We learned that there were several specific tasks that fell into multiple of our main problem sections through this problem definition exercise. The mindmap was really able to shine light on where the main problems lie in working towards a potential solution. The tasks that fell into various major problem sections were the ones that our group decided to focus on more as we move forward, as they would be the ones that our potential consumers would have the most trouble with. While we may have all been able to identify which tasks were more difficult than others through both our research and our shadowing in the past, we hadn’t placed much emphasis on why exactly these tasks were so challenging. On top of that, there wasn’t much visibility into why there was such a strong overlap across categories for the more tedious tasks like opening a pill bottle or tying shoelaces until we completed the mindmap and got to understand potential customers more through the use of a persona. These activities helped to facilitate an opportunity for us to then move into being able to construct concrete problem statements which will aid in the solution phase as we move onward.
The project, overall, is going well for our group. The first assignment of the project (Introduction) required us to create our mindmap for the situation of being one-handed and completing everyday tasks. With some team members having personal experience doing things one handed (due to injury), this activity was very efficient and thorough. The outcome of our brainstorming was a targeted focus on ‘getting ready in the morning’. The second assignment (creating the website) had less of a design focus, but allowed us to get to know more about one another through creation of our bios. The third assignment (research) was very eye opening for most of us, as we had to immerse ourselves into completing tasks one-handed. The use of the CRAAP Test in our research reinforced the importance of reliable sources.
Thus far, this project has reinforced the design process as learned in class, as well as to the processes used by IDEO in their product development. While some class projects seem to just be following a textbook, this project consists of processes actually used in-industry, which we find to be very valuable.