From start to finish, this project was a lot more complicated than I was originally anticipating. After starting with the constraint map, I was a little nervous continuing on with the project. This is because I had never done anything like it before, so I was worried I wouldn’t hold up to the standards my professors were anticipating. Then for the next challenge, trying to come up with 50 brainstorming ideas was really hard. I was stumped after idea 10. Fortunately, I was able to see what other students thought processes were on the MIDE site which helped inspire me to complete the next 40. After the hardship of coming up with ideas, the concept board came easy. However, it did make me nervous when I saw that everyone else looked differently. But I was proud of my work and how I thought it best summed up my brainstorming ideas with a personal and universal touch to it. It was from that point on where I started to get really excited about the challenges because I like to do more hands-on activities. For the three-concepts project, I knew right when I read the prompt that I wanted to make a video. I was fortunate enough to choose the family activity the night before this project was due so I got my family to assist me so we can do something different that’s not a board game. I did run into a roadblock when I was trying to come up with a prototype. However, after thinking about all the ways my concepts were related and then conversing about it with my peers, I settled on a 30-day challenge. When creating this challenge I wanted to add some excitement to my daily routine. I chose activities that I have enjoyed in the past but haven’t fully had the opportunity to do due to my hectic college schedule. 

Before creating my prototype I started getting into a routine that was like a blackhole. Yes, it was productive, however, I started to find my activities less and less intriguing. After beginning my 30-day challenge, I have found that I’m excited with every new day that comes. This is because I have something new to look forward to that changes every day. I appreciate having a variety of activities, yet have some consistency so I can elaborate and improve the experience. For example, go on more complex adventures or dive deeper into a book. By adjusting my activities will allow for more innovation.  Another reason why I like the 30-day challenge is because I can see ways in which I can improve it. 

One way that I’ve already transformed my prototype is by inserting pictures of the activity I completed on my challenge calendar. Therefore, I can visually see my progress. Even though I am six days in, by looking back at what I have done has given me a sense of accomplishment and a boost of encouragement to continue this journey. Another way I can improve my prototype is by making two activities instead of one (one in the morning and one at night). Therefore, I can keep the repetitiveness of it (like read books) yet it will allow me to try new things at the same time. 

A wow factor that I could use for my project is inputting videos instead of using photos. At the end of the challenge I can string the videos all together to show my journey throughout the 30 days. What inspired me for this was my Video 365 application. For the past three years, I have been documenting a second each day of my life. When New Years comes around, I string all 365 videos together. This allows me to reflect on my past and see all of the happiness that year has brought me, and help me bring back good memories that came from it. So if I do something similar to that with my challenge it will have more immediate results and allow me a higher sense of accomplishment. 

Overall, this design process was a lot harder than I was originally anticipating. At first glance all of the activities seem “easy-peasy lemon-squeezy,” however, when you dive in,  it’s a lot more complicated. Trying to think outside the box is really difficult and takes a lot of time and effort to work through ideas until you reach a solution that you’re happy with. In terms of the design hierarchy, I believe that creating the prototype hit the usability phase of the pyramid since it incorporates all the basic ideas that were considered before and transforms it into something tangible. Proficiency and creativity will come after the prototype has been tested for a while so I can properly alter it to become as innovative as it can be. I’m excited to see how this process will progress in the future. After using this design process, I am more confident to tackle other projects with the same kind of tactics to grow an idea into something better.