Design Project One

Wednesday, January 9th, 2019 | Module

Design Project One

Research, Ideate, Prototype, Test, Repeat! Time to put all you’ve learned to the test.

For “Design Project One”, your challenge is a simple one.

How might you use the design process to improve the lives of the people who are associated with this building, 180 New Montgomery, San Francisco?

You may (and are encouraged to) work in teams if you choose! Each team may have a maximum of 3 members.

Think of all the people associated with this location. Employees, students, commuters outside, the homeless. A business with students, located in a city. Who are the people, what are their needs? Don’t limit yourself to just the students. Consider the needs of everyone associated with the building, including the city and community it resides in.

This design project is two modules in duration.

Module One

The first step is to find out as much as you can. Identify the people who are connected to 180 NM, see the world through their eyes, and then create solutions that meet their needs. Use the process you learned in the research assignment.

  • Minimum 2 Surveys and/or Minimum 2 Interviews 
  • Minimum 2 Observations sessions, and/or Minimum 2 Analytics or passive data collection.
  • Minimum 2–3 pages sourced information from secondary sources.
  • Minimum 1 page conclusion/findings statement.

Next, author your needs statement based upon your needs.

  • Analyze your data and gain affinity with an affinity diagram, model map, and/or persona
  • Author a Design Statement or “How Might We” question using your analysis.
  • Ideate and go for volume. Produce sketches and solutions to your how might we statement. You will be encouraged to look for design solutions that include interactive media such as websites or applications as a component, but don’t limit yourself!

Module Two

Bring all of your ideas to class, and evaluate them!

  •  Evaluate the ideas in small group and determine what you would like to take into prototype.
  •  Determine Goals, Methods, and Results.
  •  Create a plan of testing, data capture, and analysis.
  •  Plan on iterating the design a minimum of 3 times.

Create a PDF for presentation in-class. This will be your design brief and Proof-of-Concept.

Include the following slides:

  • Title Slide (Team Members, Course Number, etc.)
  • Problem Statment (Your design question!)
  • Rational (What were the needs you found over the course of your research?)
  • Audience / Persona (Describe the person or people you’ll be helping with your design. Consider grouping them.)
  • Unique Position (What makes your solution innovative or impactful?)
  • Proof-of-Concept (may be more than one slide — a diagram and/or Low-fidelity prototype)
  • Testing Methodology (may be more than one slide — How did you test your idea?)
  • Iteration Results (may be more than one slide — How did the design change through the iterations?)
  • Next Steps (Where would your design go next?)
  • Bibliography (All of your research and attributions)

Pay careful attentions to spelling and grammar. You will be evaluated on the content of the ideas, adherence to the process, not on flashy “high-fidelity” appearing designs or presentation conventions. If your design “failed” but is well documented and led to a significant insight or outcome, you will receive a higher grade than a designer who creates work that is “pretty” but unproven or insufficiently evaluated.