Contextual Learning
Learning studio 5: Spring 2022 // Independent Student Project
Conducting a thorough analysis of existing research, heavy ideation and evaluation, collecting and implementing user feedback
Project Overview
I was given the opportunity to conduct my own project over the course of one semester. I wanted to choose a project that would enable me to practice a wide variety of UX skills, while also being something I was passionate about learning. I eventually landed on exploring opportunities within digital technologies to better facilitate learning about location-based history.
About the Opportunity
My focus in this project was on enabling users to learn the history of the places around them. I use the word enable because my focus is on completely informal, user-led learning. No requirements, no competition, just pure enjoyment and desire- my users learn because they want to learn. So essentially I’m creating something that encourages users to utilize it purely for their own fulfillment.
Why did I do this? The reason for my focus on this group of people is twofold. One is that this is the user group that is easiest to design for- they will use it for its intended purpose- to learn. Designing for this group means not having to worry about encouraging extrinsic motivation or how to “trick” people into using the tool. The second reason is even more important: Because this space is a completely new opportunity. I’m not fixing an existing problem for a specific group of people- I am creating a new experience for people to enjoy. Focusing first on those people who will actually want to use it just makes sense in this context.
Identifying User Needs
Through my research, I identified the main characteristics in my user group that I was designing for. These are described in the images below, which are translated into their needs. You can see how I came to this conclusion in the full documentation, but they are based in existing research.
Addressing User Needs
I took inspiration from a multitude of different places when coming up with my final design. These are detailed in my full documentation in the "How might I address these needs?" section. My proposal for addressing the needs of my users is shown below.
Reflection
I find reflections to be the most important of any project. Why was it important to me? How did it help me grow?
This project definitely tested my abilities- more than anything it helped me recognize my strengths and weaknesses as a designer. I enjoy secondary research and compiling results, I enjoy creating & testing wireframes and analyzing insights- I do not enjoy conducting user interviews. I have a very good grasp on how a UX process should be run- but I do think I’d have a lot more fun working on a UX team that can complement my strengths and weaknesses. I also know now where I will need to work a little harder in order to stay on track, if I’m ever asked to do these things in the future.
Overall, I did have a lot of fun with this project. It was a really fun space to work in, and I think that this is a space I could definitely see myself staying interested in as I advance through my career.
The big takeaway: This was the one- the culmination of everything I've learned about UX processes. I think I proved my worthiness, while still being able to acknowledge my weaknesses.