Phase I: EXPLORE

For our first assignment, students had to submit a short proposal for what they thought should be considered as one of the user-group options this year. (They change from year to year.) The staff then sorted through them all to narrow down into select choices, on which the students voted for their top three. Based on that information, the staff sorted students into teams per section. As you can see, this blog features the Section 3 group "PLANTS!" -- an all-female design group focused on Community Gardeners and consisting of four Olin and one Wellesley student. Now, diving into the design process, we reach the first phase: EXPLORE.

So what does it mean to "EXPLORE"?

Each phase has a metaphor describing the user-designer relationship and for Phase I, it is the "sponge." Like a sponge, designers should just absorb any and all observations from the users. Without any filter or side-goal, the students are going into this "all ears" in order to understand/connect with our users. We shouldn't go into the mindset of "designing for" -- where the clients are treated as inadequate with problem areas that need to be fixed. That sort of mindset is alienating and can really misconstrue the design process through personal biases. To minimize such a vibe, there are methods we can use to help us inquire or identify with the user group.

To begin, we want to make sure we have the users' consent for this project, i.e proposal to give to our users. This proposal should describe the purpose, techniques, risks/benefits, (lack of) compensation, time constraints, contact info, etc. We are designing with the users and want them to be fully aware of the details in this process. (Doesn't have to be fancy -- see below.) Because of the confidentiality of our users, I will not be posting pictures or any information identifying these users or the other members of my group.


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