Anne Steiner   October 15 , 2019 

 Design Thinking Reflection – Visualization 

 Challenge    I have a business concept for a sustainability product that will help reduce single - use packaging .   The vision is to create a circular economy around a line of reusable cups , water bottles and   containers that can be borrowed on - demand , then returned for cleaning .   Similar to the   business model of car co - ops , e - scooters and bikes for transportation , I propose a membership- style system that would allow people to access these items at strategically placed vending   machines when they are on - the - go .      The challenge is that this idea has never been fully fleshed out and there are significant gaps in   terms of how the concept can be implemented in real life , both on the consumer side , as well   as the implementation side . Additionally , a big question looms as to whether this is a product or   service .     Ultimately , I need to better understand how this product / service might work so that I can move   forward research and development .     Selection    According to designer Angela Myer visualization helps unlock another part of our brain to   access parts of our creativity for complex problem solving .   These visual tools aid us with   imaginative thinking when more than just logic is needed ; when extrapolation , inductive   reasoning and solving future problems is required .     Due to the complexity and type of thinking that ’s required for my business challenge , the   design thinking tool I select to assist in this challenge is visualization . This is because there is an   immediate need to map out the experience from end - to - end . The purpose of mapping the   process out is both to help me create a more fulsome picture of the user experience myself , as   well as to communicate the business concept effectively to a group of collaborators .     Application   I participate in the Squamish Make - a - Thon , presented by the NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF COLOMBIA and the District of Squamish , to put my design thinking skills to the test . With a   group of collaborators , I use storyboarding to draw out the user experience of my sustainable   solution from beginning to end .      We look at this from two angles : the user experience from an external perspective , and the   redemption process from an internal perspective . In this particular case , the fast and iterative   approach of storyboarding plays a critical role in developing the concept . Through this design   thinking tool , our group immediately identifies areas that may pose challenges to the   experience and exposes aspects of the concept that require more detailed thinking . 

 Anne Steiner   October 15 , 2019 

 The storyboarding addresses both the front - end user experience , as well as the back - end   facilitation of the product . Through this , our group identifies several stages of the process that   we need to rethink . 

 For example , on the front - end , we realize that   when someone identifies their need for a   reusable container , they must have a mechanism   for locating the closest redemption point . To   solve for this , we integrate a location finder   mobile application into the process .     On the back - end , we realize that my original idea   of having a collection service to take dirty   containers away and clean them at a different   facility would be extremely complex ,   cumbersome and not sustainable . We opt ,   instead , to integrate self - cleaning technology 

 into the vending machine , enabling containers to be cleaned on site . This will speed up the   process and keep supplies stocked and reduce the overall carbon footprint of the solution .      Using the help of storyboarding throughout the process , our group continues to adjust the   concept until the flow makes sense to both the consumer and the business . The new   information gained from this visualization helps us hone in on what additional research is   required and what we need to include in our Design Criteria document .      Insight and Approach   After creating the storyboard , I have been able to address critical questions , better   communicate the concept , and create a more defined design road map .      Firstly , visualization helped me answer the most pressing question : is this more of a product or   is it a service ? I have , in fact , established that this is more of a product ( the self - cleaning   vending machine ) and therefore , requires a different approach for research and development .     Additionally , through the help of visual tools , I was able to both better understand my concept   and to communicate it more clearly . Prior to drawing out the business idea , I was having   trouble explaining it because I did not have a foundational understanding of it myself .      Finally , with the help of iterative visual thinking , I have identified new questions to answer for   both the front - end and back - end of the product . This next round of questions will be the   foundation for further research and concept development .      I think storyboarding was the best tool for me at this until I had developed the idea stage of the   business concept because it helped me rapidly iterate more thoroughly . 

 Anne Steiner   October 15 , 2019 

 Moving forward , however , I would like to fine - tune the consumer journey . In the future , I will   create more detailed storyboards with different versions of the user experience . For example ,   one will have a version where the user has to join a membership to access the reusable   container vending machines , while another version will only have a pay - as - you - go option .      Next , I ’ll hold a “ yard sale ” with a focus group , inviting participants to put a coloured dot beside   the stages of the user flow that they are most likely to follow through with . This will help give   me a consensus as to the best user experience before I get into prototyping stage .       This short assignment has revealed the cyclical nature of idea development in that with each   round of iteration , you may need to take three steps back before you can take another step   forward . Ultimately , however , this leads to more effective end - result because the questions are   asked up - front rather than after a product hits the shelves — or in this case , the streets . 


EMAIL: 
ID_NUM: 
NAME_STUDENT: Anne Steiner, Anne Steiner, Anne Steiner
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: Anne Steiner   October 15 , 2019 

 Design Thinking Reflection – Visualization 

 Challenge    I have a business concept for a sustainability product that will help reduce single - use packaging .   The vision is to create a circular economy around a line of reusable cups , water bottles and   containers that can be borrowed on - demand , then returned for cleaning .   Similar to the   business model of car co - ops , e - scooters and bikes for transportation , I propose a membership- style system that would allow people to access these items at strategically placed vending   machines when they are on - the - go .      The challenge is that this idea has never been fully fleshed out and there are significant gaps in   terms of how the concept can be implemented in real life , both on the consumer side , as well   as the implementation side . Additionally , a big question looms as to whether this is a product or   service .     Ultimately , I need to better understand how this product / service might work so that I can move   forward research and development .     Selection    According to designer Angela Myer visualization helps unlock another part of our brain to   access parts of our creativity for complex problem solving .   These visual tools aid us with   imaginative thinking when more than just logic is needed ; when extrapolation , inductive   reasoning and solving future problems is required .     Due to the complexity and type of thinking that ’s required for my business challenge , the   design thinking tool I select to assist in this challenge is visualization . This is because there is an   immediate need to map out the experience from end - to - end . The purpose of mapping the   process out is both to help me create a more fulsome picture of the user experience myself , as   well as to communicate the business concept effectively to a group of collaborators .     Application   I participate in the Squamish Make - a - Thon , presented by the NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF COLOMBIA and the District of Squamish , to put my design thinking skills to the test . With a   group of collaborators , I use storyboarding to draw out the user experience of my sustainable   solution from beginning to end .      We look at this from two angles : the user experience from an external perspective , and the   redemption process from an internal perspective . In this particular case , the fast and iterative   approach of storyboarding plays a critical role in developing the concept . Through this design   thinking tool , our group immediately identifies areas that may pose challenges to the   experience and exposes aspects of the concept that require more detailed thinking . 

 Anne Steiner   October 15 , 2019 

 The storyboarding addresses both the front - end user experience , as well as the back - end   facilitation of the product . Through this , our group identifies several stages of the process that   we need to rethink . 

 For example , on the front - end , we realize that   when someone identifies their need for a   reusable container , they must have a mechanism   for locating the closest redemption point . To   solve for this , we integrate a location finder   mobile application into the process .     On the back - end , we realize that my original idea   of having a collection service to take dirty   containers away and clean them at a different   facility would be extremely complex ,   cumbersome and not sustainable . We opt ,   instead , to integrate self - cleaning technology 

 into the vending machine , enabling containers to be cleaned on site . This will speed up the   process and keep supplies stocked and reduce the overall carbon footprint of the solution .      Using the help of storyboarding throughout the process , our group continues to adjust the   concept until the flow makes sense to both the consumer and the business . The new   information gained from this visualization helps us hone in on what additional research is   required and what we need to include in our Design Criteria document .      Insight and Approach   After creating the storyboard , I have been able to address critical questions , better   communicate the concept , and create a more defined design road map .      Firstly , visualization helped me answer the most pressing question : is this more of a product or   is it a service ? I have , in fact , established that this is more of a product ( the self - cleaning   vending machine ) and therefore , requires a different approach for research and development .     Additionally , through the help of visual tools , I was able to both better understand my concept   and to communicate it more clearly . Prior to drawing out the business idea , I was having   trouble explaining it because I did not have a foundational understanding of it myself .      Finally , with the help of iterative visual thinking , I have identified new questions to answer for   both the front - end and back - end of the product . This next round of questions will be the   foundation for further research and concept development .      I think storyboarding was the best tool for me at this until I had developed the idea stage of the   business concept because it helped me rapidly iterate more thoroughly . 

 Anne Steiner   October 15 , 2019 

 Moving forward , however , I would like to fine - tune the consumer journey . In the future , I will   create more detailed storyboards with different versions of the user experience . For example ,   one will have a version where the user has to join a membership to access the reusable   container vending machines , while another version will only have a pay - as - you - go option .      Next , I ’ll hold a “ yard sale ” with a focus group , inviting participants to put a coloured dot beside   the stages of the user flow that they are most likely to follow through with . This will help give   me a consensus as to the best user experience before I get into prototyping stage .       This short assignment has revealed the cyclical nature of idea development in that with each   round of iteration , you may need to take three steps back before you can take another step   forward . Ultimately , however , this leads to more effective end - result because the questions are   asked up - front rather than after a product hits the shelves — or in this case , the streets .
### Output: 