Capstone: Introduction and Design Exemplars
The Cyberinfrastructure Building, which houses most of the offices for UITS at Indiana University. This photo was taken by me.
Hello! In the past few weeks, I began to work on my two-semester capstone project. This self-guided project will challenge me to utilize the tools I have learned in my graduate program to produce a design backed by a thorough research process.
For my capstone, I am excited to partner with University Information Technology Services (UITS). UITS is an organization dedicated to developing and maintaining the information-technology environment at Indiana University (IU).
Domain Space: IU Mobile App
Screenshot of the IU Mobile app.
Design: I will explore an enterprise solution. This means my design has to integrate multiple facets of the university’s technology offerings into a useful application. My domain space will focus on researching and designing an enterprise solution which can be used on a daily basis.
Form: The design will likely take the form of a feature included within the IU Mobile application. I will have to work within the constraints and limitations of what UITS developers can create so that my solution can be implemented.
Purpose: Throughout my project, I will be updating my progress to Alan Milner, a product owner at UITS. Currently, Alan and his team are building a single application called the IU Mobile app, which supports everything at IU. What they don’t want is for students to have to download several different apps to receive information. The problem is, Alan isn’t sure what features are most desired by students and what needs to be prioritized. The purpose of my project is to create a useful technology solution which addresses an unmet need for students.
What this solution will be is yet to be decided and discovered! This is where design comes in.
I have identified a problem space which I will discuss in this blog.
Problem Space: Student Involvement
An old photo of my friends and I from Net Impact, a sustainable business organization. I forgot who took this photo!
When I first stepped foot onto IU’s beautiful campus six years ago, I had no idea what was in store for me. As a freshman, I couldn’t imagine the growth I would experience as I climbed to the top of student organizations, joined a social fraternity, studied abroad twice, and opened myself up to new experiences and friendships. My experience in college was so good, I just had to come back for a graduate degree! I was lucky to have found college experiences which turned me into the person I am today.
They say college is the best four years of your life, but how does this happen? I spent my entire freshman year trying to find opportunities that would allow me to make the best of my time at college. Looking back, it wasn’t easy, and frankly I got very lucky.
When students arrive on campus, they enter an unfamiliar situation with people they don’t know at a place they’ve never been to before. They’re expected to become independent and discover who they want to be for the rest of their lives. It’s daunting. I remember being in those shoes thinking I had to figure everything out for myself.
That’s why, I want my problem space to focus on facilitating student involvement. My hope is for every Hoosier to have the chance to get the college experience. I will research the following components of this problem:
Better awareness and outreach of student involvement (including events, clubs or organizations, study abroad, and job opportunities)
A personalized search for experiences that match particular interests.
Design Exemplars
To begin my research, I have compiled three exemplars of designs that relate to this problem space.
Exemplar 1: BeINvolved
For my first exemplar, I examined the website named BeINvolved which currently coordinates student events and activities at IU.
Here is a link to the BeINvolved website: https://beinvolved.indiana.edu/
BeINvolved was introduced when I was an undergrad. At the time, most of my peers and I had problems adopting it to our needs as event organizers. It’s been a few years since I last used BeINvolved, so I decided to revisit its design. The goal of BeINvolved is to provide a single platform for all student organizations to plan and market events. I want to understand how it currently does this.
Alan and the designers at UITS are trying to integrate BeINvolved within the IU Mobile app (once they get the necessary API’s). Right now, development is focused on providing students with basic information about organizations. I would like to investigate BeINvolved to understand the possibilities for integrating more of its content. First, I’ll explain what I like about the website, and then I’ll talk about its shortcomings. I use screenshots to refer to different qualities of the design.
The Pros (what the website does well)…
Event Search
I can browse a variety of different filters by the theme, perks, and type of event.
The filters displayed here show on the left side of the page which make it easy to select.
Event Layout
It looks clean and consistent.
The shapes and colors are basic and traditional.
All relevant information is conveyed.
It’s visually pleasing with the use of images, logos, and icons.
Organization Section
A simple filter by category makes looking up organizations a breeze.
The alphabetical list gives a snapshot of the organizations that is quick to read and intuitive.
The look is consistent with the rest of the website.
The Cons (what the website doesn’t do so well)…
Is it useful?
When I was involved on the marketing team for a couple of student organizations, we didn’t use BeINvolved. From an organizer’s perspective, it was difficult to create events through the application. One thing I noticed is some organizations rarely use the app. In the photo above, the graphic design club AIGA last posted an event four years ago. Like me, they gave up on using the app. To a new student, it would appear this club hasn’t had an event in years, and there currently are no upcoming events.
Lack of Personalization
Every time I open BeINvolved, I’m presented with everything that’s going on. It’s annoying to filter content every time I use the website. For instance, some of the events shown above don’t align with my interests.
I would like to see what’s going on for the organizations I am a member of (or interested in). While it does show my membership, I can’t limit featured events based only on my areas of interest.
Standardization
The image above also shows what I consider a limitation. As mentioned, the information is basic and consistent. The standard layout is simple to understand but not interesting to look at. As a tradeoff, the personality of each organization isn’t captured within this plain format. Nothing really stands out as special to me, but it is informative.
Design Implications…
Most importantly, I have to show that organizations will find value in using my design. It appears that BeINvolved isn’t being used by every organization on campus. How can I make it easier for clubs and events to consistently market themselves without the process being a burden?
BeINvolved is focused on students. Users that also host events like faculty, staff, and Bloomington business owners aren’t included. Is there a way to involve more Hoosier into the mix?
My design can offer a more personalized experience which shares interests based on individual membership. Perhaps I can integrate some of this information within a widget on the iPhone.
Further Research…
Next, I need to understand a user’s perspective of BeINvolved by conducting primary research. Some questions for me to consider:
Who uses BeINvolved? Do people use the app?
What do or don’t people use BeINvolved for?
When do people use BeINvolved?
Why are people using or not using BeINvolved?
Exemplar 2: IU FYE
While talking to Alan about the IU Mobile app, he mentioned that IU has an app called IU FYE (which stands for Freshman Year Experience). I took a look at the IU FYE app for my second exemplar.
IU FYE is the closest thing IU has to a personalized mobile application for student involvement. The goal of the IU FYE app is to provide all the necessary information first year students need. I never used the app before, so I decided to try it out. Just as I did with the BeINvolved website, I analyzed the pros and cons of the app to get inspiration for my problem space. I found useful functions included in the IU FYE app, but there are also several missing pieces. I use screenshots here to show the design qualities I am referring to.
The Pros (what the app does well)…
Schedule of Events
Unlike BeINvovled, IU FYE allows users to view events based on a calendar view.
To me, this navigation view feels more natural. People have used calendars their entire lives to organize dates and times, so it makes sense to organize events this way. I can also add events to my own schedule.
Resources
This guide includes a variety of information which I find helpful:
FAQ section
Transfer student info
Dining options
QR Code Scan
The app includes a feature to scan QR codes to add guides. This could be a very helpful tool for advertising on the spot.
Filter Buttons
The schedule of events includes a colorized filter button. I think this design can easily let students adjust their navigation without having to open a new menu.
The Cons (what the app doesn’t do so well)…
“Explore” Button
After signing in, the app looks empty. There’s a single guide under the explore section. This makes me think the app is neglected and not updated often.
One Guide
The only guide included has to be downloaded to view. Students might as well just download the .pdf file as opposed to getting this app.
“Guides” Button
What utility does the app provide aside from organizing a single guide? The design is okay, but to be blunt this app is a waste of space.
Design Implications…
First and foremost, my design needs to add real value. Having to download this app just to view a single guide feels like a waste of time. I‘d rather have this integrated into the IU Mobile app.
There’s a lot of information under the resources menu, but it’s very organized based on a categorized list. This makes it easy to identify the information I want when I want it. Using categories is a potential way I can make information more accessible.
The events calendar is a useful way to organize events I would be interested in. I wonder if this application can be applied into a student’s calendar on their phone or Smart Watch.
I will have to consider how my design will fit into orientation. What’s missing from this experience? Notably, there’s nothing here about technology, greek life, study abroad, social life, intramural and sports, etc. All these aspects first year students would likely want to also know more about.
Further Research…
Similar to the BeINvolved website, I want to understand if first year students are actually using this app (and if they know about it). How are they using it and what for? What else do they want to know about? Primary research with the first year class will be needed to understand their perspective.
Exemplar 3: SMU Residential Commons
My third exemplar is inspired by an article written by Lauren Smart ‘11 for SMU Magazine. Here is a link to her story:
There are 11 living commons each with their own community (like the houses at Hogwarts). Source: https://www.smu.edu/studentaffairs/housing/livingoncampus/residentialcommons
In 2014, Southern Methodist University (SMU) completed five new residential buildings on the Southeast corner of campus. With these additional residential halls, SMU employed a unique model for their student housing: residential commons. Residential commons in some ways are like the houses from the Harry Potter series. The goal of this model is to provide a common experience.
Here’s how it works:
The majority of the students are assigned with a random roommate.
Faculty members live in the residence halls with their own apartment.
Students are required to live in residence halls for both their freshman and sophomore years.
The relationship with a hall is meant to last the entire academic career.
Classrooms are included in each hall.
Students are encouraged to bond with their residential neighbors.
SMU’s residential commons reveal several important considerations and limitations when designing for student engagement.
Student and faculty interaction…
An interesting consequence of the commons model is the interaction between students and faculty. Although professors live in close proximity to students, they are not meant to be a figure of authority. The goal here is to develop a more natural and informal relationship between students and faculty.
Benefits
Building a closer connection between students and faculty is an important dynamic. Although it might be intimidating at first, students can easily attend office hours and have organic conversations with their professors. As assistant director of residential life Jeff Grim put it, “I imagine professors will start different traditions, like taking a group of students to a local theater or inviting them over for movies or coffee.” Professors can play a bigger role in student’s academic and personal growth if they can support them more outside the classroom.
When developing this model, senior executive director of residence life and student housing Steven Logan claims, “Academic integration and interaction is one of the main benefits we came across in our research on the Commons model.”
Criticism
I am in no ways against building bridges between students and faculty. However, I do believe some students would want to establish boundaries between their academic and personal lives. Keeping this separation at times is necessary to maintain a balance. This could be difficult to do when the separation between academic and personal life is so closely connected as it is at SMU.
SMU is a small, private school where including classes and professors within residence halls is more manageable. However, on a larger scale this closer, long-term relationship would be more difficult to achieve on a campus where the student population is higher.
Design Implications
Alan discussed how himself and developers at UITS want to involve faculty into their production of the IU Mobile app. Faculty are an important stakeholder to include in my design process. I believe there is an opportunity to foster a closer connection between students and faculty.
Stereotypes and diversity…
A challenge to student life is the perception of stereotypes. Oftentimes, students are identified by labels such as, “frat guy”, “Kelley kid”, or “honors student”. Another goal behind SMU’s commons is to overcome this barrier by promoting diversity and inclusion between all students.
Benefits
Since living arrangements are random, every hall is comprised of a wide range of students. As Lori White, the VP for student affairs, puts it, “We want to avoid the stereotypes that X-type of student lives here and Y-type of student lives there.” A stronger sense of community and belonging can emerge when a diverse mix of students bond together.
Helping students branch out and overcome stereotypes can open them up to new opportunities and new friend groups.
Criticism
At IU, students can join a learning community in which they live in a dorm with like-minded students (such as business students, honors students, or other areas of interest). I think this provides a chance for students to find relationships with people they share common-interests with. It could hinder student’s involvement if they feel out of place in their residence hall.
Design Implications
Striking a balance between individual and community interests will be a paramount challenge. How can I encourage people to explore their personal interests while also opening up to new experiences?
Proximity and location…
Due to the fact that students will have to live on campus longer (at least 2 years), they will be able to stay physically close and connected to campus life.
Benefits
Oftentimes, the enthusiasm of freshman engagement sizzles out after people move off campus. Student involvement and camaraderie is often a matter of proximity. By keeping students close together on campus, they have more opportunity to stay active with one another and form longer lasting bonds throughout college.
Deanna Vella, who was a Residential Assistant for two years at SMU, remarked, “I would watch kids take almost all year to settle into their lives, and then they would start looking for an apartment.” The commons model provides stability. It allows students to stay comfortable and involved in student activities and events.
While students can find affinity in greek life or student organizations, this can take time. The commons model brings people together from day one.
Criticism
Does living on campus deprive students of the opportunity to learn independence? College is a time when students can learn what it’s like to live on their own outside the bubble of campus (they can learn to buy groceries, pay bills, use public transportation, etc.). These experiences are lost if the entire academic career is spent on campus.
Design Implications
With such a large campus and spread out student body, implementing the common’s model at IU is not realistic. With that being said, it’s important to find ways to make a big campus feel small. My design can attempt to create a feeling of closeness that goes beyond the freshman year experience.
Roadblocks Ahead: Stakeholder Support
“Support from Human Resources, Student Affairs, SOM, Associated Students, and faculty invested in community health needs was essential to engage the campus community. This support facilitated dissemination of information on HCI activities and increased visibility of the initiative and efforts to promote a culture of health. However, buy-in from faculty was difficult to obtain.”
Reference: Cheney, A. M., Chobdee, J., Mcculloh, K., Vázquez, E., Jara, E., & Deas, D. (2020). Engaging Stakeholders in the Healthy Campus Movement. Progress in Community Health Partnerships: Research, Education, and Action, 14(3), 299-306. doi:10.1353/cpr.2020.0035
This quote was taken from an article that described the Healthy Campus Initiative (HCI, not Human-Computer Interaction). The study evaluated the benefits and struggles to implementing the culture of health framework. For college campuses, their aim was to…
Make health a shared value.
Support collaboration between the campus and local community.
Create a fair and inclusive campus community.
The article highlights a key component needed to engage the campus community. To change a culture, it takes a village. The researchers used observations, qualitative, and quantitative collection methods to understand health-initiatives across different stakeholders. Fostering collaboration between students, administration, faculty, staff, and city representatives was necessary to engage health at a cultural level, even if it wasn’t easy.
This means if I want to avoid creating a useless app (IU FYE) or neglected website (BeINvolved), I have to connect different users across a sustainable design ecosystem.
My exemplars have given me an understanding of the problem space I am in. Next, I will gain an understanding of who my stakeholders by conducting primary research (starting with a focus group).
