sharesmile
DESCRIPTION
My Mdes service design innovation thesisTRANSCRIPT
01
SHARESMILE
Pawalee ChirakranontMDes Service Design Innovation
London College of Communication
SHAresmile
Pawalee ChirakranontMDes Service Design Innovation
London College of Communication
THANK YOU!Than
k You !
I would like to thank everyone who have assisted with this project.
I would like to thank my course tutors, Alison Prendiville & Cordula Friedlander for giving me suggestions and pointing helpful directions during the project.
I would like to thank my tutors, Paul Sims for inspiration, helpful comments and the great ideas.
With many thanks to St Pancras Community, Laula, elderly and volunteers in for great welcome and coorperation.
A great big thank to all UAL students for all stories, insights and feedbacks
Thank you to Zac and Firefox staff for helping with all information and great insights.
Thank you to my Mdes service design innovation classmates for supporting in everything
Finally, thank you to my friends and my family for always supporting me.
1.0 Introduction 09 1.1 Report Summary 101.2 Background 111.3 Area of Research 151.4 Aim of Research 16
2.0 Research and Methodology2.1 Primary Research 182.2 Secondary Research 19
3.0 Research Findings & Analysis 3.1 The role of volunteer 213.2 Investigating UAL system 273.3 Nature of UAL student 31 3.4 Research Conclusion 36
4.0 Design Process 4.1 Concept Generation 40 4.2 Concept Development 44 4.3 User Testing and Feedback 57 4.4 Design Outcome 59
5.0 Project Conclusions 68 Bibliography 70
Content
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11.0 Introduction 1.1 Report Summary 1.2 Background 1.3 Area of Research 1.4 Aim of Research
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Introduction
Sharesmile is a project which focuses on finding appropriate volunteering solutions for University of Art London (UAL) students. This project report outlines the project journey from the primary research undertaken through to the design outcome.
The problems indentified for the current scheme were indentified by searching though the number of students who currently used the scheme. The Student Union claimed that a lack of funding and lack of resources were the main reasons for UAL not being able to offer a comprehensive volunteering program. Besides, UAL students prefer to go to the Student Union as they focus on finding creative op-portunities for students. Also volunteering for free is not as practical as being paid. Thomas, E. (2013)
According to an interview with John Braime, Volunteering Manager at The Volunteer service unit University College London, 12 years ago UAL was funded to run a volunteer department. However when the funds ran out UAL decided to stop the program. Short interviewes with student union staff also supported the notion that UAL doesn’t have a volunteering program embedded within the community. However, UAL provides activities and occasioned volunteer opportunities with in Student Union.
The service developed, Sharesmile is a volunteering service that connects different volunteering opportunities with particular UAL student characters. The project also benefit from finding UAL student insights as well as understanding student need in order to develop further service opportunities in the future.
11.0
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Report Summary
The number of UAL students who volunteer is low in comparison with counterpart universities due to a lack of funding and resources. Volunteering for UAL students is not a priority or high on lists of student interest. As a result, UAL services focus on providing creativity opportunities in industry and don’t offer a volunteering service. If students wish to volunteer, they are able to ask or contact the Student Union for support. However, the Student Union doesn’t run a comprehensive volunteering scheme.
Sharesmile is a service design project that looks at the possibilities which encourage students to get involved in volunteering. In order to design the service, it is important to understand the role of a volunteer, the flow of the current UAL service system and the nature of UAL students. Insights were collected after conducting primary and secondary research, including interviews, user diary, co-designing and shadowing. These insights led to the creation of a new website platform that was simple and appropriate for UAL students to use. This service connects UAL students interested in volunteering with partner companies seamlessly. The Sharesmile website supplies two main volunteer services, individual and group volunteer through identifying UAL students’ preferences. As a consequence, students would have more platforms to improve their performance by widening the connections and providing an opportunity to contribute to society and building sense of change within the community.
11.1
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Background
Background and definition
IIn order to identify the volunteering context in UAL, it is important to understand the concept of the volunteer. According to (Zhou, 2011) “Voluntary service refers to the social public welfare, in which human kinds take part in social activities, facilitate social progress and push forward human development of their own free will for no material or any spiritual rewards. Yet, volunteer spirit refers to a sort of altruistic and voluntary attitude or concept for public welfare, but not for any reward.” “Volunteering is presented as part of the resource attraction function of nonprofit marketing, a type of helping behaviour, and a form of symbolic consumption” (W. Wymer Jr. and Samu, 2010) “Volunteering uniquely brings students into contact with the wider community – thereby diversifying their social circles – but also strengthens their ties with their institution. It also builds skills, employability, and opportunities for personal development.”Braime, J. and Ruohonen, M. (2011). Information from (Volunteering.org.uk, 2014) also suggested that volunteering is an activity that people spend their time on doing something unpaid which aim to ben-efit individual, group or environment to name but a few. A choice to be a volunteer is freely made by an individual. Volunteering include formal activity which engages with public, private and voluntary organisations as well as informal community participation.
11.2
According to the above definitions, in general, volunteers are identified in a similar perspective as activities that people are willing to contribute to another by not getting rewarded. Individual’s definition of volunteer also impacts on personal decision on joining volunteer. Therefore, it is important to understand target attitudes toward volunteer.
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Benefit of Volunteer
For StudentThere are many articles support benefits of volunteering. (Publicengagement.ac.uk/,, n.d.) suggested that volunteering provides opportunities to work with interests and hobbies. Besides, students gain more awareness within society issues, work on different situation which these foundations support students to become greater maturity. (Nus.org.uk, 2010) stated volunteering play a crucial role in developing students’ community awareness and integration into communities outside the university. Due to Dr Rachel Casiday research (NHs. UK, n.d.) volunteering is not just an act of charity. A simply talking as mentor volunteering to someone who struggling with the same issue can support peer as well. Dr Casiday also mentioned that volunteering is a good way to meet people and improve social interaction skill. Furthermore, volunteering brings a healthier lifestyle. From the studied student in university campus drank much less when they were volunteering. (Grimm, Spring and Dietz, 2007) research also support that “Volunteer have lower mortality rates, greater functional ability, and lower rates of depression later in life than those who do not volunteer.”
In term of career opportunity, (Timebank.org.uk,, n.d.) did a survey through some of the UK’s leading businesses and 73% said they would prefer to employ someone who has volunteering experience than someone who hasn’t. . (Publicengagement.ac.uk/,, n.d.)also supported that employers demand skill such as team working, leadership and people management. These skills can be developed in volunteering.
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For Universiy The university is able to provide numerous schemes of volunteering which doesn’t only benefit for students, but also contribute to school profile. The volunteering program reduces student drop-out because students have purpose of their life through a commitment to the wider community. As a result, the university produces more employable graduates through practical experiences. Moreover, Institute increases external connection with partnership and wider public. (Edinburgh Napier University, n.d.) Volunteering engages with improving student destination. Volunteering could assist University increasing approaching employability percentage by providing initiative skill for students. (Publicengagement.ac.uk/,, n.d.)
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In the economy, there are mixed type of volunteering. According to . (http://www.publicengagement.ac.uk/, n.d.) volunteering for student is catagorised into 14 different types. Here is the list: - Undertaken as a group.- Working for the student community- Working for the university- Student-led projects- Staff facilitated community engagement but student developed projects- Brokered community engagement- Learning linked volunteering- Non-CRB work : - Short term placements- Group volunteering- Sandwich courses- Core programs- Response to requests for specific expertise -International volunteering
Type student of Volunteering
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Area of Research
The role of Volunteer
UAL system
Nature of UAL Students
The research aim is to indentify the volunteering roles through different types of volunteering. These parts also explore what inspire people to be volunteer, observe people in a real environment, attitude toward volunteer, feedback and opinion from people who works with volunteer and how can they interact with other people. Furthermore, the study also observes factors that influence on people decision on volunteering. Beside, gathering in-dept experience of volunteering in real organisation field and UAL volunteering scheme are necessary to interpret the sense of volunteer. The UAL volunteering investigation also includes observing UAL student volunteering journey.
This section focuses on observing current UAL service. This part includes indentifying choices, and journey for students who are interested in volunteering. It also gains better understanding on the Student Union role and volunteering system that includes insight on UAL volunteering situation.
The purpose of this phase is to explore the possibility that could encourage students to volunteer. Gathering insight from student’s skill was required to define student qualification. As well as clarify students’ need and support were needed to understand students’ situation. It also looks at difficulties and barriers that stop students from joining volunteering work. The research also includes students’ attitude toward volunteering.
11.3
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Aim of Research
The purpose of this project is to provide an appropriate service to encourage UAL students to
do more volunteer.
11.4
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22.0 Research and Methodology2.1 Primary Research2.2 Secondary Research
User Diary
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Primary Research
User Diary
Semi-Structured Interviews
Self Ethnography
To portray student’s abilities, User Diary is used to collect student’s hidden skill. The special diary is designed to collect user behavior, user opinions and what skills does student want to develop or exchange. One design student was asked to record what she has interacted for 1 week in order to discover student’s hidden capabilities.
Semi-Structured Interviews are used in variety purposes due to the different areas of research. There are1. volunteering part : A providing question form is used for interviewing volunteers on what can influence participants to be a volunteer. The research plans to interview two volunteers from different fileds 2. The Student Union part : the aim of interviews is to clarify the Student Union role on volunteering. Two student union staffs took part on this section. 3. Students part : The one-one session interview arranged to gather student barriers toward volunteering. Student’s targets were random through UAL campuses. The interviews took 5-7 minute per person.
The method is used to discover in-dept experience of volunteering in real environment. The study took 2.5 hours in a lunch club at St. Pacras Community.
22.1
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Secondary Research
Co-Design
User-Shadowing
There are different 2 co-discovery methods.1. Volunteering definition : This section aim to find student attitude toward volunteering. To help students generate their ideas, realistic picture cards is used. The focus groups were both random group of students and individual.2. Find barrier : Group discuss was arrange to brain storm and to integrate ideas about the obstacle of volunteering. 4-5 students shared their ideas by writing on post-it.
Researched case study and interviewed expert are guided for analyzing the collected data. The case study is from successful volunteering program in university scheme. Expert interview also supports on studying student behavior and the key success of the volunteering project.
User-Shadowing was put to gather In-dept student experience on 1 day volunteering in Fresher-Fair. Camera and note are carried to record an event. The shadow study was organized with BA fresher’s rep volunteer.
22.2
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33.0 Research Findings & Analysis 3.1 The role of volunteer3.2 Investigating UAL system3.3 Nature of UAL student3.4 Research Conclusion
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The role of volunteer
interview at firefox
It is important to understand context and role of volunteer in the real field.There are numerous of volunteering roles, presenting different kinds of works. Research started from interviewing 2 diverse volunteering schemes, volunteering in company and volunteering in charity community in order to draw a profile on volunteering type.
33.1
background The policy of Mozilla supports various types of volunteering due to nature of each project. Therefore, volunteering roles are different. For example QA team works on fixing and testing program. The session doesn’t rely on volunteer. On the contrary, L10 teams, which are a local translator team, are totally relying on volunteer.
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interview Mozzilla QA team(staff who work with volunteer)
To give a project different angles, an interview was conducted with Zac (Mozilla QA team member). Zac supported that volunteer also helped him better performance on collaboration as well as better understanding user. The challenge team found from working with volunteer was participating issue. Participants sometime couldn’t take part through a whole project. Thus, team has to be more flexible with volunteer. Zac also suggested that volunteers should search information about company profile and role that participant interested before applied for volunteering work.
Conclusion : Profile no.1 is interested in volunteer by context of volunteering work. He more willing to do a volunteer because his friend accompanied him. Thus, this profile mainly looks for joyful from volunteering work. School is the touch point.
Profile 1#
Where : Volunteering in Moz festival (Company biggest fair)Role : work with a team as technical support.Duration : work 1-4 days Benefit : get connection, Knowledge Why volunteer : want to has fun with his friend and want to join a festival.Expectation : He just do it for fun.Detail : He knew about this program from his friend. Thus he and his friend joint a program. Company also ad vertised in his school’s website because the fair was located nearby.
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Conclusion : Profile no.2 mainly participates the program for helping her improve her expertise skill. Beside she finds it is delightful to help people. The distance is also a factor for volunteer’s decision.
Profile 2#
Where : Volunteering in St. Pancras CommunityRole : talk with elderly, serve food and clean up at a lunch clubDuration : 1-2 hours a day on Monday/Wednesday/Friday (depend on volunteer’s schedule)Benefit : feel good and improve personal skillWhy volunteer : live nearby and just want to helpExpectation : feel good with herself. Detail : As she has a young family and she is not working, she has some time in a week to volunteer. She selects this place because it’s near her house. She desires to gain more working experience with elderly as it is related to her profession.
Observation and Interview volunteer at St. Pancras Community
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Self Ethnography method was used to collect in-dept insight on volunteering work.I volunteered at a lunch club on 24 September 2014
Place : St. Pancras communityRole : talk with elderly, serve food and clean up at lunch clubDuration : 2.5 hoursDetail :11.00 : arrive at St pancreas community. Some elderly has showed up.11.30 : Older people come to community. Some of them were watching television, chatting, reading newspaper. Couple of them sat alone in eating space. Volunteers chatted with elderly.12.00 : Volunteers served main dish to elderly following chef’s order. Chef remembered all members’ diet and allergy’s record. 12.40 : Volunteers served desserts and collected main dish.13.00 : Elderly came back, some waited for bus. Volunteer collected empty dishes to providing space and cleaned up plate mats.
- Some elderly are isolating. The basic task, in this case is talking to elderly, can light them up.- Doing good is easy. - For international students, It is good to start practicing language skill with elderly who is eager to talk.
Insights
Self Ethnography
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In-depth observations and identification of school volunteering were carried out by shadowing freshers’ rep in Fresher fair. An aim is to find out what make UAL student volunteer, what personality of volunteer in UAL look like and obstacles during do a volunteering work.
I spend 1 day shadowing and interviewing Amanda in Fresher fair. Her responsibility was to guide visitor a direction, to invite new students to join club. Personally, she loves to help people and she is also a course’s rep. The fresher fair started around 10 am. Freshers’ rep came to prepare an event. Volunteers have different roles on the fair.
Student Union run fresher fair from beginning of September to middle of October. Fresher’ rep are recruited to help through a whole activities. However, volunteers decided which activities they want to take part. Fresher’ rep role finishes when fresher fair is end.Task: Fresher Fair 1 October 2014 at Chelsea College of Art and Design.Shadowing : Amanda : BA Hons Fashion Styling and Photography
Background
Shadow UAL fresher rep
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Conclusion : In pre-service, personal character of willing to assist people and last year memorable experience played an important role on decision making phase. In service phase, benefits that fresher’s rep gained were joyfulness and meeting with new students.
Profile 3#
Where : Volunteering in Fresher FairRole : guide and give a new fresher advice about UAL include clubs and societiesDuration : 1 day Benefit : fun, meet new peopleWhy volunteer : she loves to help people.Expectation : feel good with herself. Detail : She was eager to help people. This was her second year to be freshers’ rep. She knew many students and staffs. She walked around a fair and introduced societies and clubs. The event started before the term started. Thus students were free to volunteer.
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Investigating UAL system
Structure Analysis
Student Union
Experiencing current service is required to point out obstacles. There are multiple channels that students could access UAL service. The main platform is UAL website (http://www.arts.ac.uk/) which also provides volunteering opportunities. However, this service is for alumni. It doesn’t support current students.
SU is mainly in charge of organising societies, sports and events, protecting student’s welfare. SU also has activities and volunteer department.
33.2
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An interview with Honor was arranged to observe current volunteering service by student union. From observation, generally students who look for volunteering have to contact Student Union directly and inform SU about volunteering work. After that, SU helps with finding and sending related information back. Thus SU responds student case by case. However, Honor suggested, a group volunteer were easier to invite people to join than a solo volunteer. Honor addressed that most of UAL students contacted SU, asking for finding internships or places to exhibiting their works. In term of connection, SU has a great relationship with V&A. SU used to send volunteering students to assist V&A project. Honor also claimed that SU tried to build more relationship with partners who were not in art industry too.
Mostafa suggested a good insight on why UAL student doesn’t fancy volunteering. He mentioned that students have financial problem, thus they prefer to search part-time job or paid job than volunteering. Moreover, UAL consists of 6 individual campuses which are difficult to built sense of community as UAL. Subsequently, students represent themselves as their school, not UAL. And some campuses have a few students.
Interview with Student UnionHonor, Activities and Volunteer
Interview with Student UnionMostafa, Culture & Diversity
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UAL current volunteer service journey
Students want to volunteer.
Find information from SUARTS website
Find out about student union from notice board.
Find out about student union from Fresher fair\event.
By show up at student union office
It takes 1- 7 days to recieve e-mail from UAL
Student Union volunteer department would sent student some links or useful information which relate to what student want. Or how much student want to get involve.
contact bye-mail
Join activity
Volunteer activity work on supporting student idea. They would check event that matches student’s need and sent e-mail to student.
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Case study UCL volunteer ( Expert’s interview)
One of the largest volunteering departments in UK Higher Education is The volunteering service unit at University College London. The unit is a joint project UCL and UCL Union. The Volunteer service unit (VSU) has three main elements’ works.1. Community Partners : VSU places students with 350 different charities and other volunteering organisations across London. 2. Innovations Programme : VSU provides a supervisor, accesses to facilities such as printing and room bookings. Students can also apply for up to £750 to run their projects.3. One–Offs : Students who do not wish to make an ongoing commitment, VSU offers a schedule of one–off volunteering activitiesExpert’s Interview with John Braime, Volunteering Manager at The Volunteer service unit
According to the successful profile, it is important to learn from the expert. From an interview with John, The program was funded by UCL. Key successful of the volunteering service unit is well resources and great volunteering system management. The unit supports students through a whole volunteering experience.
“we have people who are able to spend time talking to charities and community organisations facilitating that link between charities and volunteer organizations with the students. Especially mediating relationship between potential volunteers here and community organisations outside”.
The unit matches organisation with student’s interested by displaying various type of volunteering commitments on website. The program not only supports volunteering work but also supports student performance such as guides student on paper documenting process, trains and prepares student before volunteering and helps student with presenting skill.John also suggested that the most important obstacle that blocks student from volunteer is time, especially MA students who study only 1 year. Thus 80 % of volunteer in UCL is BA. students. The popular choice is not commitment volunteering projects” and students tend to volunteer as a group.
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Aim of user diary method is to gather student’s hidden skill through student daily life. In order to clarify what abilities student is able to share with other people. Initial, Diaries were send to couple of students to record their interaction with things in order to explore students’ skill and what students desired to improve for 1 week.
One of them returned. Record showed what, student wished to improve her design, language and living skills. In return she could shared design skill.
Nature of UAL student
User Diary
33.3
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Co-discovery (volunteer opinion)
The Co-discovery session were organised as a means of understanding student attitude of volunteer. The area included exploring barriers. Definition of volunteer could be interpreted in many ways that are influent on decision making stage. The session carried out one-one basis and group discussion.
Pictures were prepared to generate students’ ideas. Each picture presented different aspect of volunteering such as hardworking, boring work, happy together to name but a few. Students were asked to choose their definition of volunteer and explained students’ ideas. The participants consisted of a mixture of Master degree, Bachelor degree and Foundation students.
Volunteer definition
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From the observation, most participants valued volun-teer as “ do something for other people” and “happy” to do that. Here are some examples.
From the result, UAL students’ opinion about volunteer could be divided into 4 main issues. 1. Volunteering work is about helping people : The most popular answer was about willing to do something for people in needed.2. Collaboration activity tributes to community. : Students though volunteering wasa group of people gathered and do something for community. Interestingly, few of participants mentioned about volunteering can do by individually.3. Volunteer is an issue between country and country, government rescues a big urgent disaster. :There was a comment from one student that gave a great insight. She claimed that she pictured volun-teering as doing an urgent important thing such as helping in disaster. Because she though people really needed help in this kind of situation.4. Volunteer is hardworking and complicating work. : Few comments mentioned that volunteer took responsibility to complete a goal. Thus they thought volunteering work was dedicating work.
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The second co-discover phase aims to explore barrier that block student from volunteer in UAL. Participants were asked to write their opinions on post-It note.The group of 4-5 students discussion and one-one basis were arranged to brain storm ideas of “what are the barrier for volunteering.
These are some example of students’ answers. The most popular answer from student is “I’m busy to do it”
The group discussion also showed a hidden insight that students didn’t consider as a barrier. From the investigation, when student though about the word “volunteer”, they felt uncomfortable due to they though volunteer was a big issue, took an effort to deal.
Barrier
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From the co-discovery process, Barriers discovered from user side, system side and volunteer side.
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Research Conclusion
From primary research, insights are divided into 2 groups. The first one is insights that influence people to be a volunteer. Another is obstacles that block students from joining volunteer. According to Braime, J. and Ruohonen, M. (2011) the wish to make a difference, to meet new people, and to have an enjoyable experience are also strongly motivating factors .
1. The volunteering service is accessible and noticeable from touch point.
Supporting Evidence: volunteers suggested this insight. Profile no. 1 knew about volunteer from his school. Profile no. 2 also chose to volunteer near her place.
33.4
What can influence people to be a volunteer?
What can influence people to be a volunteer?
Poster
2. Participant thinkjoining volunteer is fun and joyful.
Supporting Evidence: Volunteers view and Fresher’s rep provide this insight. They decided to join volunteer because they thought the program was joyful.
3. The task has supported participant professional.
Supporting Evidence: Volunteers at St Pancras Community mentioned that she volunteered because taking care of the elderly was a skill she needed to support her career.
4. Participants volunteer as a group.
Supporting Evidence: Expert interview and Student Union were both agreed on this insight.
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All obstacles are able to categorize into 3 areas, which are
1. Problems from student personality.2. The difficulty of UAL system.3. The credibility on voluntary organizations.
The chart also categorizes barriers by the size of the problems. The first stage is “small scale” problem. Obstacles in this stage are uncomplicated to resolve.The second stage is “medium scale” problem. Barriers in this stage take time to handle. The third stage is “large scale” problem. The most difficult part requires time and effort to deal with.
From the chart, numerous problems connect together between small and medium stages. As a result, When a small problem is solved, it also solved linked problem too.
Barriers
System part
1. Productive volunteer system.
Supporting Evidence: UCL expert interview claimed the key success of the program was great volunteering system management.
2. The variety kinds of volunteering for students.
Supporting Evidence: Insight gathered from the UCL expert interview. There was staff who searched various orga-nizations and volunteer-ing programs to support student needed.
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Busy (the most poppular)
Not interested in volunteer( w
ant to spend theirfree tim
e on other interest.
Student’s �nancial problem (m
ore important thing to do
ex. part time job)
No com
pany
Lack of con�ndence (language)
Don’t interest in that charity type
D
on’t know w
here\how to join volunteer
Lack of various type of volunteer to o�er
Cost to join (transport, meal etc w
hile do volunteer)
SML
Lack of UA
L comm
unity sense(D
ue to 6 seperate campuses so it hards to cooperate
to do something)
Attitude tow
ard volunteer(student)
Personal issue(student)
Problems from
system
(UA
L sta� and student)Ideas
Volunteer barrier at UA
L
Students think volunteer is a big deal(country-country)
Lack of knowledge w
hat does volunteer do?
Bad attitude of volunteer (especially “volunteer” word)
Lack of fund (for UA
L)
Not enough sta� (to �nd volunteer w
ork)
Don’t have volunteer departm
ent
Unreliable organisations
Comm
itment to volunteer w
ork (longterm)
Don’t see future support or connection
Problem : Lack of various type of volunteer to o�er
Idea1# : Help list
Problem : Student think volunteer is a big deal(country-country)
Idea1.2# : Help list (U
AL + U
AL)
Problem : Student think volunteer is a big deal(country-country)
Idea2# : Give som
e advices
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44.0 Design Process 4.1 Concept Generation 4.2 Concept Development 4.3 User Testing and Feedback 4.4 Design Outcome
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Concept Generation
The insights from the conclusion of the research phase generated plenty of inspiration for ideas. In this phase, two main areas, “UAL system” and “student attitude”, were selected. In addition, insights from first stages were put to consider due to adequate information from primary research. Resolving one small problem is able to clarify other linking problems.
Problem: Lack of various types of volunteer to offer
This problem also links to other problems.
link
link
44.1
Sketch 1 #
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Background: There is not enough (or UAL doesn’t have) choice of volunteering in UAL, which is also a key of lacking participants.Aim: Showing student, there are many kinds of volunteer commitment that flexible and easy to join.Idea1#: Helping list (UAL+Volunteer)Detail: Collecting volunteer tasks display in a notice board. Each task highlights on time commitment.Touch point: Notice board/ Canteen/ Cafe/
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Sketch 2 #
Problem: Students think volunteer is a big issue (country-country)Background: Students’ attitude of volunteer. From primary research students define a volunteer as hard working, take too much effort to do.Aim: To raise awareness that does good is easy start from helping another students. Idea2#: Helping list (UAL + UAL)Detail: a website works as a notification board for someone who need help with their projects. Group of helpers (all UAL students) give a hand to complete missions and get reward together.
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Sketch 3 #
Problem: Students think volunteer is a big issue (country-country)Idea2#: Give some advices (Advice library)Aim: To raise awareness that does good is easy, less effort to complete tasks, for instance mentoring as giving someone advice, especially academic advice.Background: Students’ attitude of volunteer. : They define a volunteer as hard working, take too much effort to do.Detail (digital): Website gathers advices and ideas. It mainly focuses on how to improve students’ performance in their course. All suggestions are from former students. This website is a part of the UAL Common place (a website that gives some tips on surviving in UAL. Most topics focus on lifestyle.) This idea is also a channel for a current MA. Student and former MA. Students.How (analog): Spread touch point to other medium, this case is a library.
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Concept Development
From concept generation phase, sketch1 was selected to develop priority as a main idea due to lack of volunteering service in UAL. Sketch 2 and sketch3 were considered as future components to support main service.
Co-define method was used to define type of volunteers that UAL students would pay attention. Cards were provided as medium to help students indentified their personal volunteering scheme. Areas of research covers time commitment, expec-tation from volunteering and skill sharing.
44.2
Co-define
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Example of participants.
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Conclusion : Students expectation of volunteer work was fun, improving skill and change makers. They tended to do group volunteer or to join with other people than individually volunteer. Students were willing to share their experienced skills such as mother tongue language and their joyfulness. They preferred to do on day-time.
Graphs were made from co-define.
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individual group(UALx UAL with Other
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com
pute
r sk
ill
languag
e
teac
hin
g
tim
e
just
hel
p
food
craf
t sk
ill
joyf
ul
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daytime(mon_fri)
evening (mon-fri)
Weekend
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From the Co-define method insight, numerous of volunteering works were collected. In addition 5 different based on real volunteering works were illustrated in the brochure. Brochures were carried to collect students’ opinion about volunteering works as well as channel for display tasks.
Co-define test
There were a variety of feedbacks from students. Some were very interested and asked for contacting number or website that they could find out more. Some commented that they “technically” would like to join if they were free. Most students interested in tasks that related to their skill (creativity skill).
Student’s feedback
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An online survey was created to collect student touchpoints. The insight was gath-ered from 21 participants.
From survey, The most popular channel that students use for updating school information is “UAL e-mail”, followed by “friends”. Students spend most of their time in the library while they are in school. According toBraime, J. and Ruohonen, M. (2011) the purely on online channel may show lower rates of progression for students’ attention. Word of mouth is very important tounchpoint.
Survey
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According to co-define phase and interview from primary research, 3 Identifying personas were created as target audiences. These personas help paint a picture of different reasons and approaches that drawn students’ attention to participate in volunteer.
Personas
Student type 1 : I don’t care !!!Lilo year 3 BA television broadcast
- He quite independent and doesn’t like participate with university activities. He is just enjoy talking with people who have similar background.- He would help his friends if they ask but he is not a person who is finding what if anyone need help.- His hobby is similar or related to his work.- He is smoking.- In next 7 years, he sees himself work-ing with famous news company such as BBC.- He wants connection, channel to display his work.- What he can offer : specific skill- He updates news by his friends.
Persona 1
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Student type 2 : Yeah maybe?Lisa year 1 BA Interior Design
- Curiously girl from France, everything is new for her. So she tries to explore city , joins many school activities or local events in order to make friends and meets new people.- Last week she bought 4 books about London : London indy shops, London hidden places, Cool houses in London and Handmade shops in London.- Sometime she feels tried of attending many events that turn like they are not fun as she expected.She wants someone to guide her, tell her about things here.- She loves to travel and upload photos to instragram. She has 10k followers. Everybody in this planet knows where she is now. - She goes to university 4 days a week.- She joins Fresher Fair.- She wants new friends, exploring city, fun, learning language.- She can offer her joyful and her native language.
Persona 2
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Student type 3: I’m a big fanZaza year 2 BA Graphic design
- Everybody loves her. She would be elected as a prime minister if she were a candidate.- Social girl : Facebook is her third hand.- She has a leadership skill. Last summer she went to Tanzania, to volunteer mak-ing brochure and helping with water supply system.- She loves to surround by people.- She is a course rep. Because she always helps her classmate.- She wants new friends, to have fun and to be a change maker.- She can share her joyful and experience.- She updates school information by e-mail.
Persona 3
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Concept develop
From Sketch 1, the design developing based on Co-define and survey. Website is used as a main platform to collect volunteering missions instead of notice board. Currently service offers 2 main indentifying insights for idea solutions. First is barrier that UAL lacks of various types of volunteer to offer. It represents by list of volunteering work. Second is group volunteer. It represents by event that 1 day in 1 month group of UAL students join volunteering work together. Service also has “thank you page” to show progress of overall UAL volunteering hours and respond from organisations in order to make sense of change-maker.
Website : main platform collects all idea solutions.
2 main idea solutions are added.
Find missions Do Good Day Thank You
Thank You
Contact
SHARESMILE :)
Do Good Day
Home
Sharesmile
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In order to draw students’ attention, volunteering tasks should match students interested. In addition, 3 main UAL volunteering types were developed from primary research, persona and co-define.1. Just help: The section shows all volunteering tasks. The insight was from co-define showing a student expectation to just have fun and joyful.2. For skill: This section selects only creativity and design missions that support art student’s skill.3. For living: This phase groups mission that related or supported the student cost of living. From primary research, student financial also affected on student decision.
Find missions page
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From primary research and co-define, Students prefer to join group volunteer. Therefore, service provides group volunteer for UAL student to do together. This also designed for student who is not get used to be a volunteer.
Do Good Day page
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In order to draw students’ attention, volunteering tasks should match students interested. In addition, 3 main UAL volunteering types were developed from primary research, persona and co-define.
Thank you page
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Contact
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User Testing and Feedback4
4.3
Prototype was designed to test usability and accessibility while students navigated a website as well as observing students attitude toward volunteering task after useding service. Students were asked to test a whole mock-up website pages and to give feedbacks.
In general, participants found website well organised and ex-pressed positive comments about design and lay out. Improvement was suggested for clearer caption on finding missions page. They also interested in joining volunteer. Some students changed attitude about volunteer as it was not taking too much time and effort. Participant also suggested updating a new volunteering task through an e-mail.
Prototype testing
From UAL students
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The project was carried out with Luala, Good Neighbours Scheme Co-ordinator at St Pancras Community Centre. She also showed interest in being a partner with UAL. For the further cooperation, St Pancras Community was willing to advertise and work on volunteer program with UAL. Furthermore, Southwark council also showed interest in helping running a workshop for informing student about volunteer. Further cooperation, Southwark council also interested to be a partner with UAL.
Luala, Good Neighbours Scheme Co-ordinator at St Pancras Community Centre
From Stakeholders
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Storyboard1
Design Outcome 4
4.4
Share smile is a website service that supports and guides students on joining volunteer. By introducing user an opportunity to volunteer through 2 designing services pages. First, it displays for individual volunteer. Second, scheme designs for group volunteer. Service also shows progress of volunteering hours and supportive comments in order to encourage a sense of change-maker.
Due to 2 main services, 2 different journeys are suggested.Find mission stiryboard
Service
1. Lilo knows about ser-vice from his friend.
5. Lilo sends e-mail to organization. Or-ganisation also sends him more detail about volunteer.
8. Organisation leaves a thank you message.
9. Lilo tells his friend about a program.
6. Lilo volunteers to upload and share his work to digital library.
7. Organisation receives his e-mail.
2. Lilo searches informa-tion from sharesmile.com.
3. He finds an interesting mission.
4. Lilo joins volunteer.
Find Missions Do Good DayT hank youC ontact
Contact
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Storyboard2Do Good Day storyboard
1. Lisa finds out about service from Fresher fair
5. Do good Day : Lisa meets group of UAL student meeting point.
6. Lisa and other UAL student volunteer to gar-den at elderly home
2. Lisa searches information from sharesmile.com. She finds “Do good Day’ group volunteer interest-ing because it is a good opportunity to meet a new friends.
3. She joins an event.
4. One week before event, Lisa receives e-mail reminder about event.
8. After job done, ora-ganisation runs thank you party (depend).
7. While working, Lisa also takes photo and up-loads by adding hashtag.
10. Lisa checks “Thank You” page and finds or-ganization leaves a thank you message.
9. Lisa and her new friends uploads all photos on social media.
11. Lisa tells her friends about a program.
SHARESMILE :)Find Missions Do Good DayT hank youC ontact
Contact
I like your smile : )sharesmile.arts.ac.uk
From SU
Helloooo Zusan,
We are excitingto meet you next week.. Our Do goodDay!! Please show up11.00
To. Zusan
Don’t forget toturn off a light : )
I like your smile : )
sharesmile.arts.ac.uk
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home
Find Missions Do Good Day Thank You Contact
Sharesmile website
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Pre-service
NewsletterStudent could volunteer designing banner and poster for “Do Good Day” event. Every month, updating newsletters are sent to a whole UAL student e-mails. It is a good opportunity for students to show their work. Beside, Student Union would have a beautiful banner and poster.
It is important in aware stage to draw student attentions. Therefore, building a sense of giving and sharing in a first impression are considered.
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Poster Poster is provided supportive sentences in a small piece of paper that students could collect and share to their friend.
sharesmile.arts.ac.uk
Don’t forget toturn off a light : )I like your smile : )
sharesmile.arts.ac.uk
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Blueprint
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Project Conclusions5
5.0
Sharesmile aims to provide appropriate volunteering opportunities for UAL student. According to the current situation, the number of UAL students volunteering is low due to lack of funding and resources from UAL.
The Research focuses on the context of the volunteer, current UAL system and UAL students. Interviews, user-shadowing and self-ethnography methods were used to understand people’s decision making on joining a volunteer scheme and indentifying volunteering roles. From the research, the factors that would encourage people to volunteer were building of self-esteem, sense of joyfulness, group volunteering, enjoyable work and the distant from their place.
Investigating the current UAL volunteer system was necessary to be able to expand on the current possibilities of volunteering in UAL. Through the research, UAL does not offer volunteering work. However, if students would like to join a volunteer scheme, they have to contact Student Union individually to enquire about volunteer opportunities they interested. Secondary research focused on studying successful case study of volunteer department as a mean to finding a key of volunteering system which was a well manage and offered a variety of volunteering opportunities.
In term of UAL students, indentifying UAL students needs was required to better understand the student group including, barriers on joining a volunteer scheme, students’ situation and attitudes toward volunteering. Three main obstacles were indentified 1.student attitude 2. the difficulty of UAL system 3. the credibility of volunteer organisation. Also, UAL volunteering definition as “Happy to do something good” was found from the interviews with students.
From the research, a new service was developed to solve key problems from both service and student side, a lack of volunteering types to offer and a lack of volunteer understanding in context of a volunteer.
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The concept of sharesmile was developed and tested with UAL student. Students were asked to test sharesmile website. They found the website easy to navigate and well designed. Participants also looked forward to use the website for real. Besides, clarifying the design of volunteer profiles changed students attitude toward volunteering as joining a volunteer service didn’t take too much time and effort. Thus, student showed an interest in volunteering. Improvements were suggested for clearer explanation on captions of volunteering opportunity. The suggestion was to keep in touch with students by updating new volunteering tasks, which students was interested in, through e-mail.
The limitations are considered as the final prototype hasn’t received feedbacks from the Student Union and the service hasn’t been developed into business plan due to limited of time. Regarding the positive feedback from stakeholders, some are willing to be partner and the service has a possibility to be developed and receive positive feedback as a business plan.
The service is in the early stages. There are opportunities to develop and to add more solutions to the service as the current service provides only two idea solutions. The service was designed to work as a main platform. Therefore, in the future, when new problems are indentified, new solution pages could be added infinitely. For instance, possible programs that could be added include mentoring. Currently UAL also provides a mentoring program. On the other hand, UAL mentoring mainly focuses on student life. Thus, suggestions to broaden the mentoring area to link with academic mentoring is possible. However, the scheme should be researched further and explored in detail.
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Braime, J. and Ruohonen, M. (2011). Exploring Impacts of Volunteering on Univer-sity Students in London. [online] Available at: http://www.ncl.ac.uk/careers/assets/documents/student_volunteering_survey2011.pdf [Accessed 14 Oct. 2014].
Brooks, K. and Schlenkhoff-Hus, A. (2013). Employee Volunteering – Who is Ben-efiting Now. 1st ed. [ebook] p.10. Available at: http://www.csv.org.uk/sites/default/files/CSV-Employee-Volunteering_Who-is-Benefitting-Now.pdf [Accessed 27 Oct. 2014].
Edinburgh Napier University, (n.d.). Why encourage students to volunteer?. [online] Available at: http://staff.napier.ac.uk/services/sas/student_development/EnhancingtheCurriculum/VolunteeringResource/Pages/Whyencouragestudentsto-volunteer.aspx [Accessed 24 Oct. 2014].
Grimm, R., Spring, K. and Dietz, N. (2007). THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF VOLUN-TEERING. 1st ed. [ebook] Washington, DC, p.3. Available at: http://www.nation-alservice.gov/pdf/07_0506_hbr.pdf [Accessed 24 Oct. 2014].
Nhs.uk, (2014). Why volunteer? - Live Well - NHS Choices. [online] Available at: http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/volunteering/Pages/Whyvolunteer.aspx [Accessed 14 Oct. 2014].
Nus.org.uk, (2010). Students in the community. [online] Available at: http://www.nus.org.uk/en/advice/volunteering/students-in-the-community/ [Accessed 13 Nov. 2014].
Publicengagement.ac.uk, (n.d.). Research Synthesis: Student Volunteering - back-ground, policy and context. [online] Available at: http://www.publicengagement.ac.uk/sites/default/files/publication/student_volunteering_-_background_policy_and_context_1.pdf [Accessed 13 Nov. 2014].
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