Reﬂection on Visualization Tool 

 By Bappa Singh . 

 Challenge & Selection 

 In this globally connected space of creative practitioners and design students , while working on a   large team with varied mindset , it becomes important to bring everybody onboard with the broad   goal that needs to be achieved . In one of my recent projects , I got the opportunity to work with a   global team of designers . We were a team including students from India , US and Singapore .    While our common interest for accessible product design helped us to agree collectively on some   baseline outcomes that we had to achieve , but it was also important for us to know each other   and have clarity about everyone ’s hopes , expectations , positionality , skills etc . Although I think of   myself as a good team person who has several experience working on a group projects , working   with a global team had never happened to me . I wanted to be mindful of how to approach the   conversation starter , get acquainted with each other and build a positive team spirit . 

 Visualisation tool is one of the most dynamic tool that allows different voices to be heard in   various forms like sketching , making connections through lines and graph , mapping thoughts ,   imaging etc . Through the course I also learnt how visualisation tool can also be applied at   different stages of the project depending on time and requirement . Since it is simple and easy to   use , we collectively found some of visualisation tools that I wanted us to try out to see how it   could help in a global and inter - cultural team throughout the project . 

 Application 

 Since we were bunch of people from different countries , it was important for us to know the   positionality , interests and cultural background of each other . We started with some activities like   sketching idea of team - work , sketching idea of success , mapping positionality ,   sharing picture of   their workspace . This acted as ice - breaker activities to initiate conversations to know about each   other and come closer in terms of a team . We also ideated individual avatar that was a fun and   engaging activity to do . Only in the few hours , we learnt quite a few interesting aspects of each   other 's lives and culture . I felt that during the pandemic , such activities helped us empathise with   circumstances of one another before we delved into the formal project . 

 Our team was working on finding new user - centric and inclusive products for kitchen . In the   following steps of research , we used visualisation tool to find hidden pattern , generate qualitative   and quantitative data insights . During our online interview with the sample user set , we   extensively used photograph and video method for journalling ‘ day in a life ’ . We also shared single   page toolkit to thoroughly add their regular routine .   Using this visualisation tool helped us   understand closely about the lives of the user because it was more convenient for the users to    photographs of thing things interact with rather than trying to recall everything and narrate it to us   on call .   It basically made the activity more humanistic , engaging while also helping us understand   the nuance challenges they faced everyday . It was also convenient for the design team to ask   questions regarding certain artefacts that were shared in the pictures . We also used visual   thinking tools like Empathy mapping ,   sticky notes tools to make connections during the research   phase and create visual mood - board the product ideas the team wanted to work on . 

 In the crucial stage of product ideation and user feedback , visual tools came in really handy .    Taking the innovative mindset approach for the ideation phase , we engaged in rigorous and   intense product ideation that aimed at generating as many of ideas without any judgement . The   product ideation included many aspects like form , usability , ergonomics etc . I have to admit that   the inter - cultural and inter - disciplinary approach turned out to be   beneficial for us as it helped in   bringing thoughts from our own experiences and personal interactions with people with disability   as well . After the ideation , we took those designs to user to take inputs . Everything was in online   mode , so we either presented the ideas to the users or sent them images through main . They   could either print it and scribble on it , or write their comments and thoughts separately and share   with us . The ideation and finalising the design was the most engaging and critical aspect of the   project that went pretty well . 

 Insight and Approach 

 Working online with remote users and team is challenging . While it could create gaps in how each   one of us understood the information , visualization tools like images , videos . Empathy mapping   made sure that the data we gathered through research and user interview was available to us in   different forms that we could refer back to at any stage of the process . These tools also made it   easier for the user to participate in the interview better without seeming disconnect due to the   designs . We were able to share the designs with them over email , which they could either print   and scribble at or edit it online with some assistance , or share their viewpoints with us online on   video .   We put everything up on Miro to extend our discussion in the group . I learnt and realised   how these tools bring out nuance aspects during the whole project , from framing questions t to   mapping user journey to ideating prototypes . They help communicate in non - verbal mode with   more clarity that everybody could see and interact with . It helped me understand how in an   innovation led design process , visual tools can enrich the information and help understand the   context better . 

 Overall , I feel although I was already acquainted with some visual thinking tools , I realised their   significance more after applying them consciously in the project . Visualisation tool is a very useful   method of ethnographic research and ideation . It is certainly a very inclusive tool that values   different multimedia into the each stage of design process . 

 The project went pretty well . But I think it took us time to plan the use of different tools effectively .   Although we coped well during our online work , next time I would like to try them out during in- person project research and ideation . I am pretty sure it would be more engaging and useful that   way . During out last project , we used the template that we gathered from the internet . For my next   project , I am thinking to customise the information before sending out the toolkit to users so that   that our intention is explained well , and the toolkit does better hand - holding in the process .   I am   Also going to   find other kinds of visual thinking tools that either exist or have been generated by   people itself . 


EMAIL: 
ID_NUM: 
NAME_STUDENT: Bappa Singh
PHONE_NUM: 
STREET_ADDRESS: 
URL_PERSONAL: 
USERNAME: 

### Task: You are a PII (Personal Identity Information) Detection. Given a essays written by students, you have to identify ONLY the following:
NAME_STUDENT - The full or partial name of a student that is not necessarily the author of the essay. This excludes instructors, authors, and other person names.
EMAIL - A student’s email address.
USERNAME - A student's username on any platform.
ID_NUM - A number or sequence of characters that could be used to identify a student, such as a student ID or a social security number.
PHONE_NUM - A phone number associated with a student.
URL_PERSONAL - A URL that might be used to identify a student.
STREET_ADDRESS - A full or partial street address that is associated with the student, such as their home address.
### Input: Reﬂection on Visualization Tool 

 By Bappa Singh . 

 Challenge & Selection 

 In this globally connected space of creative practitioners and design students , while working on a   large team with varied mindset , it becomes important to bring everybody onboard with the broad   goal that needs to be achieved . In one of my recent projects , I got the opportunity to work with a   global team of designers . We were a team including students from India , US and Singapore .    While our common interest for accessible product design helped us to agree collectively on some   baseline outcomes that we had to achieve , but it was also important for us to know each other   and have clarity about everyone ’s hopes , expectations , positionality , skills etc . Although I think of   myself as a good team person who has several experience working on a group projects , working   with a global team had never happened to me . I wanted to be mindful of how to approach the   conversation starter , get acquainted with each other and build a positive team spirit . 

 Visualisation tool is one of the most dynamic tool that allows different voices to be heard in   various forms like sketching , making connections through lines and graph , mapping thoughts ,   imaging etc . Through the course I also learnt how visualisation tool can also be applied at   different stages of the project depending on time and requirement . Since it is simple and easy to   use , we collectively found some of visualisation tools that I wanted us to try out to see how it   could help in a global and inter - cultural team throughout the project . 

 Application 

 Since we were bunch of people from different countries , it was important for us to know the   positionality , interests and cultural background of each other . We started with some activities like   sketching idea of team - work , sketching idea of success , mapping positionality ,   sharing picture of   their workspace . This acted as ice - breaker activities to initiate conversations to know about each   other and come closer in terms of a team . We also ideated individual avatar that was a fun and   engaging activity to do . Only in the few hours , we learnt quite a few interesting aspects of each   other 's lives and culture . I felt that during the pandemic , such activities helped us empathise with   circumstances of one another before we delved into the formal project . 

 Our team was working on finding new user - centric and inclusive products for kitchen . In the   following steps of research , we used visualisation tool to find hidden pattern , generate qualitative   and quantitative data insights . During our online interview with the sample user set , we   extensively used photograph and video method for journalling ‘ day in a life ’ . We also shared single   page toolkit to thoroughly add their regular routine .   Using this visualisation tool helped us   understand closely about the lives of the user because it was more convenient for the users to    photographs of thing things interact with rather than trying to recall everything and narrate it to us   on call .   It basically made the activity more humanistic , engaging while also helping us understand   the nuance challenges they faced everyday . It was also convenient for the design team to ask   questions regarding certain artefacts that were shared in the pictures . We also used visual   thinking tools like Empathy mapping ,   sticky notes tools to make connections during the research   phase and create visual mood - board the product ideas the team wanted to work on . 

 In the crucial stage of product ideation and user feedback , visual tools came in really handy .    Taking the innovative mindset approach for the ideation phase , we engaged in rigorous and   intense product ideation that aimed at generating as many of ideas without any judgement . The   product ideation included many aspects like form , usability , ergonomics etc . I have to admit that   the inter - cultural and inter - disciplinary approach turned out to be   beneficial for us as it helped in   bringing thoughts from our own experiences and personal interactions with people with disability   as well . After the ideation , we took those designs to user to take inputs . Everything was in online   mode , so we either presented the ideas to the users or sent them images through main . They   could either print it and scribble on it , or write their comments and thoughts separately and share   with us . The ideation and finalising the design was the most engaging and critical aspect of the   project that went pretty well . 

 Insight and Approach 

 Working online with remote users and team is challenging . While it could create gaps in how each   one of us understood the information , visualization tools like images , videos . Empathy mapping   made sure that the data we gathered through research and user interview was available to us in   different forms that we could refer back to at any stage of the process . These tools also made it   easier for the user to participate in the interview better without seeming disconnect due to the   designs . We were able to share the designs with them over email , which they could either print   and scribble at or edit it online with some assistance , or share their viewpoints with us online on   video .   We put everything up on Miro to extend our discussion in the group . I learnt and realised   how these tools bring out nuance aspects during the whole project , from framing questions t to   mapping user journey to ideating prototypes . They help communicate in non - verbal mode with   more clarity that everybody could see and interact with . It helped me understand how in an   innovation led design process , visual tools can enrich the information and help understand the   context better . 

 Overall , I feel although I was already acquainted with some visual thinking tools , I realised their   significance more after applying them consciously in the project . Visualisation tool is a very useful   method of ethnographic research and ideation . It is certainly a very inclusive tool that values   different multimedia into the each stage of design process . 

 The project went pretty well . But I think it took us time to plan the use of different tools effectively .   Although we coped well during our online work , next time I would like to try them out during in- person project research and ideation . I am pretty sure it would be more engaging and useful that   way . During out last project , we used the template that we gathered from the internet . For my next   project , I am thinking to customise the information before sending out the toolkit to users so that   that our intention is explained well , and the toolkit does better hand - holding in the process .   I am   Also going to   find other kinds of visual thinking tools that either exist or have been generated by   people itself .
### Output: 