What better way to learn something than to dive into it headfirst? This week, we were tasked with completing a Design Sprint. The purpose was to spend two hours with a partner getting acquainted with the concept of design thinking. It’s a fast, low-stakes manner of introducing the 5 step process.
Beginning with an interview, you start by empathizing with your partner’s problems. Throughout the conversation, you make notes of different factors to help define your partner’s problem. You can see my notes on my interview here.
I partnered with my classmate Josh for this exercise, and we decided that the main challenge he faces as a QU student is planning his commute because of limited parking. Having been a commuter throughout undergrad and a part of the student union for a time, Josh knew the resources for parking on campus were limited.
Based on our interviews and some light research of how other universities handle their parking situations, I came up with a couple different concepts that could be developed into solutions.
The university build a new parking lot. It’s the most logical solution to not having enough parking.
The university could implement assigned parking spots on campus that students can apply for. It would be on a first come, first serve basis because there obviously aren’t enough spots for every student to have one.
Using a slightly more realistic approach, the campus could expand its shuttle routes and increase the number of shuttles, so they come more frequently, encouraging on campus students to take public transit rather than drive.
The university could develop an app that could keep track of parking spots available, allow students to reserve spots, and supply alternative transit options when spots are not available.
Because many students already park (illegally) at the national park adjacent to campus, the university could come to an agreement that allows students to use their lot.
When I presented my ideas to Josh, we came to an agreement that an app would be the most realistic move for the university. He told me about a system that had been implemented during the pandemic that kept track of student’s vaccination records, which were visible when they scanned into the parking lots. Using that knowledge and a couple outside examples of other university’s parking apps, I drew up a prototype of what I imagined the app to look like.
When I presented my prototype to Josh, his feedback was positive overall. He thought the feature that would let students know how many spots were available and the access to alternate routes were the most useful. They help guide students through travel options and allow them to plan their commute as efficiently as possible.
The app itself could be improved, a little more fleshed out. There could be a menu drop down and a directory. The card scanning system could also be improved.
Going into this exercise I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a little nervous. I have never been a very good on-the-spot thinker and feared I wouldn’t be able to come up with any helpful solutions. But it was very easy to talk to Josh and empathize with his on-campus challenges. It really shows how much you can learn about a user’s needs by just discussing and listening.
I think what really made this a challenge was coming up with a prototype in such a short amount of time.
I think my drawing skills are intermediate but coming up with an idea, explaining it, and then illustrating it to the best of my abilities with a limited amount of time really challenged me to think on my feet. I understood Josh’s frustrations and wanted to provide the best solution. I think in the end I found the best solution outside of building a whole new parking lot.
This exercise really challenged me to focus my thinking and I learned a lot about thinking quickly and creatively.
Photo by Krzysztof Kotkowicz on Unsplash
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