Markets, Innovation & Design - Spring 2020

Habits Reflection

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I believe that the habit of embracing ambiguity has tremendously helped and applied in other classes of mine, specifically Introduction to Women’s & Gender Studies and my first finance course (MGMT 203). In my gender studies course, our major assignments had very vague prompts and we had a lot of free reign. While many in my class were overwhelmed by the options, it felt freeing to know that there were many different avenues that my papers could go down. Similarly in my finance course, my group had very vague outlines of what each of our presentations were going to look like. By collaborating together, we were able to determine what aspects of the company would fit the best into a story for each presentation. Without this course, doing so would have been much more difficult. This habit came naturally to me since, ever since I was young, I always was one to be pushing the boundaries when it came to assignments. I find that I work better with some freedoms rather than rigid guidelines since my ideas can develop further.

I have learned a lot about myself when it comes to child’s eye and hyper observation. I noticed that I don’t take in the little things in my every day life. Instead I speed through routines and don’t let what happens to me sink it. I have found it very therapeutic to make myself slow down and notice the little things going on around me. While hyper observation doesn’t come as easy to me, it is something that I want to work on this most. This habit is the most rewarding because it not only inspires me for projects, but it re-centers me when I feel overwhelmed in my daily life. Especially in the current climate, it is easy for me to feel overwhelmed by the news and the possibility of me or a loved one getting sick. Looking at everything during my walks with my dog at home are a way for me to feel more at peace at this time in my life.

The habit I want to work on the most is failing forward. For that assignment, I felt like my failures weren’t strong enough for me to feel like I fail forward. I still think about grades in courses, and I fear not doing well on assignments, reflecting on my GPA. I believe that the way I was raised was to avoid failure at all costs, so it is going to take more practice getting comfortable with failure for me to accept it as a tool to move forward.

Test & Iterate

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After completing the first week of my guitar lesson prototype, I realized I underestimated how much I remembered. I quickly got bored with the exercises I was doing and found that I wanted to get right into learning the songs. I decided to change the timeline a little so that the reviewing of chords is only one week rather than two so I can get back into learning songs and doing what I enjoy. I also found that playing songs is great practice for chords and strumming.

My favorite part about the prototype was the journaling aspect which I did not expect. This addition was kind of an after thought, but it was what I looked forward to the most. Listing my accomplishments and reflecting on my struggles made me feel like I was really making progress. Identifying my frustrations helped focus me in my other practice sessions. Another important tool that helped motivate me to practice was my reward/punishment system. On days where I didn’t really feel like playing, I did a 20 or 30 minute workout to get my body moving. Usually afterwards, I felt productive and wanted to do something with my day–namely guitar. Also, to reward myself for practicing, I would eat some ice cream or cookies since I usually practiced after dinner.

My experience with this design was productive and positive. I was reminded of the things I really enjoyed doing, and making that Brainstorming list has really helped me when I catch myself being bored. With 50 items on a list, at least one of them would make me feel better. Moving into the Prototype, I wasn’t really sure how to create something that would truly make me relearn guitar the way I wanted to. Making something aesthetically pleasing and simple seemed the best place to start, and after creating my original timeline I pushed myself to expand on it. I think that this design changed my experience during quarantine because it made me do more with my day than just stare at screens. I could rest my eyes and take pride in listening to music that I am playing with my own hands. Being in quarantine, it is hard to find things to be proud of doing, but playing guitar was extremely rewarding.

I would love to expand this idea into more weeks with more songs that I can add to my skills. Also, implementing review in the plan so that I don’t forget any old songs that I have learned. Also, if there was a way to make this into a challenge with two people, competition would definitely aid in learning quicker and better. Creating a community within this challenge could add a ‘wow factor’ that brings people together in a time of isolated crisis.

My overall experience with the design process was rewarding. I do wish that we had the opportunity to work with our small businesses to create a website, but this was rewarding in a different way. This process gave me an awareness of my own actions and a choice to do more with my day than just watch television and be scared of becoming sick. Beautiful things can still happen and exist among a crisis.

Prototype

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The prototype I created is a timeline to reteach myself guitar over the next six weeks. Every two weeks there is a new concept to review: the basics, easy songs, and pluck chords. From the overarching timeline, I broke out each concept into a new page to elaborate my plan. On the bottom of each page, I gave myself a prompt to motivate myself to journal how I feel about the process. I can reflect on what works and what doesn’t and therefore make adjustments to this prototype.

I chose to focus on songs that I enjoy listening to that will also be easy to memorize to play in the future. Having an end goal of performing a song or two for my family will also motivate me to keep practicing throughout the week. Bringing all of the materials together onto one timeline as a reference will simplify the search for learning materials. I already saved the YouTube videos and found the songs on GuitarTabs to reference while I learn.

Having a goal for each week will improve my experience during quarantine. Playing guitar is something that I used to really enjoy but stopped making time for. By putting myself on a schedule to relearn chords and strumming patterns, I can have some time to myself to play around and have fun. Setting goals, like learning songs and chords, will keep me on track to eventually play in front of people! Not only can I play for my family, but I can even perform for my friends over Zoom!

3 Concepts

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My first sketch is of me teaching myself guitar. I made a sketch of the outline of a guitar and included the names of artists whose songs I want to learn. I kept in mind that these artists make music in different genres so I can be broad in my learning. I had fun with this sketch when I wrote out all of the chords that I already know. It made me feel proud. However, I also wrote that I need to work on my strumming techniques to actually play songs that sound good. Relearning the guitar falls under proficiency in the designer’s hierarchy of needs because I already know how to play but I am improving my current skills.

My second sketch was about my daily to do lists. Rather than make an example of a to do list that gets repetitive, I included more guidelines on what I want the to do list to cover. I want it to encompass my whole day rather than just mornings or nights. Also, I want to include a mix of healthy activities, school work, self care, and entertainment with friends. Sometimes I get bored of to do lists because I am not excited with what is on them. Instead, by including a mix of activities that I must do in order, it will motivate me to accomplish everything. I believe this falls under the reliability category on the designer’s hierarchy of needs because sticking to a to do list will ensure that I have consistent performance every day.

My last sketch was a little bit harder to conceptualize for me. I didn’t want to pressure of doing everything perfect every day to get to my head and discourage me from trying new routines. Rather than be upset with myself for not finishing a daily to do list, I want to be proud of what I did accomplish that day. Also, working out at home has proven to be difficult because it is easy to just give up and go back to being lazy in my house. Rather than letting a difficult workout that I might not be able to complete get to my head, I want to finish as much of it as I can and be happy I got myself moving that day. It is easy to beat yourself up for not doing everything exactly right, so I want to give myself encouragement for giving new things my best effort even if I do not succeed. This falls under the creativity category for the designer’s hierarchy of needs because this is an innovative way to look at what success and failure look like to me.

Coronacation Brainstorm

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This activity got me really motivated to start doing more things with my days. Usually, I feel defeated in the morning because I don’t think there is anything to do. In reality, there is, I just have to sit down and put some thought into it. I started by writing some things that would get me into more of a habit, such as waking up and going to sleep on time, stretching, etc… I think the most important piece of that is making a to do list every morning. I miss running errands during the day because they made me feel like I had a purpose. Now, I need to give myself that purpose by listing out the things I want to accomplish that day.

My second idea is reteaching myself guitar. I was inspired to put this from my concept map because I used to really enjoy playing but never found the time to keep practicing. I want to stop being lazy and pushing things for “later” and this break is the perfect time to identify things that I push.

I always feel happier and more productive after I do a workout, so I highlighted taking an online exercise class. It’s hard for me to do a workout on my own versus a class because I feel more motivated if someone is telling me what to do. It holds me more accountable than just stopping whenever I want if I did it on my own accord.

Finally, my last idea is to stop putting so much pressure and focus on doing everything perfect. If I know I can’t do something right, I end up not really every trying to do it instead of failing, practicing, and getting better. For example, I won’t start cooking because I am afraid to burn it or waste food if it tastes bad. Or, I won’t start journaling because I’ll tell myself “You’ll never keep up with this, it’s stupid!” I need to focus more on just starting things and giving them my best shot rather than fearing it not be perfect.

Concept Board

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To brainstorm for my concept board, I decided on a color palette of neutral greens and earthy browns/oranges. These mellow colors made me feel reflective and relaxed: my main goals for this extended break and stay at home. To accentuate this, I added some green lights and lights to bring out this feeling of calm.

The first visual that came to me was nature and sunlight. Being fully inside all the time has always dampened my mood and lessened my productivity, so having natural light and plants where I spend my time is important. I chose to include a sunset, a trail and some indoor plants to keep this idea in play.

Second, I focused on hobbies that I want to bring back into my life. I used to play guitar, but it has been collecting dust since I have been at school. I also used to workout quite often, but have slackened off in the past months. Finally, I included a journal to represent the empty journal I bought a month ago that still has yet to be written in. I never made time for hobbies at school because of how busy I was, but with this free time they can be revived.

Last, I included some depictions of improving my health. I rarely get enough sleep, so this is an opportunity for me to catch up and regulate my sleep schedule to be a healthier one. The image of the face mask represents my goal to take time to take care of myself as well. One of my biggest sources of stress is having a messy room/workplace, but I rarely have the willpower to clean it up so I can be more productive. The image of organized drawers represents my desire to learn to be more clear headed and organized.

COVID-19 Constraints

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There are a variety of ways that the world is responding to this pandemic crisis, good and bad. Families are preparing meals and extra food to donate to those who don’t have access. Rather than hoarding their own, these families are ensuring that everyone feels taken care of during this time of self isolation. Also, families have been able to spend more quality time together, making the best out of it through funny videos on Snapchat and Tik Tok. On a larger scale, the environment has been benefiting from less human action. The canals in Venice are starting to run clear, and there has even been footage of dolphins in the water. The smog in China is lifting, showing blue skies for the first time in years. Less people out in NYC shows less litter in Times Square. People are spending more time alone in nature, appreciating its beauty on hikes, picnics, walks, and bike rides.

Focusing more on the returning college students, we have been staying in contact with our friend groups through Zoom chats (like online classes stay connected). Additionally, there are trends on Instagram and Snapchat stories to post videos of fun memories from this past year at school. A fear of many is losing the connections that were made at school, but technology has been working in our favor to diminish this fear. Another fear is getting out of shape or regressing back to poor eating habits. Online at-home workouts are being posted all over social media to inspire people to get moving at home and with their families.

In this globally connected world, pandemics are nothing new. It was comforting to read that diseases like SARS, the Black Plague, Influenza, and more all paralleled what we are going through now. There was fear, rapid spread and confusion, but finally, the end.

Creating this constraint map illustrated all the ways that this pandemic hinders our everyday lives, but there is an opportunity to transform these hindrances into innovation. End users want to feel happiness in their lives, and social responsibility can be a big part of that. Doing your part by donating food or money, social distancing, or even volunteering can allow someone to feel like they are living a full life. Also, while some may feel trapped at home, there is an opportunity to take time to work on personal goals, maybe even that New Years Resolution that you forgot you made. Rather than sit at home in fear, reflecting on the bad that is happening in the world, reflect on yourself and your character. What are things that you want to change about yourself? Being separated from society can be therapeutic, forcing yourself to reflect on who you are as a person. Another example is the usage of media. Younger generations aren’t watching Fox News or CNN, but they are constantly on social media. “Influencers” and famous young talent have been using their platforms to spread awareness about COVID-19 and what to do to help.

After completing this map, I felt more at ease with my situation living at home. I only saw the negatives–not seeing college friends, going out to eat, no more in person classes. However, there is more to social distancing than meets the eye.

Inspiration – Week 4

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Last night, my sorority had an impromptu recruitment video filming session on our suite. Within twenty minutes, the majority of my pledge class showed up dressed crazy with wigs, metallic pants, headbands, and sunglasses. The usually shy girls that keep to themselves were having so much fun dancing in front of the camera and being comfortable with everyone around them. I also dressed up fun, and collaborating together to figure out funny clips of us made me feel very free.

One thing I realized was the difference in personality in people when they dress up in costume. Some girls have alternate names they call themselves when they wear fun wigs because they get to come out of their shell. It was inspiring to me because I can see how changing my outer appearance to something totally new brings out a new side of my personality.

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Inspiration – Week 3

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This week, I went to late night yoga after a really stressful weekend. There was a lot of drama with my friends, so I decided to go to clear my head. We did a meditation after the session with the lights off, and it gave me time to reflect on and process everything that happened. I realized that I am constantly surrounded by people, and I rarely have quiet times by myself. Living with my sorority, I am never alone, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. However, I need to have time alone to come to my own realizations.

I was inspired to be more independent and to do my own thing without needing people to always be with me. I love spending time with my friends, but being by myself makes me feel more zen and relaxed. I don’t want to depend on other people to be there with me if I want to do my own thing. Having my own solo experiences is something I look forward to doing more in the future.

Inspiration – Week 2

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This week, I initially planned on volunteering with Bucknell Buddies on Monday. However, the kids are off from school due to President’s Day this week so I needed to find a different option. After sitting in my dorm room with one of my friends, I asked her if she wanted to go to the Maker’s Space and do some arts and crafts. She said yes, so we went later that evening.

When we got there, I bought a $1 canvas and filled up a plate with a bunch of random colors. After staring at the canvas for a few minutes, I started scrolling through my VSCO account for some inspiration, but I remembered something. I knew this was familiar. Freshman year, whenever I would get anxious, sad, or mad, I used to go to my friend Luisa’s room to listen to music and draw pictures that we would tape to her wall. This was a huge way for me to deal with my emotions in a healthy and creative way.

This reminder made me smile and reflect on my memories in her bedroom last year. I spent so much of my time there, and it was always a positive and healthy environment. Now that she has moved out of that room, I found that I lost that way to cope with my emotions. Going to the Maker’s Space and painting reminded me that this is a productive way to relax and refocus myself after a hectic week. I had so much fun with my friend that night trying to figure out what to paint, what colors to choose, and who we wanted to give our pictures to. I like to gift my pictures to other people because my favorite part of drawing and painting is the face of the person that I give it away to.

Inspiration – Week 1

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This weekend, I spoke to one of my sorority sisters, Lena, about this volunteer program she does called “Bucknell Buddies”. Twice a week, she volunteers at an after school program at Meadow View Town Homes. There, she helps underprivileged kids with their homework and plays with them until their parents can pick them up after work. She has been volunteering there since her first semester Freshman year, and as a current Junior, she told me how much of an impact this club has had on her. This inspired me to sign up for the club and go at least once a week. I haven’t been able to go yet this week due to my course schedule, but I plan on going after our class on Thursday!

In the Inspiration article, it discusses how all work and no play is counter intuitive. Instead, having a “playful view allows us to view the world in a different way” (21). As a college student, I am constantly doing work and having little time to relax. Taking time out of my day to literally play with children is a change from my current environment and routine. I am excited to see what comes from my experience on Thursday and for the strong connections to the kids I will make that Lena gushed so much about.

Over-thinker

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Something I have always struggled with in class is overthinking an answer or idea rather than going with my gut and learning from my mistakes. Trying new things and pushing myself to think of creative ideas that might not be fully fleshed out will allow me to learn more. Instead of backing down from participating and overthinking what to say, I will “go for it” and receive feedback on ways to improve. By fostering an open and positive environment in class, others will feel comfortable giving answers that might not be fully right, and we can all discuss to develop the idea and expand it.

MIDE 300 HUMANS

Abby Harris (21), Abby Hislop (21), Alana Bortman (21), Alexander Smith (20), Allie Kotowitz (21), Amisha Chhetri (22), Caitlin Tucker (21), Carly Binday (22), Claudia Glasgow (21), Collin Smith (28), Elana Smith (21), Emily Chopoorian (22), Emily Goldman (23), Erin Mooney (21), Faith Reilly (22), Hannah Moriarty (22), Jabril Mohamed (19), Jane Meng (22), Liam Moriarty (22), Lindsey Knutzen (20), Liza Heyl (21), Lucia Singer (20), Madz Cabico (4), Matt Cervon (19), Meg Coyle (18), Natalie Notz (21), Natalie Ring (23), Nikki Bott (23), Olivia DeNicola (21), Prof. Allen (1), Renne Venico (19), Rowan Beiter (23), Tarrin Earle (20), Zack Yoelson-Angeline (14)