bring in more students
- Increased awareness at private schools will potentially bring in more
Date: 03/04/2017
Type: User Interview, Extreme #2
Via Conversation
Team Participants: Jake, Jordan, Sarah
User: Camisa
User Characteristics:
- 16 years old
- African American
- Attends Adams High School
- Been going to club since early childhood as mother works there
Memorable Quotes:
“I just try to help out as much as possible with all the different members, especially the little kids”
“we could have more help from tutors. Maybe bring in some college students”
Top 3 Learnings:
- the teens are now becoming volunteers for the younger kids
- the older teens want more tutors with more experience
- they do not talk to their friends from high school about BGCA
Key Insights:
- more experienced tutors may bring in more students who want help with school
- it seems like the teens do not have as much to do as the younger kids which is potentially why they volunteer
Immersion (BGCA)
Date: 03/02/2017
Event: Playing basketball with all of the boys
Event Description: Had conversations with some of the guys playing, as well as playing basketball for over an hour. Conversations were mainly about what the guys love about the place and what could be better.
Key Takeaways:
The biggest takeaway I got from my visit was the only thing the guys want to do is play in the gym and mainly basketball. The gym offers a variety of different things to do which is great. One problem with the gym is that the older group of teenagers are not given enough time to play in there which makes the club less enjoyable. The other rooms offered to the teens are not as enjoyable for them. Another takeaway I got was that their gym supervisor Mr. T is someone they all look up to. It seems like he is their big brother. If more people would visit as consistently as Mr. T, then more kids may visit, and the club could be considered “cooler.”
Ethnography
Expert Interview: Mr. T
Where: BGCA Gym
Who: Jake, Sarah
Characteristics: Mr. T is an African American male who appeared to be somewhere in his upper 20’s to low 30’s. He has experience in education being a college graduate, and is planning on going back to school to obtain a degree in business, specifically management. He is currently the athletic director at BGCA working part time there, and one other job.
Important Quotes: “One of the things that we could do better with at the BGCA is advertise all the unique things we have to offer. High school kids are big into having wifi so that would be an easy thing to advertise. Along with that advertising the gaming systems and the open gym we have available to do other sports.”
“The kids who come here have a difficult time paying the $50 up-front fee. Especially kids who are in sports after school who wouldn’t be able to take advantage of the membership. Finding a different payment method could attract more people to come.”
Top Takeaways: Mr. T was passionate and believed that BGCA could definitely add more members to it. BGCA is one of the only places for kids to play basketball after school in a gym, so advertising that more could attract more members. Advertising wifi and gaming systems could attract more members too.
Insights: The facilities are very good at BGCA. Letting students be aware of this makes it an easier target to attract teens.
Teen Interview: Dolan Gilbert
Where: Telephone
Characteristics: Dolan is a male who is in high school at St. Josephs in South Bend. He plays hockey and is not a member of BGCA.
Quotes: “None of my friends from school participate in BGCA so I haven’t ever really had an interest in attending.” “ Hockey takes up most of my time in the winter after school, and I am able to spend time at home or at the rink so I would rather do that.”
Takeaways: Dolan did not have much interest in attending BGCA. He didn’t know much about it so raising more awareness could be a possible technique to help out. After school activities dominate his time after school so he wouldn’t have the time to even be a member who could get a lot out of BGCA.
Insights: A way to attract more members to BGCA would be to try and market to teens whose afternoons are free. By making teens who don’t have activities planned after school they could find more members to join by letting them know all the fun activities that they can do.
Teen Interview: Morgan Gacke
Phone Interview
Characteristics: Morgan is a freshman in high school from Minnesota. She participates in soccer and other after school activities.
Quotes: “I enjoy spending my time after school with my family and friends.” “I have not heard of boys and girls club before so I would not have previously had idea of trying to join and become a member.”
Takeaways: Both of Morgan’s parents are school teachers, so they are most of the time back at home after the school day so they feel fine with her going back home when school is finished. Again, she is also actively involved in school activities that take up most of her afternoons when she is not home.
Insights: Morgan would rather spend her time at home with her parents or doing after school activities being involved with that. She doesn’t seem like a teen that would be beneficial to target as a prospective member of joining the BGCA.
Describing our Immersion:
Event: Going to the club and finding teens to interview for some of the questions we had raised. After the interview playing sports with the teens to have a friendlier interaction. We played pick-up basketball for over an hour and a half and the teens seemed to open up more the longer we had been there.
Takeaways: One of the unique things I noticed from being at the BGCA was how awesome the volunteers and employees were there. They had a range of people who could connect with all the different interests of the kids. Especially Mr. T, the kids when we played basketball really looked up to him and I could tell that he was a role model for them. If more teens went to the BGCA they would be in great hands with the people who work there and promote a fun environment. Also the teens there had great relationships with one another. The boys loved to play basketball and would be competitive and had a ton of fun playing. The girls at the club that day had known each other for a long time so you could tell how close they were to each other. It seemed like a family setting where everyone felt very comfortable with one another.
Analogous Immersion:
For my analogous immersion I went over to the YMCA to see what the differences from them and the BGCA were. The fee for the Y for a member under 18 years old was $19 a month. BGCA offers a more competitive rate of $50 a year. The Y does offer more different programs though than the BGCA, some of their extra programs included: Education and leadership, swim, sport and play camps. They also offer group classes at the Y including: Silver sneakers fitness program, group exercise classes, and teen/adult swim lessons. On top of those they offer healthy lifestyle seminars such as safety classes, smart start program, and youth strength training. Another thing that they offer is personal fitness programs such as body fat testing, fitness testing, and personal training. Although it is more expensive this may be some of the reasons that pull away potential teen prospects away from the BGCA. For BGCA they may have to raise prices in order to compete with this, but I think a better way to still attract teens is finding a different demographic who aren’t as interested in all those things. Identifying and promoting BGCA to teens who would want more of a family setting would benefit them better.
Workarounds
This workaround is what my roommates and I use to put our xbox controllers into when we are done using them. We had an issue losing them within the room so we got this bucket to make sure that we can keep better track of them.
This we use as a way to keep the room dark in the mornings because our blinds don’t keep out the sunlight. We had an extra blanket lying around so decided it would be best used this way. 
For this workaround I use the foam roller on the floor to stand on to reach the top level of my shelves. I had issues reaching the high up levels so it has been beneficial to reach the hard to get clothes near the top.