Tasks and Duties
Task Objective
The objective of this task is to immerse yourself in the first phase of the design thinking process - Empathy. You will identify a problem space that resonates with design thinking and innovation. By understanding and framing the challenge through an empathetic approach, you will gather insights, define audiences, and understand the core problem areas.
Expected Deliverables
You are required to submit a DOC file that includes a detailed report of your research findings, user persona creation, and problem context analysis. The document should have clear sections for background research, methodologies used, user interviews (if applicable), pain point analysis, and initial problem statements.
Key Steps to Complete the Task
- Research: Start with researching publicly available data, articles, and resources on topics relevant to the design thinking process, with a focus on user empathy and real-world challenges.
- User Persona Development: Create at least three detailed personas that represent potential users. Include demographics, pain points, needs, preferences, and insights from secondary research.
- Problem Statement: Based on your research and personas, write an initial problem statement. Clearly outline the challenges that these personas face.
- Analysis: Critically analyze why these challenges are significant and propose potential impacts if left unaddressed.
Evaluation Criteria
Your submission will be evaluated on the depth and breadth of your research, clarity in user persona creation, quality of the problem statement, and the overall organization and presentation of the DOC file. The task is designed to take approximately 30 to 35 hours.
Task Objective
This week, you will transition from understanding the problem to generating innovative ideas. The focus is on the Ideation phase of the design thinking process. Your mission is to brainstorm a range of creative solutions that can address the problems and pain points identified in Week 1. This task will test your ability to think divergently and organize creative concepts into a coherent set of potential solutions.
Expected Deliverables
Submit a DOC file that includes detailed documentation of your ideation process. This should feature brainstorming sessions, mind maps, sketches, and preliminary concept outlines. Ensure your document covers multiple ideas and includes a justification for each idea’s potential impact.
Key Steps to Complete the Task
- Brainstorming Session: Use techniques like clustering, mind mapping, or free writing to generate at least ten diverse ideas. Document these sessions clearly.
- Concept Development: Select the most promising ideas and expand them into detailed descriptions. Highlight innovative aspects and potential benefits.
- Feasibility and Impact Analysis: Critically analyze the feasibility of each idea and its potential impact on solving the user’s problem.
- Organization of Ideas: Structure the document logically so that each idea is presented with its context, analysis, and justification.
Evaluation Criteria
Your DOC file will be evaluated on creativity, thoroughness in the ideation process, clarity of document structure, and the robustness of your analysis. This exercise should take about 30 to 35 hours to complete.
Task Objective
The goal of this week’s task is to bridge the gap between conceptual ideas and practical applications through early prototyping and drafting testing plans. This part of the process focuses on transforming ideas into tangible, preliminary prototypes. You will outline how your design concepts can be rendered into basic models or sketches, and how you intend to test them with potential users.
Expected Deliverables
You are required to submit a DOC file that documents your prototyping process along with a structured testing plan. The document should include initial prototype sketches or wireframes, detailing key interfaces and interactions, as well as a comprehensive plan explaining how you will validate your idea using usability testing or other methods.
Key Steps to Complete the Task
- Sketching and Wireframing: Create low-fidelity sketches or wireframes of your design ideas. Describe the user journey and link each aspect of your design to specific user needs identified in earlier tasks.
- Testing Methodology: Develop a plan for user testing. Specify the methods, participant criteria, and metrics that will be used to evaluate the effectiveness of your prototypes.
- Documentation: Detail step-by-step processes for both creating the prototype and executing the testing plan. Use diagrams or flowcharts if necessary.
- Iteration Rationale: Include a rationale on how you'll use feedback to iterate your design.
Evaluation Criteria
The submission will be assessed based on the clarity and innovation of your prototype designs, the feasibility and thoroughness of your testing plan, and the overall organization of the DOC file. This project expects approximately 30 to 35 hours of effort.
Task Objective
The final week focuses on evaluating your prototypes and refining your ideas based on user feedback and analytical insights. This stage, which follows the testing phase in the design thinking process, is crucial for ensuring that the solutions are effective and aligned with user expectations. You will analyze test results, identify areas of improvement, and propose refined design iterations to better meet the identified needs.
Expected Deliverables
Submit a DOC file that captures a comprehensive evaluation of your prototypes and clearly details iterative improvements. The document should include sections on test data analysis, feedback synthesis, identified issues, proposed solutions, and a detailed action plan for implementation and further testing.
Key Steps to Complete the Task
- Data Analysis: Review and summarize all feedback received from your prototype testing. Use tables, charts, or other visual aids to represent your findings clearly.
- Synthesis of Feedback: Identify common themes and areas needing improvement. Document any discrepancies between expected outcomes and actual user feedback.
- Iterative Proposals: Propose at least three specific modifications or enhancements. Explain how each change addresses the issues identified in the analysis.
- Action Plan: Create a detailed step-by-step plan for implementing these changes, including timelines and criteria for success. Outline any further testing you would conduct to validate the effectiveness of these improvements.
Evaluation Criteria
Your DOC file will be evaluated on the depth of analysis, clarity of the proposed improvements, strategic planning, and overall professionalism in reporting. This task is expected to take 30 to 35 hours and serves as a capstone to your virtual internship experience in design thinking innovation.