Week 4: Rapid ideation session 1 (pt 1)

1st July 2021

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The objective of the rapid ideation session is to create a prototype of an artefact in two weeks. The aim is to reflect upon the content I have learned in the module and apply my knowledge and skills to practice. My learnings are time and project management, creativity and prototyping.

Although I do not have much experience in rapid ideation, I am looking forward to experiencing and learning from the process. In my job, I have encountered working in time-constrained projects of approximately two to three days and it can be stressful and overwhelming. However, I am planning to implement time and project management to organise this session well.

The first part of the theme is an image that was chosen randomly. I was nervous and excited because I was worried that the image might be difficult to interpret but I liked the element of surprise added to the project. The second part is my chosen news headline “More men are giving pilates a try for strength, flexibility and longevity.” I wanted to choose a headline related to fitness and wellbeing because it has become significant over the last couple of years due to the pandemic.

Left: A Dixit card shared in the studypod session used for the RI theme. Right: Screen shot of an article headline take from Apple news app, (Felstead, 2021).

Brainstorm

I started brainstorming ideas using post-it notes with a 10-minute time limit. It added pressure but allowed me to get stuck in straight away to avoid dragging the thinking process out. I then organised the post-it notes into different categories according to their similarities. For example, I grouped the ideas based on what I saw and then linked each category.

Brainstorm image by Lehang Tieu. 2021.

At this point, I wanted to develop a yoga and wellness app for middle-aged adults (45-60). I had initially thought to cater to the elderly (60+) but I was unsure of elderly people owning a smartphone or/and knowing how to use an app.

SCAMPER

I researched an existing wellness app to gather design ideas that could help me with my artefact. I have used the SCAMPER method on the Calm app to generate new ideas with a 15-minute time limit. I found this method a favourite because I find it interesting and beneficial to generate ideas from existing products with good designs.

SCAMPER image by Lehang Tieu. 2021.

Time and project management

I created a Gantt chart to organise the tasks that gave me a high-level overview of the plan. I have categorised the tasks into three stages: planning, ideation and prototype- which resembles the Design Thinking process. I have also created a Trello board that includes the tasks from the Gantt chart with extra details and labels representing each stage.

Buley explains that timeboxing is a helpful tool to divide the time of each task and minimise wasted time and work (Buley, 2013). It is dangerous to lose yourself in particular tasks because you may realise that you need more time to complete them or are spending too much time. It can lead to problems resulting in unachieved goals. With each task, I have created an approximate duration and deadline to organise and structure the project.

Gantt chart image by Lehang Tieu. 2021.

Summary

Reflecting on this past week, it has been quick, challenging and exciting. Time management is something that I struggle with and implementing the Gantt chart and Trello board have both helped me to get an insight into realistic expectations. It has also reduced the stress and anxiety of working on a time-constrained project. I have understood the importance of time and project management because it helps you to prioritise your tasks and achieve your goals. I am looking forward to moving on to the next activities of the ideation session and am excited to see the result of my creativity.

References

The Interaction Design Foundation. 2020. 5 Stages in the Design Thinking Process. [online] Available at: <https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/article/5-stages-in-the-design-thinking-process> [Accessed 25 June 2021].

Buley, L. 2013. The user experience team of one. New York: Louis Rosenfeld, pp.79-80.

Smartsheet. 2021. The Pros and Cons of Gantt Charts | Smartsheet. [online] Available at: <https://www.smartsheet.com/content/gantt-chart-pros-cons> [Accessed 25 June 2021].

Felstead, S. 2021. More men are giving pilates a try for strength, flexibility, and longevity. [image] Available at: <https://www.muscleandfitness.com/athletes-celebrities/interviews/more-men-are-turning-to-reformer-pilates-for-strength-flexibility-and-longevity/> [Accessed 9 August 2021].

Images

Calm.com. 2021. [Image] Available at: <https://www.calm.com/> [Accessed 25 June 2021].

Muscle & Fitness. 2021. More men are giving pilates a try for strength, flexibility, and longevity. [image] Available at: <https://www.muscleandfitness.com/athletes-celebrities/interviews/more-men-are-turning-to-reformer-pilates-for-strength-flexibility-and-longevity/> [Accessed 9 August 2021].