ACCORD
Client: Student Work
Category: Branding, UX, Service Design
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Role: This was a group project done with two others. We collaborated throughout, but I was personally responsible for interaction design.
PROJECT BRIEF:
Design an entity (institution, business, organization, or event) that addresses a wicked problem of your choice through branding, service, and interaction design.
Inspiration
My group and I came into this project wanting to explore the challenges surrounding disaster relief.
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After multiple brainstorming sessions, lots of mapping, and way too much research, we had a humbling conversation with our professor. He diagnosed us with “analysis paralysis” and suggested adjusting our scope to something that we had the time and knowledge to tackle.
To be fully honest, we did not take this feedback well. We complained about how he wasn't taking us seriously, thinking "Sure, we're just college students, but we still have something to offer!"
We soon realized he was right. But maybe our initial reaction could be our new angle... What do college students have to offer?
IN OTHER WORDS...
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How might we help university students apply their expertise to real world issues, while still in college?
Research/Ideation
We did case studies of a few non-profits, dove deep into the motivations and concerns of today's college students, and researched various learning models.
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One concept that jumped out at us was service learning, an educational approach that combines learning objectives with community service in order to provide a pragmatic, progressive learning experience while meeting societal needs. While these programs exist, they are not readily available to most college students in the US.
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So we started exploring how universities could offer service learning opportunities to their students.
We developed stakeholder maps and detailed personas to help us understand all the parties involved before jumping to any solutions.
Stakeholders
More research, brainstorming, meetings with our professor, etc. eventually developed into an entity called Accord.
Implementation
Accord connects universities, their students, and non-profit organizations in order to provide semester-long service learning opportunities where students can apply their expertise to real world issues, while receiving course credit.
Accord provides support for every step of the way from deciding if a service learning course is a good fit through preparation and departure. We’ve broken down the timeline into 7 steps: Decide, Apply, Plan, Prep, Go, Act, and Learn.​
​Each step has a responding action and touchpoint, as shown in the Service Map and User Journeys below.
Service Map
Below, I will only be diving into the touchpoints I was personally responsible for.
For a closer look at the project as a whole, including more research and process work, check out our full case study booklet.​
Website
The website is our center of communication with students. It not only streamlines the planning process, but also serves as a portal- connecting students to service organizations, their university, and students who have been involved with Accord in the past.
Used During: Decide, Apply, Plan, and Prep
Advisor Toolkit
Our programs are not traditional study abroad trips, and they certainly are not for everybody. We provide a toolkit to help advisors effectively counsel and assess students who are considering a service learning course.
Used During: Decide
Pamphlet
This pamphlet clarifies the differences between service learning, study abroad, and volunteering. It helps advisors communicate this information to their students.
Mobile App
After being accepted into a program, students are prompted on the website and in the packet to download the Accord App. Before they even depart, the app helps students build a sense of community that will provide support through the rest of their experience.
Used During: Prep, Go, Act, and Learn
Profile
Students log in with their accounts and the app fills out their profiles based on what's already on the website. Changing info on one automatically changes it on the other.
Students also have the option to add links to their social media accounts, so that their new friends can follow them.
REFLECTION
My team and I spent the majority of our time on this project to research and planning out every detail of the system. While I think we did a great job on the conceptual side of things, I wish we had dedicated more time to​ execution.
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If I were to revisit this project, I would explore additional functionalities of the website and app.