A Kerrey Hall Green Initiative Business Proposal Report
Thanks to Professor Rhea Alexander Head Resident Assistant David Howe Kerrey Hall Resident Assistants Kerrey Hall Residents Managing Creative Teams Classmate
MyShare project created by Casey Bock, Mariela Ferrer, Limassol Zok
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Who We Are We are an international group of students from the Strategic Design and Management masters program at Parsons The New School for Design.
Casey Bock Casey is a New Mexican transplant living in New York City. She has worked in advertising, communications, and design for over five years.
Our Mission - Engage the residents of Kerrey Hall in a communal sharing environment - Minimize unnecessary consumption - Stretch the lifespan of products that can be shared - Create a happy sharing experience - Allow a space for familiarity and exchange between students
Mariela Ferrer Mariela is a Mexican aspiring business designer / strategist with a special interest in social innovation. She has a bachelor degree in Industrial Design background and a specialization in prototyping and development of new products. Limassol Zok Limassol is a Lebanese graphic designer with passion for social change and business strategies. She aspires to make MyShare a reality at The New School.
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Table of Contents Overview
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Design Process
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What Is?
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What If?
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What Wows?
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What Works?
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Sustainable Business
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Conclusion
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Overview Context
MyShare Initiative
Kerrey Hall is The New School’s newest and greenest residence hall. It consists of 617 undergraduate and graduate students from all around the world. Students in Kerrey Hall spend an average of $150 - $350 when they first move into the residence.*
Welcomes the residents to Kerrey Hall with a comprehensive Welcome Kit.
Urban Issue
Eliminates the initial stress of scrambling to find the necessities. Cost effective when buying in bulk. Lowers the amount of packaging waste and duplicate items.
Due to a lack of a green residence system and a sharing approach amongst the residents, waste and consumption levels at Kerrey Hall are high at the start of semester.
Implements a Community Closet and mobile app that allows residents to borrow commonly needed household items rather than buying.
Opportunity for Intervention
Enforces Kerrey Hall’s green standard and creates an open sharing environment.
MyShare is a platform that aims to help students experience a more seamless and welcoming transition to living in the Kerrey Hall residence while encouraging a sharing economy.
Saves students time and money.
Urban Issue High waste levels High consumption rate Weak community bonds * 50 Kerrey Hall residents filled out surveys and 85% responded positively to sharing items Surveys results on the following spread 9
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Design Process What is?
What if?
What wows?
What works?
Design and strategic thinking was used to guide our co-creative design process. We believe in collaborative systems that challenge traditional top-down design. To achieve this we used a variety of design thinking methods and tools to create a valuable solution to the pressing urban issues of waste, over consumption, and lack of sharing in The New School’s Kerrey Hall residence. After pinpointing the main issues that surfaced in the survey results, we conducted several workshops with other design thinkers. These workshops informed and refined critical decisions into valuable and meaningful solutions. We found that having a focus group session with residents was the true Aha! Moment of the entire process because we were able to have residents test our ideas and give us genuine feedback.
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What Is?
What If?
Our first question explores the current reality of the issue. In our case, we explored the current state of the dorms and how students felt about sharing, co-living, and spending.
Brainstorming
Visualization During the early stages of Visualization we crafted a design brief to outline our project intentions. We frequently referred to design brief throughout the entire design process. We also used storyboarding as a tool to help us visualize the project and various outcomes. Journey Mapping We wanted to truly understand the residents in Kerrey Hall so we conducted over 30 interviews in person and by e-mail. After we reviewed the feedback from the interviews we were able to come up with three personas that encompassed the array of sentiments of the residents.
In the early stages of Brainstorming we crafted Design Criteria to set goals and parameters for the project. From the Design Criteria we were able to host multiple brainstorming sessions to address different aspects of the project. Concept Development After our brainstorming sessions we came up with three potential ideas. 1/ An analog pin board on each floor where residents can display their sharable items and then knock on each others doors to borrow and return them. 2/ A mobile app that users easily upload their stuff on and share with each other, which would include the products’ status. 3/ A storage closet on each floor for a specific list of items that would open up when student id cards are swiped.
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What Wows?
What Works?
Assumption Testing
Rapid Prototyping
Starting a new project comes with a lot of assumptions. We tested some of our major assumptions to ensure the viability of our solution.
To test our assumptions we used three different prototyping approaches. 1/ A shared closet in the SDM studio that included instructions for using the closet. - This addressed our assumptions about residents working in an honor system, the value of shared items, and the necessity of the items. 2/ A mock Welcome Kit for students in Managing Creative Projects and Teams. - Tested the notion that being prepared for a situation makes one more comfortable and happy. 3/ A paper app that was tested by fellow students. Showed which features were the most import for the functionality of the Community Closet.
- Residents at Kerrey Hall need a sharing space. - There is storage space per floor available for our suggestion. - Residents will return items on time. - Resident’s won’t damage items. - Residents will repair damaged items. - Stores will donate items to Kerry Hall. - Closet storage is the best way to address this. - The school is willing to collaborate. - An app is a great way (the best way) to archive, check in, and check out items.
Customer Co-Creation During the co-creating we asked participants to interact with our app and closet prototypes to see how functional each idea could be.
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What Is? Kerrey Hall Statistics Here we explore is the current situation in Kerrey Hall by assessing the student population, their sentiments about sharing, and their journey to The New School. Over 30 interviews and surveys were conducted during this initial phase to get an understanding of the residents and their life at Kerrey Hall.
617 17-18 2-6 76 73 48% 67% 24% 9% 36% 75% 25% 16% 87% 13%
Student Population at Kerrey Hall From the demographic information we noticed that nearly half of the residents living in Kerrey Hall are international students and over a quarter of the residents of are freshman. With this insights we were able to better understand why these residents were having difficulty in with their initial transition to Kerrey Hall.
Residents Suites per floor Students per suite Residents on floors 8, 9, 10 Residents on floors 11-15 International students Exchange program Undergraduate students Graduate students Undergrad program Freshmen Returning students Graduate students First year students Second year students
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Survey Questions Gender Age Program 1. How do you feel about the following service providers? Craigslist Zip Car Couch Surfing Air BnB Yerdle 2. Would you like a service where you could borrow, share, and sell items? 3. When you moved to college what did you bring with you? 4. Do you share these items with your roommates or do you each have your own items? 5. Are there any items from home you would have brought but could not because of size/weight restrictions? 6. Have you ever borrowed anything from residents at KH? If so, what was it? If so, how was the transaction? 7. Have you ever lent anything to a resident at KH? If so, what was it? How was the transaction? 8. Would you be willing to lend/borrow items from a resident you do not know? If so, what would motivate you to lend/borrow? 9. Tell me about a time you needed something you wish you had brought from home? What was it? 10. How did you work around that problem? 11. What items do you have in your dorm that you would be willing to share with your fellow residents? 12. How comfortable do you feel with your fellow? 13. How engaged are you at Kerry Hall? 14. What items have you purchased since you moved to Kerry Hall? 15. Have you utilized the New School Equipment Lab? What did you borrow? How was the transaction?
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Personas: Who is willing to share? After talking to many residents during the surveys and interviews we were able to conclude how residents felt about sharing by using three personas. The three main responses to the sharing system were yes, no, and maybe.
Yes
Maybe
No
Jason, 25, Male
Lara, 19, Female
Yoko, 27, Female
Jazz major, spends his free time at local bars and music venues, he is very sociable and has a good relationship with his suitemates. Originally from California, he packed lightly when he moved to New York. He likes to ask around for an item before he’d ever think about buying it.
International exchange student studying fashion for one year at Parsons. She wants to know her peers, but is shy and feels that she has a communication barrier. She brought the basics and she does not know where to buy specialty items in the city. Her budget is a concern because she knows her fashion supplies are expensive.
International student studying a 4-year program in communication design. She has an individual suite and is apprehensive about sharing items with people she does not know. She is a social and friendly person but values her privacy. She knows her way around the city by now and helps out the new incomers with tips and recommendations of where to buy necessary items.
“Sure, whatever”
“Its ok, I guess”
“I can tell you where you can buy it”
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Journey Map What does a new Kerrey Hall resident experience? After talking to residents we were able to map out their journey to living in Kerrey Hall. We found that their pain points were all centered around lacking necessities because of moving restrictions and costs. Since nearly half of the residents are international students they are very limited in what they can bring with them on a long flight. Most students on brought a single suitcase and a backpack.
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Initial Purchases We asked residents what items they purchased when they moved into Kerrey Hall in order to get settled. The majority of students surveyed spent over $300 just to purchase the basic living necessities that they were not able to bring with them. We also found that average price varied depending on where residents shopped. We asked residents to about items they would like to share (visualized in word cloud below) if there were a sharing system and items they have shared in the past with fellow residents. In both categories kitchen items and school supplies were the most popular responses.
Survey Results We created a word cloud to help us better understand what residents want to share based on the survey results. The largest words represents the items that students requested more frequently. The most requested items turned out to be kitchen items, cleaning items, and school supplies.
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Survey Results Items Residents Want To Share
Items Residents Have Shared
Estimated Costs
$250-$550
One-time-buy items per suite of four residents
41% 23% 18% 18%
29% 22% 20% 17% 12%
23%
Books/School Supplies
41%
Kitchen
18%
Toiletries
22%
Books/School Supplies
18%
Cleaning Products
29%
Kitchen
20%
Toiletries
17%
Cleaning Products
12%
Other
Cleaning supplies trash can broom sweeper and wipes dustpan sponges Rags microfiber cloth scrubber toilet bowl cleaner gloves dish detergent laundry detergent softener air freshener liquid disinfectant
Kitchen supplies pots pans spatula silverware plates bowl cups bottle opener knives dry rack iron iron board bath mat
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What If? Here we explore is the current situation in Kerrey Hall by assessing the student population, their sentiments about sharing, and their journey to The New School. Over 30 interviews and surveys were conducted during this initial phase to get an understanding of the residents and their life at Kerrey Hall.
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Idea #1
Pin Board
An analog pinboard on each floor where residents can display their sharable items and then knock on each others doors to borrow and return them. We found that residents were not receptive to this solution because it was not seamless with their daily lives.
Idea #2
Storage Closet
A closet on each floor for a specific list of items that would open up when student id cards are swiped.
Idea #3
Mobile App
A mobile app that users easily upload their stuff on and share with each other, which would include the products’ status. We found that residents liked the idea of peer-to-peer sharing but had their reservations about the reliability sharing with residents they did not know.
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What Wows? Ideation and Iteration Workshop at The New School
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Workshop Text
Assumption Testing
Our workshops were conducted to help us gain a better understanding of how residents feel about sharing and how we can best address the issues that exist in Kerrey Hall. We used a word association workshop to get reactions about topics of sharing, relocating to New York City, and consumption.
We listed our major assumptions and thought of ways to test these assumptions with our various prototypes. We focused on testing the following assumptions.
Our second workshop was a journey mapping exercise. We used this to test our original journey map and make sure that we addressed all the important pain points in the users journey.
- Residents at Kerrey Hall need a sharing space. - There is storage space per floor available for our suggestion. - Residents will return items on time. - Resident’s won’t damage items. - Residents will repair damaged items. - Stores will donate items to Kerrey Hall. - Closet storage is the best way to address this. - The school is willing to collaborate. - An app is a great way (the best way) to archive, check in, and check out items.
During our in-class workshops we got valuable feedback
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Focus Group at Kerrey Hall
Prototyping the closet
A true A-ha moment surfaced during our in depth focus group with 18 Kerrey Hall residents. We drafted a list of questions about our three initial ideas and asked for their input. Along the way we found that all the residents felt rushed and stressed when they first arrived to Kerrey Hall and would like a Welcome Kit to help them transition more easily.
The closet prototype tested our assumption that people are willing to share and that people will use the honor system when borrowing items. Instructions were posted on the outside of the closet and
Focus group session at Kerrey Hall
Closet Prototyping at The New School
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Welcome Kit Prototype We designed a Welcome Kit prototype for our classmates to assess the reactions when people arrived to class and had all the materials that they needed to be prepared for the lesson. We had an array of reactions. People felt so surprised and were thankful that they did not need to worry about finding supplies for that assignment.
Items to be in the Welcome Kit
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What Works? Here we explore is the current situation in Kerrey Hall by assessing the student population, their sentiments about sharing, and their journey to The New School. Over 30 interviews and surveys were conducted during this initial phase to get an understanding of the residents and their life at Kerrey Hall.
Workshop at the New School testing the app prototype 26
Browse Products
Blender Cooler Wok Caserole Pot Utensils Vaccum Cleaner
A Kerry Hall Green Initiative Search
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Available on floors 6, 7, 8, and 9 Amount 32 Description A Yamaha blender that serves for 2L of liquids. Great for margueritas! In great condition
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Browse Products
Blender Cooler Wok Caserole Pot Utensils Vaccum Cleaner
Blender
Search
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Browse Products
Vaccum Cleaner Available on floors 7, 8, and 14 Available on floors 6, 7, 8, and 9
Available on floors 6, 7, 8, and 9
Amount 28 Description A Yamaha vaccum cleaner.
Available on floors 6, 7, 8, and 9
Available on floors 6, 7, 8, and 9 In great condition
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Prototyping the mobile app of MyShare
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Sustainable Business Ecosystem: Mapping the Stakeholders The ecosystem of the business of MyShare includes five stakeholders: the residents, the stores, the students, the school, and the technology
Student Job
School
Residents Technology
Stores
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Cash Flow: Costs and Profit Calculating the costs of the resources necessary to make MySare happern sums up to $94 per person. The price per student would be $150 to subscribe to the sharing system and purchase the welcome kit. This keeps $56 revenue for The New School housing department to maintain the items and keep enhancing the system.
Finances per resident
Total Finances
$150 price $94 cost $56 revenue
$90,000 price $56,400 cost $33,600 revenue
Budget for maintanence
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Conclusion After we detected a problem in Kerrey Hall we conducted various types of research to find out how the residents reacted to the problem. We used design thinking techniques to arrive with our solution of a Welcome Kit and Community Closet. Our proposed solution makes a meaningful impact on the students living in Kerrey Hall. Their first impression of their residence will no longer be one of stress and dismay, but rather a welcoming and communal feeling. This sentiment will transcend and create an open dialogue about the benefits of shared economies. In addition the community benefits, MyShare will help The New School achieve its green standard by lessening the amount of trash accumulation and wasted products every semester.
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15 December 2014