Launchpad
Purpose
The goal of this assignment was to design a tool that could connect users towards a common goal. As
a
group, we decided to pursue the idea of creating a community around mentor/mentee relationships that
would foster an environment of growth, learning, and friendship.
Problem Statement
Community groups around recreational activities can be difficult for some individuals to get
integrated
into. However, mentorship often bridges the gap between those who are experienced in a skill, and
those
who are novices and looking to learn and grow in that particular skill. Arguably so, even those who
consider themselves novices may be able to provide to someone with no experience, but at least an
interest, help and instruction towards learning a new skill.
Experience and knowledge can go so far to give mentors the ability to help others learn. What sets
average mentors apart from excellent mentors are the relationships that serves as a foundation
between
the mentor and the mentee. That is the goal of Launchpad: to foster an environment where mentors not
only teach and instruct mentees, but also form relationships with them in order to help them
integrate
into community groups.
User Studies
The main study group sampled were students at UCSD.
UCSD CSE 170
The coursework assigned was designed to teach students how to create technologies that are pleasant
to
use. We learned various interaction design techniques such as rapid prototyping and comparative
evaluations, and conducted fieldwork with people to come up with ideas for the design.