Team interviewing students during participatory design session
My Role
researcher
interviewer
prototype + tester
Team
Krystal Kim
Will Gamez
Calvert Hou
Irene Rivera
Challenge
How might we create community at Center for Media and Design through collaborative and social events ?
At the end of the Spring semester 2019, our design research class was approached with a design challenge. Within 4 weeks we were to create a solution on how to create community within the Center for Media and Design (CMD). We were to produce and focus on an end to end experience that would create community at CMD.
Center for Media and Design Courtyard
Solution
Art walk : Creative Showcase
Hold an event once a semester on the CMD campus that would allow students to display artwork or projects and have the opportunity to network with other students.
Affinity Diagraming Gripes
digitalized affinity of our the team's gripes with CMD
Comfy furniture, better food options & more events were top themes.
Our team jumped right into figuring out what our own personal thoughts are on creating community at CMD. In addition to this, we looked into gripes about CMD. We saw reoccurring themes that revolved around food accessibility, comfortability in furniture & lack of social events. The affinity mapping was still very broad but our group started to notice the areas in which our ideas were overlapping.
our group's affinity mapping
Frank Dawson, Dean - Center for Media and Design
" We would love to see the courtyard used more... "
Stakeholder Meeting: Clarifying Constraints
We met with CMD's dean Frank Dawson who informed us that what is missing is a sense of student ownership of the campus. He provided us with constraints on posting information on the building walls & glass. But also expressed there are fewer restrictions in utilizing the courtyard.
Conceptualizing our social event.
The idea was to utilize CMD's courtyard and hold a small scale art walk. The event would allow students to network with one another and possibly sell their work (graphic prints). Possible failures we listed were not enough students want to share their work or students might be in class when the event is held. We hypothesized that success might be students declare themselves as media and design majors and more exposure to CMD about what majors they offer.
Group's concept poster (illustration by Will Gamez)
Our group setting up the prototype - CMD Artwalk
Ensuring the Art Walk is viable through participatory design.
We set out to hold a mock art walk at the CMD’s courtyard. This would allow us to engage with students and observe how many students will approach our tables. Most importantly we would be able to conduct interviews students to capture insights on the spot.
What students are saying about CMD's Art Walk
“I wouldn’t like it on the weekend. Just because as a student I work weekends and then I go to school full time here ...a weekday would be easier since I’m already here...”
-student interviewee
“...There’s a gaming club and what they do they will work on a game through the semester and at the end they will play it. So it could be a nice way to involve them by having demos for their games out here...”
-student interviewee
Overview of insights
We uncovered that students would like to attend the event during the week and would want to participate and network. Students would like to see other work/media showcased so that it can be inclusive to all the departments CMD houses. In regards to the name, students feel the title of "Art Walk" may be limited to only fine art.
Feedback
We received feedback from Brenda Benson (Dean of Counseling & Retention) and Irena Zugic (SMC Project Manager) who loved the idea because it gives the opportunity for students to showcase their work.
Reflection.
Collaboration and communication is key and I felt it really goes a long way when you have 4 weeks to figure out a solution. Due to logistics, the team remotely worked together and pulled resources together to facilitate this mock event.
Networking is important and students want to do it, including myself. It was exhilarating to hear students share this. The team is hoping that we iterate the event and bring to life next Fall 2020.