Design Challenge: Redesign the School-to-Work Transition

Prototype and TestTour Guides to the Future

Theresa Kingston

From Assignment 1

Problem StatementThe Stakeholder:K an 18 year old recent high school graduate who is both academically and athletically gifted. She comes from a family with limited means. She is moving to a larger city to seek employment.

Needs a way to:Successfully experience living in a large city and seek out a variety of opportunities so that she can discover her interests

Because:She believes that discovering her interests will lead her to an appropriate education/career path.

Observations

• Stakeholder ‘K’ is starting a journey to a new place…

• Which makes me think of times I have travelled to new places and how I have prepared myself…

My Favourite Idea - #59• During the creation of the Empathy Map I was most moved by the

stakeholder’s concern about her lack of life skills and basic knowledge about how to do everyday things. This is the area that she was most distraught about.

• When I am going to visit somewhere new (a stranger in a strange land) I turn to Travel Guides. And while I read them in anticipation of the journey, they are most useful while I am on the trip and I am able to focus on my immediate need.

• “Tour Guides to the Future” would be a community based program of volunteers who have knowledge in different life skill areas and would be willing to answer questions, provide directions, etc. for a young person as they navigate the transitions in their lives.

From Ideate Assignment

Inspiration: Travel ResourcesOur local Tourism Ambassador

Program Travel Guides

Prototype – Tour Guides to the FutureProcess Steps

• Event (utilizing either World Café or Open Space process) with High School students to identify areas of concern re: moving from school to world of work and moving from home to being on their own.

• Recruit and Train community volunteers (Tour Guides) who are subject matter experts in the areas identified by the students

• During the last semester of Grade 12 (final year) the Tour Guides would provide engaging, interactive workshops and seminars for students. These would be held on Friday afternoons and students would have a number of opportunities to choose from.

Prototype: Follow Up Resources

• Tour Guides would be available for on-going contact with students (to answer their questions) – could be through telephone directory, texting, Facebook, face-to-face interaction, etc.

• A series of “Travel Guides” would be created to support the seminars and workshops and to provide follow up information.

• An app could be created to allow students easy access to information.

PrototypingThe Problem

The first process map – Prototype #1

Tour Guide to the Future - Prototypes

Prototype #1 - Tour Guides Prototype #2 - Travel Guides

TestingKeanna – the Stakeholder

Anne – High School Teacher

Feedback – Prototype 1The ProcessComments in red ink is Feedback from Stakeholder and Teacher

Feedback – Prototype 2Travel Guides

Additional topics to include:• How to pay bills• What does being on

probation mean (job)• How to move• How to cope with leaving

and how to deal with your parents upset

• What are taxes and how to pay

Suggested changes to titles and selected covers

Am I done? What next?

If I was to continue, I would • Test the prototypes with more young people to

ensure it reflects their language and needs.• Further develop ideas around recruitment of the

“Tour Guides” by talking to potential subject matter expert volunteers to explore their ideas

• Develop a list of contents for the Travel Guides and test

• Develop a prototype for the Passport idea