Storytelling Problem Framing for Aviation 

 Shery Tavormina 

 Challenge   As a systems engineer , I am involved through the design , development , and deployment of new aviation   systems and services deployed . For the design process itself , I look for alternative , innovative ways to   address the problem faced by users in the aviation domain . Design Thinking adds value by providing new   techniques to extract operational shortfalls ( issues ) and needs ( requirements ) from the user community ,   which includes air traffic controllers , safety and maintenance personnel , and pilots . 

 My current project is modernizing how information is shared and displayed to air traffic controllers .   Today , small pieces of paper capture a flight ’s information , which includes destination and path taken to   get to the destination . The intent is to digitize this information , so electronic data can be easily displayed   and shared among air traffic controllers . 

 The challenge faced was to find innovative ways to solicit inputs on the problem space , gain consensus   on the problem , and identify possible solutions to address the problem with a very diverse group of   users . Traditionally , I would use surveys , interviews , loosely structured brainstorm sessions as a means   to quickly collect inputs regarding issues from the user community , who have different experiences , age ,   and more . While these methods are valid ways to solicit user input , these traditional methods were   becoming very routine and we were having trouble soliciting diverse input and getting our users to fully   engage with us . I was concerned that my team was not going to be able to accurately articulate the   problem space , which we needed to be correct before having any discussions around the solution space .   I needed a more creative means to solicit user input , and Design Thinking afforded that opportunity . 

 Selection 

 Design Thinking provides a more methodological and objective way for problem solving . Storytelling is   one of the available tools within the Design Thinking toolkit , where a narrative ( story ) serves as a means   to communicate and share experiences in a very impactful way . This tool was selected to help facilitate a   discussion around the problem space . My team and I thought that Storytelling would be helpful in   framing the problem space and a strategy for solution , as described in Module 2 . We wanted members   of our user community to tell about their experiences and problems that they faced . 

 This facilitation technique was helpful in that everyone was able to share their personal stories , events   they experienced , and lessons learned with the wider group . They shared what happened and who was   involved . These personal anecdotes were impactful and help build trust among the team . It helped my   team understand the operational shortfalls with how data is exchanged and displayed to air traffic   controllers . 

 Application   During the problem framing discussion , we wanted to explore the types of problems , the magnitude of   the problems , and the reason why the(se ) issue(s ) was unacceptable . We created a scenario that 

 sequentially laid out steps of what plane at an airport would be doing before departure . This scenario   served to guide our problem framing discussions and provide some context for our users , without trying   to limit the conversations too . 

 We asked our users to provide stories of the issues they faced ( specifically any issues related to missing   data or getting data too late ) , in the context of how they would control the plane at their airport ( the   scenario ) . The users shared stories about how information would be missed communicated during high   stressed situations . For example , large , popup , thunderstorms occur frequently in Chicago , Il , and one   controller from that area shared a story of how he had to write down on paper reminder notes to help   him keep track of which flights needed a reroute ( to avoid the storm ) or which ones wanted to depart   later after the storm had passed . They expressed how having information printed and written down was   very ineffective . And they shared how there could have been a big operational safety issue when his   papers accidently were shuffled and moved , because he had lost track of the flights he was working   with . 

 These personal stories included nuggets of the issues that the users faced , and we were able to capture   these issues . Others in the discussion were able to react to each other ’s stories , empathize with one   another , and even coalesce around what they all felt were major issues that needed to be addressed . 

 Insight   The user community was a broad representation of air traffic controllers , with a range of experience .   Storytelling was a very valuable technique to use with my users because not all airports operate   similarly , so it was important for each member to listen and understand the experiences and pain points   that others face . It was very important that we had a pretty broad representation of the user   community to have a successful problem framing discussion . If we had a limited set of users , all with   similar experiences for the discussion , my team and I would have had had a very limited understanding   of the real issues , biasing any future discussions and limiting the solution space . Reflecting upon that   meeting , I also think trust is another key component to Design Thinking . It is necessary for everyone to   feel comfortable sharing their perspectives with one another . As stated in the videos for the course ,   empathy is key , and it is important to listen , regardless if you are a user sharing your perspectives or an   engineer who is looking to develop a solution for the problem . In these discussions , I recognized that I   was not an expert on air traffic control , and that my role in these discussions was to recognize and   elevate the inputs to the problem space provided by everyone , only interjecting if I thought there was   an opportunity to dive further into the problem . 

 Storytelling is not a traditional systems engineering method for soliciting input on the problem or   solution space . Yet , it is critical for systems engineers to understand this from the intended users ’   perspective . Design Thinking provides alternative methods for how to have these types of conversations .   Storytelling was a way to really engage with the user community , have a lively conversation , and   generate more meaningful feedback . In my job today , I am continuously looking for opportunities to   leverage these tools that will help with idea generation . 

 Approach   If I had to do this all over again , I may try Visualization or even mixing Storytelling with Visualization . We   had introduced a scenario in our Storytelling discussion as a means to provide some context ( e.g. , given 

 X scenario , what problems do you face ) . Visualization would be another way to express the problem   space , where our users could draw / map out their negative experiences in a storyboard . We could have   had a visual tool that outlined a journey map , and then collected inputs on what did not work . We did   not have any visual aids during the discussion , and only sticky notes to capture the issues gleaned from   the Storytelling exercises . 


EMAIL: 
ID_NUM: 
NAME_STUDENT: Shery Tavormina
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: Storytelling Problem Framing for Aviation 

 Shery Tavormina 

 Challenge   As a systems engineer , I am involved through the design , development , and deployment of new aviation   systems and services deployed . For the design process itself , I look for alternative , innovative ways to   address the problem faced by users in the aviation domain . Design Thinking adds value by providing new   techniques to extract operational shortfalls ( issues ) and needs ( requirements ) from the user community ,   which includes air traffic controllers , safety and maintenance personnel , and pilots . 

 My current project is modernizing how information is shared and displayed to air traffic controllers .   Today , small pieces of paper capture a flight ’s information , which includes destination and path taken to   get to the destination . The intent is to digitize this information , so electronic data can be easily displayed   and shared among air traffic controllers . 

 The challenge faced was to find innovative ways to solicit inputs on the problem space , gain consensus   on the problem , and identify possible solutions to address the problem with a very diverse group of   users . Traditionally , I would use surveys , interviews , loosely structured brainstorm sessions as a means   to quickly collect inputs regarding issues from the user community , who have different experiences , age ,   and more . While these methods are valid ways to solicit user input , these traditional methods were   becoming very routine and we were having trouble soliciting diverse input and getting our users to fully   engage with us . I was concerned that my team was not going to be able to accurately articulate the   problem space , which we needed to be correct before having any discussions around the solution space .   I needed a more creative means to solicit user input , and Design Thinking afforded that opportunity . 

 Selection 

 Design Thinking provides a more methodological and objective way for problem solving . Storytelling is   one of the available tools within the Design Thinking toolkit , where a narrative ( story ) serves as a means   to communicate and share experiences in a very impactful way . This tool was selected to help facilitate a   discussion around the problem space . My team and I thought that Storytelling would be helpful in   framing the problem space and a strategy for solution , as described in Module 2 . We wanted members   of our user community to tell about their experiences and problems that they faced . 

 This facilitation technique was helpful in that everyone was able to share their personal stories , events   they experienced , and lessons learned with the wider group . They shared what happened and who was   involved . These personal anecdotes were impactful and help build trust among the team . It helped my   team understand the operational shortfalls with how data is exchanged and displayed to air traffic   controllers . 

 Application   During the problem framing discussion , we wanted to explore the types of problems , the magnitude of   the problems , and the reason why the(se ) issue(s ) was unacceptable . We created a scenario that 

 sequentially laid out steps of what plane at an airport would be doing before departure . This scenario   served to guide our problem framing discussions and provide some context for our users , without trying   to limit the conversations too . 

 We asked our users to provide stories of the issues they faced ( specifically any issues related to missing   data or getting data too late ) , in the context of how they would control the plane at their airport ( the   scenario ) . The users shared stories about how information would be missed communicated during high   stressed situations . For example , large , popup , thunderstorms occur frequently in Chicago , Il , and one   controller from that area shared a story of how he had to write down on paper reminder notes to help   him keep track of which flights needed a reroute ( to avoid the storm ) or which ones wanted to depart   later after the storm had passed . They expressed how having information printed and written down was   very ineffective . And they shared how there could have been a big operational safety issue when his   papers accidently were shuffled and moved , because he had lost track of the flights he was working   with . 

 These personal stories included nuggets of the issues that the users faced , and we were able to capture   these issues . Others in the discussion were able to react to each other ’s stories , empathize with one   another , and even coalesce around what they all felt were major issues that needed to be addressed . 

 Insight   The user community was a broad representation of air traffic controllers , with a range of experience .   Storytelling was a very valuable technique to use with my users because not all airports operate   similarly , so it was important for each member to listen and understand the experiences and pain points   that others face . It was very important that we had a pretty broad representation of the user   community to have a successful problem framing discussion . If we had a limited set of users , all with   similar experiences for the discussion , my team and I would have had had a very limited understanding   of the real issues , biasing any future discussions and limiting the solution space . Reflecting upon that   meeting , I also think trust is another key component to Design Thinking . It is necessary for everyone to   feel comfortable sharing their perspectives with one another . As stated in the videos for the course ,   empathy is key , and it is important to listen , regardless if you are a user sharing your perspectives or an   engineer who is looking to develop a solution for the problem . In these discussions , I recognized that I   was not an expert on air traffic control , and that my role in these discussions was to recognize and   elevate the inputs to the problem space provided by everyone , only interjecting if I thought there was   an opportunity to dive further into the problem . 

 Storytelling is not a traditional systems engineering method for soliciting input on the problem or   solution space . Yet , it is critical for systems engineers to understand this from the intended users ’   perspective . Design Thinking provides alternative methods for how to have these types of conversations .   Storytelling was a way to really engage with the user community , have a lively conversation , and   generate more meaningful feedback . In my job today , I am continuously looking for opportunities to   leverage these tools that will help with idea generation . 

 Approach   If I had to do this all over again , I may try Visualization or even mixing Storytelling with Visualization . We   had introduced a scenario in our Storytelling discussion as a means to provide some context ( e.g. , given 

 X scenario , what problems do you face ) . Visualization would be another way to express the problem   space , where our users could draw / map out their negative experiences in a storyboard . We could have   had a visual tool that outlined a journey map , and then collected inputs on what did not work . We did   not have any visual aids during the discussion , and only sticky notes to capture the issues gleaned from   the Storytelling exercises .
### Output: 