In this unit you will identify and then define a problem that you experience in your everyday life. You will follow this problem through the design process to create a design solution to your problem. 

The first thing you must do is find a problem to solve

Watch the video below. Take notes in your sketchbook and summarize the important points. Be prepared to discuss this in class.

In this activity you will go through your day and note the things that annoy you, cause you extra time or money, effort or some other form of discomfort. Create a list of 10 of these "gaps" in life. Select one of them to become the basis of your design process. You will then write a brief statement address how your selected gap meets the criteria below

• You must personally experience the gap and want to solve the design problem.

• You must be able to access (face to face - not via internet) at least 3 people who also experience this same gap or something similar to it.

• You can create some designed and prototyped artifact that will fill the gap (solve the problem)within the next few weeks. Do not pick something to large and complex that will be impossible to make significant progress on in the time allowed.
• Do not pick a project that is clearly beyond your range of skills and expertise.
• Do pick a project that reflects some area of design that interests you (e.g. a physical product, architecture, apparel, graphic design, furniture design etc.

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1  - A list of 10 potential "gaps" with one selected to be your project

Here is an example that I produced for this activity. I will periodically show these examples to help clarify the process.

2- A brief description of the gap you have chosen and how it meets the criteria listed above.

3 - A design problem (gap) Statement formatted like this...

How might I design a flexible and portable work and storage solution for artists with limited space? 

After a problem has been identified it is necessary to diagnose the problem more specifically. What exactly is the problem you are trying to solve?  This is done primarily by exploring different ways of looking at the problem in order to see the range of possible solutions. A common mistake is to jump to quickly to a specific solution which prevents the seeing the possibilities of other, possibly better solutions.

A good way to see the problem differently is to speak with other people who may share the same gap. Interviewing those who are affected by the problem  (getting multiple points of view)will help to develop a prioritized list of user needs which will help to guide and focus your design process.

User needs are simply the things that the user (you and others) need to have in order for the gap to be closed and the problem be solved. These needs will vary from person to person and will also differ in importance.

In this activity you will learn to further define your problem statement by identifying and ranking  user needs, and to widen the possibilities for your design solution by getting opinions and user stories that relate to your design challenge.

Based on your knowledge of the design process you will interview at least 3 other people who share your gap. Use the resources below to explore how to conduct and interview. Please do your initial work in your sketchbook and the post your final versions in your portfolio.

Review the resources on interviewing.

Create a short list of questions and/or talking points that you will ask your interviewee. Be consistent - try to ask pretty much the same or similar questions to each person.

Interview a minimum of 3 different people who you think share the gap you have chosen for your project. Do these interviews in person.

Record your interviews using either notes or a recording device. Summarize your findings for each interview. 

From your interview information create a list of between 8-10 User needs.\

Refine your initial design/gap statement. It may well have changes due to the new information you have gained through the interview process.

Actually you have already begun doing the important research for your project, by interviewing different users. Additionally, research can and should be conducted through the internet and actual fieldwork. Ideally as you have seen in the Product Tank video, that research isn't so much a separate phase of the process - as it is an over-arching task that runs through the design process. The type of design problem you have chosen, will, to some degree, determine what kind of research you will do. 

Don't reinvent the wheel!

Use the power of the internet and the resources of your community to find out whats out there. Look for solutions to design problems  that are like yours and investigate them, be inspired by them!

What works - and what doesn't?

Build on the success of others and learn from their mistakes.

Its ok to "borrow" ideas, as long as you make significant (changes) improvements to them!

Find and Document at least 3 examples of research related to your design problem.

Document in your sketchbook by: 

Providing links to relevant sites/pages

Analyze the solution: What's good, what's bad?

How can you apply what you've learned to your own problem? 

It is highly advised that you review the links below. The first is a "cheat sheet" summary from dSchool (Stanford U.), the second, also from dSchool, is more detailed and informative. The last link is from a individual product designer's youtube page which is also referenced from the Resources page of this website.

Interview for empathy

Empathy Field Guide

Producttank: Research

Final versions of these should be posted in your e-portfolio and then submitted in the onCampus assignment portal

Summary of interviews from at least 3 people who share the gap

A prioritized list of 8-10 user needs

A refined or changed Design of Gap statement

Summary of your research from 3 different sources