portfolio work sample
traci thomas IIT Institute of Design Master of Design 2011 thomas@id.iit.edu
MentorMob Designing content for the online learning experience MentorMob is Chicago-based start-up and an online learning platform that organizes and curates content into structured playlists. MentorMob alleviates the agony of sifting through hundreds of search results and provides an easier way to find and learn content online. The mentormob team asked how can we design and structure content to keep the user engaged and returning to the playlists?
MentorMob Before analyzing the user experience of the playlists, it was important to start with a contextual understanding of the MentorMob platform, its users and partners, and the value exchange between them. A general framework was then created to analyze content within selected playlists.
The MentorMob Ecosystem
Analysis framework PEOPLE : WHO
CONTENT : WHAT
What type of learner: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced?
What type of content: video, articles, blogs, etc?
FLOW : FEEL
EXPERIENCE : FEEL
Makes content available
1 Producers provide foot traffic to businesses
Small-Med Biz
3
4
What is the ordinal flow? Is it logical and unified?
What is the user experience journey (start, middle, end) when viewing a playlist?
Producers Consumers Generators provide content
Provides platform for ease of use
Uses platform to build internal & external learning & teaching platform for business
2
Organizes and structures content for consumers to learn
Platform Owner
Basic structure of playlists
Experience Mapping, Yoga Playlist attract (Intro)
ENGAGE (INFORM)
extend (END)
Yoga for Dummies
•
•
•
•
•
19
20
21
22
23
24
•
Videopedia
•
Trainer TV
•
Yogatic (Youtube)
•
•
Livestrong
•
• •
Yoga Journal
•
• •
• • •
•
Yoga.org (NZ)
•
Expert Village
•
Redbook Yoga Studio 9
• 1
Video
•
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
Articles/Text
Core Issues
» Too many steps for entry
» Disjointed bits of informaton from multiple sources
» User loses bearings and becomes lost
» Content mixed for both beginner, intermediate and advanced levels causing lesson plan hard to follow
» Different levels of information (video vs text)
» Lack of consistency causes confusion » Choppy transitions
» Consistency comes at very end from one sources and content overlaps with attract and engage stages
Experience Mapping, Knitting Playlist
Hi
Experience mapping that measures levels of engagement as a user new to knitting.
Great video. Easy to follow. In classroom setting. Fun instructor
Beginner, Knitting
Level of Engagement
Good overview. Some overlaps with intro video though Fixing mistakes? But I have really done anything yet.
So much text to read. Wish I had previous video to follow on
Definitely not ready for a scarf. Way too advanced for me
Good material for me to know, but so many different videos
Do I need to join? Why would I join? Don't feel like a knitter
Not ready for all these stitch patterns. Can't understand diagrams
Lo
Basic (Video)
Basic (Text)
Tools
Mistakes
Types of Stitches
Stitches Patterns
Scarf
Join Community
Recommendations Chunk information Chunking into categories reduces information complexity and provides more digestable components
Give user choice and control Allowing users to select the components and custom their own playlists provides them choice and control and extend the learning experience
Create custom playlist
Maintain consistency Reducing the number of content resources helps to maintain consistency and limits distractions
Limit number of steps Limiting number of steps in each lesson plan makes learning less intimidating
Face-Ă -Face A service platform for people who work from home The nature of work is changing. Work is no longer confined to the office environment and more people are working from home or in "third" places like coffee shops. While pervasive technologies such as smart phones have enabled flexibility for working, user needs remain unmet. This project explores designing a new service based on a strategic platform.
Research Process Research Objective To understand the needs, value, behaviors of people who work from home and design a platform of solutions that solves for their needs.
5 Research Participants
4 Research Methods
Telecommuter
Office
Home/ 3rd place
Survey
In-person Interviews
Self-Employed
Design Process Research observations (surveys + interviews)
+
Post-it Theme Clustering
AEIOU method
Nonaka Model Modes of Work
=
Âť Insights Âť Design Principles
Photo Journal
Secondary Research
Face-Ă -Face Understanding User Values
Growth of at-home workers*
25
17
million
million million
The work environment will see a significant increase in at-home workers that will call for more flexible work options.
Defining Work
2014 (projected)
an al B
om
fr
Planning tasks
h
is
ce
w
gu
ith
tin
is
lif
D
e
2009
Two high-level insights were uncovered: Defining Work and Making connections. Social isolation was a significant issue for at-home workers. They not only desired social connections, but also business interactions for continued professional learning. Balancing and distinguishing life were also key areas that addressed the thresholds of integrated work and life versus separating them.
e
tools Tools
Cultivate Relationships
orship Ment
H dis ealth tra y cti on
Office
ng
ki
Home
Avoid isolation
Spacial arrangement
B pa usi rt ne ne ss rs hi ps
Engagement level
or w et N l) al na ci so So er (P
For our research, we interviewed five participants after having them participate in a self-doc and photo journal study for a week. We classified them as "extreme users" because they primarily worked from home.
lif
Telecommuter
Target User Groups
Making Connections
Self-employed *
Worldatwork research SR-02, 2009
Face-Ă -Face Strategic Service Platform Why a strategic platform? Industries are converging. Strategic platforms have the ability to leverage this interconnectedness to create ecosystems of products and services that create a better and holistic experience for customers. Strategic platforms, compared to traditional platforms, enables an integrated offering that creates higher value for all stakeholders (users, complementors, and platform owner) involved.
Expands user base, $$
Locations Provide exposure to products/service
Users
Complementors Partners adding to existing offering
Makes complex tasks easier Utilize services
Social Networking
Data Networks
Provides easy plugin to platform
Platform Owner
Productivity Tools
Face-à-Face Web-based Concept Login
Find A Location
Connect
Tools
Contact
Home
Face-à-Face
A service for professionals who work from home
Face-à-Face
Login
Find A Location
Face-à-Face is a platform that provides a full suite of services to business professionals. Whether you are self-employed or employed by a company, Face-à-Face can help you find the right locations, connect you with the right people across different industries and provide tools to help you do your job seamlessly and securely.
Connect
Tools
Contact
Home Understanding the need for social interaction, one of the main services of Face-à-Face is to connect work-at-home employees with other professionals in a third place not only for social networking, but also for coaching and learning.
Search results for co-working spaces 350 N LaSalle Drive, Chicago, IL
Co-Habitat 200 W Wacker Drive
Reserve
Partage 800 N Clark
Reserve
Work Space 400 N State
Reserve
Namaste
Namaste.
A healthy beverage as a new product extension for Lululemon In this project, we explored the concept of new product definition by designing a new product concept for Lululemon, a yoga fashion retailer. Lululemon now does beverages. How would Lululemon enter the food and beverage industry?
we got you covered in our yoga-inspired apparel, built you a community to bond with, and now we give you nourishment through Namaste, our new line of organic beverages. Each of the four eco-friendly Namaste. packaged beverages provides key benefits for every part of your yoga routine and overall well-being.
Drink Yoga
Namaste FOCUS
Namaste FOCUS
Namaste STRENGTH
Namaste PURIFY
4
Namaste STRENGTH
Namaste BALANCE
we got you cove apparel, built y with, and now w through Namast beverages. Each packaged bever benefits for eve yoga routine an
Namaste PURIFY
Namaste To position Lululemon in a new market, we researched the best potential of the food and beverage market, developed the positioning detailing target user and their core values, and product differentiation from other existing products.
Focus on Yogi's We leveraged Lululemon's strong yoga customer base. To under the needs of yogi's,primary research was conducted by doing customer intercepts at Lululemon stores and yoga studios
200% increase in U.S.
87% increase in
Yoga Practitioners
yoga spending $22B
Company with phenomenal growth As yoga fashion retailer with a strong healthy lifestyle brand, Lululemon has experienced 65% growth in revenues (fiscal year 2010) and are competing against big named brands like Nike, Adidas, and Under Amour.
Functional Beverages: Fastest Growing Segment
18 Mil $12B
Functional beverages like Enhanced Waters and Energy drinks promote health benefits.
6 Mil
30% growth in functional
2004
beverage market
$4B
2008
2004
new user groups allow for continual growth
$3.3B $2.6B
2003
2007
2012 2 to 14
55+
2008
Namaste Sizeable revenue potential
Implementation plan
$81.5M REVENUE POTENTIAL 6%
18%
12%
Phase I
Assumptions: » No. US yoga studios: 50,000 – Units sold per/mth: 60
Phase II
Where
U.S. Lululemon stores U.S. Yoga studios
Supermarkets, health food stores, restaurants, and health cafés
What
4 SKUs
Two additional SKUs Beverage fountains
With
Co-packer
Buy equipment Rent co-packer space
Marketing
Yogapalooza Flash mobs Free Namaste Lulu purchase
Radio Stream video Podcasts
Spokesperson
Seane Corne, Yoga celebrity
Loyal Namaste users Lulu ambassadors
$453 mil
» No. US Lululemon stores: 70 – Units sold per/mth: 120
$27.5 M
$54.5 M
$81.5 M
Scenario I Scenario II Scenario III
25% studios & lulu stores
$3.00 $2.80
$2.30
50% studios 50% studios & lulu stores & lulu stores
Total no. stores
12,570
25,070
37,570
Total no. annual bevs sold
2,160
2,160
2,160
Bevs Studios
720 1,440
720 1,440
720 1440
6%
12%
18%
Bevs Stores % Lulu Revenues
Source: "Yoga in America" study 2008 (http://www.yogajournal.com/advertise/press_releases/10)
$1.89
Schools Hospitals Online
Namaste No one is focusing on yogis Their pain
our promise
offering
prolong and maximize yoga experience
no current beverage is tailored to yogis
Ingredients
most functional beverages loaded ingredients and sugar
packaging
scarcity of eco-friendly packaging
Namaste
water based beverage with only organic ingredients
packaged with paperboard - one of the most renewable and recyclable materials
Drink Yoga
Namaste.
we app with thro bev pac ben
Cancer Among Minorities Communicating the cultural dimensions of healthcare
Health care reform has changed the landscape of the health care sector and is pushing for more peoplecentered services. Cancer is one of the leading causes of death among African American women. Current approaches to cancer treatment lacks the cultural and social perspectives especially among minorities. This project, in collaboration with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), focused on communicating the needs and cultural beliefs of African American women diagnosed with breast cancer in an effort to design better health services for the minority population.
Cancer Among Minorities
Cancer Survivorship in Minority Patients Understanding the experience of African American women diagnosed with breast cancer 19,540 Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among African American women. In addition to a multitude of risk factors, these women face a lower survival rate because they are diagnosed later and at an advanced stage. Treating patients includes not only
the diagnosis and treatment of disease, but also the patients' environment and culture. Viewing patients holistically can lead to the design of culturally sensitive appropriate approaches for treatment of minority groups.
estimated new breast cancer cases in African American women in 2009
Survival rates:
77% 90%
African American women White women
Viewing the Patient Holistically There are three layers to view a patient holistically. Each layer provides discreet information that, in aggregate, helps us understand the patient as a whole person.
Individual » Age and gender » General health and well-being » Identification and diagnosis of illness
Environment » Socio-economic status (income, education, employment) » Life burden and day-to-day strain » Social structure and support
Culture » » » »
The Cultural Perspective of Breast Cancer & African American Women Booklet, 6"X8"
My research revealed that many African American women believe that breast cancer is a white woman's disease. In the design of the booklet, it was important to bring forth images of these women to help break the misconception.
Spirituality Ethnic identity and acculturation Beliefs, values and practices Interconnectedness
Beliefs & Practices of African American Women with Breast Cancer Using a holistic approach provides salient information about African American women's attitudes, beliefs and practices in understanding and coping with breast cancer.
A white woman's disease
Spirituality and Faith
The media has shaped my opinion that breast cancer is a white woman's disease. I rarely see a black woman with breast cancer on TV.
My faith is my rock and strength. I rely on specific Bible verses. I cannot imagine going through this without faith in God and prayer.
Caused by family history
Family and Friends
You get breast cancer if you have a family history of it. I have no family history, so there is little need to worry.
Family is my life. They have my back and give me the support I need. I can let my guard down and confide in them.
An automatic death sentence
Support Groups
My survival rates are grim. It is a death sentence. White woman survive breast cancer. My fate is already sealed.
Doctors refer me to support groups, but I need a network that I can relate to and people who understands me culturally.
No access to health care I distrust the health care system. The past reveals we usually receive substandard care.
Sources Kooken, Wendy Carter, Joan E. Haase and Kathleen M. Russell. "I've Been Through Something": Poetic Explorations of African American Women's Cancer Survivorship. Western Journal of Nursing Research, Vol. 29, No. 7, 896-919 (2007) Moore, Rhonda J., PhD. 2001. African American Women and Breast Cancer. Cancer Nursing, Vol. 24, No. 1 Ashing-Giwa, K. The Contextual Model of HRQoL: A Paradigm for Expanding the HRQoL Framework. Quality of Life Research, Vol. 14, No. 2
Poster, 24"X36"
Cancer Among Minorities An estimated 19,540 new cases of breast cancer are expected to occur among African American women in 2009
Roughly 50% of breast cancers diagnosed among African American women are diagnosed at a local stage, compared to 62% among white women.
Cultural Beliefs
The overall incidence rate of breast cancer is 10% lower in African American women than white women.
The Facts
African American women have a 5-year survival rate of 77% after diagnosis as compared to 90% for white women
Spirituality God is in control. In the African American community, religion and spirituality plays a central role in daily life as well as in coping during cancer treatment.
Social Support Informal support networks of family, friends, and community are essential to the adjustment of breast cancer among African American women
Interconnectedness Many African American women view their identity via a group identity or via their relationships. They place greater emphasis on the well-being of others than on themselves.
Access to care Unethical medical treatment through the 1930s Tuskegee experiments and historical discrimination against African Americans have caused them to distrust the health care system.
‘‘
For you, O Lord, Have delivered my soul from death
‘‘
Black women are two times more likely to develop aggressive forms of cancer for which there are few effective treatment options.
The cultural lens can reveal salient information regarding a group’s attitudes, beliefs and practices. Cultural knowledge can lead to the design of a more culturally competent health care approach. The following are beliefs and values held by African American women.
— A Psalm of Survival
Worldview Many still believe breast cancer is a white woman’s disease and that their perceived risk is low. The role of media has endorsed this belief by showing mainly white women in advertisements and campaigns.
Health disparities
Role of culture Culture The understanding of one’s culture is understanding one’s belief and value systems. Comprising this lens are a patient’s ethnic identity, acculturation of culture within a new country, interconnectedness within social relationships, and spirituality. Culture influences health beliefs and practices and overall well-being. It can also impact the meaning of disease, how the patient is cared for, and survivorship outcomes.
Viewing the Patient Holistically The patient experience should extend itself far from the physical anatomy. What impacts health outcomes is not based solely on the diagnosis of disease, but other conditions that impact a patient’s life and work. Beyond the physical body comprises layers that further defines the patient and his/her lived experience from a social, environmental and cultural perspective. This telescopic purview gives us the dimensions to holistically understand how physicians can effectively treat patients.
Environment The environmental lens looks at patients’ socioeconomic status such as income, education, employment as well as the social networks with which they identify. Patients with lower socioeconomic status have a higher life burden that can limit access to health care as well as general health outcomes.
Individual The individual is defined primarily by age, gender, and race. It is at this level where a patient’s general health status is assessed, disease diagnosed through medical tests, and appropriate treatment is proposed by a physician.
Adapted from Dr. Ashing-Giwa’s HRQOL theoretical framework.
Holistic view of a patient
HeartSense Supporting healthy habits, saving women's lives by involving communities in health care reform We were asked to design an innovation plan that addresses and supports the key tenets of President Obama's health care initiatives. Our plan's objective is to reduce heart disease in low-income African American women with a platform of culturallysensitive outreach programs, targeted subsidies for healthy foods and an easily identifiable claim label supported by mobile technology applications to help consumers make better choices in the grocery store.
HeartSense The Heart of the Matter In defining the problem, we saw that heart disease is the largest source of health expense in the U.S. American women are particularly at risk of developing and dying from the disease than women of other races.
#1 $475
Simplify Nutritional Labels
Revise Policy
Killer of adult men and women Providing consumers with a single and simple logo to represent health across food categories can help them make better choices.
Billion
Estimated health care costs for heart disease‥
46%
Prevalence in African American women
Source: Center for Disease and Control. ‥ For 2009. American Heart Association.
Leverage Technology
Leveraging a digital device and using a food tracking application, consumers can better monitor their eating consumption and make healthier food purchases.
Building coupons for healthy foods into foods stamps can influence participants' purchases toward heathy foods and healthier eating habits.
Involve Communities
HeartSense awareness can be facilitated via partnerships and distribution channels like hair salons, where her stylist acts as a trusted confidant, friend, and advisor.
Getting information
Making Choices Easy
seeing the big picture
HeartSense Service Platform At the center of ourplatform is creating partnerships with salons to distribute information and promote healthy food as a path to healthy hair. Most African American woman spend anywhere from 2 to 6 hours at a hair salon at least twicea month; her stylist is a trusted confidant,a friend and an advisor. LaKeisha learns of the HeartSense system from her hair stylist.
Staying within budget
She pays using her food stamp card that applies the healthy eating discount while the store still receives the full price of the item.
healthy meals at home
She uses a phone app to access recipes to prepare a healthy meal using the ingredients she bought.
The HeartSense rating tells her how much of a discount she gets when she buys healthy foods.
fitting exercise in
She also uses a phone app that guides her on an exercise regimen.
Using a free phone app, she scans the item's bar code to access more detailed nutritional information.
sharing the love
She returns to the salon, speaks about her experience and gets the other women on board to try HeartSense.
Workplace Design Service design using the physical environment as the enabler for creating unique experiences This project focused on creating an interior workplace environment for an advertising agency who work primarily with clients in the entertainment industry. The environment addresses the workflow and processes among employees as well as working with clients in the workspace. The project inquiry focused on two questions: How can the space break the traditional silo work structures and promote collaboration and interaction at all levels?
Workplace Design Socialize
Focus
Research started with an understanding of the main modes of work. Using the principles of the Nonaka framework, emphasis is placed on collaboration, focus, and socialization. Learning becomes a by-product of collaborative work.
Work modes
Collaborate
Learn
Materials Space/ Set Design / Photography Conference Rooms
Acct/Bus Mgmt
Creative directors Public Relations Media Buyers
High Interaction
Design of the interior space also entailed understanding employee work functions. Low Concentration (Task)
High Interaction
Set Designers
Media Planners
Assistant/ Reception
Lounge/Relax/Play
Photographers
Social (High Interaction)
Individual (Low Interaction)
Digital
Kitchen/Eat
Huddle spaces (Meeting)
Zoning facilitated the relationship between the work functions and work modes.
High Concentration (Task)
Writers
Reception
Work spaces
High Concentration/
High Concentration/
The entrance is within an enclave of the conference rooms, lounge and kitchen. Partitions separate the work areas
Open space plan allows for flexibility of movement Partitions act as storage and also double as whiteboard space for impromptu meetings, quick ideation and sketches. Huddle spaces allow for private high concentration meeting areas off the main dock