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GROUP ASSIGNMENT #1

For Group Assignment #1, teams were tasked to employ design thinking methodologies, to innovate and/or construct a visually striking and comprehensible artifact that communicates effectively. The artifact was to take the form of an infographic, webpage, etc, with emphasis on the wayfinding system of the artifact. These projects demonstrate the application of a design thinking framework in action.

KEY THEMES:

  • Research Process

  • Site Wayfinding

  • Prioritization of Information

  • Typography, Font, Colour

  • Readability

  • Rhetorical Analysis

GROUPS:

  • Artisans

  • Creators

  • Imagineers

  • Innovators

  • Visioneers

ARTIFACT NAMES:

  • Dress 4 Success

  • A Second Design PAS

  • UWAY

  • Course Mapper

  • AccessAbilityClub

Dress 4 Success

DESIGN TEAM: The Artisans 

GROUP MEMBERS: Claudia Lam, Thalia Stefania Criollo Guerrero, Shae Ashcroft, Keith Suares, Neer Patel, & Saajan Kar

BRIEF: Dress 4 Success is a project that aims to provide a comprehensive solution to dressing appropriately for UWaterloo Co-op students.

 

The project is an intersection between traditional fashion curation and smart technology to deliver an innovative system that will help you find the perfect outfit for various settings.

 

Whether you need to dress casually, business casual, or business formal, this system will give you the guidance you need to make a great first. impression.

A Second Design PAS

DESIGN TEAM: The Creators 

GROUP MEMBERS: Liya Ghanniaiman, Johann Candelaria Liveta, Allen Lu, Nyah Schaefer, & Noah Stolee

BRIEF: The Creators worked on improving wayfinding in the difficult-to-navigate PAS building by brainstorming ideas, performing surveys, and drafting signs and maps.

 

Issues identified included a lack of orientation, windowless hallways, incomplete maps, and poorly delineated entrances. Existing maps were monochromatic and cluttered.

 

The group suggested solutions such as an app, QR code signs, painted trails, and consistent signage. They also suggested introducing districts or neighborhoods to help with orientation.

UWAY

DESIGN TEAM: The Imagineers 

GROUP MEMBERS: Sophie Kleist, Yibo Chen, Alexandria Zielinsky,  Grace Ann Bock, & Melissa Jean Gerrits

BRIEF: The Imagineers developed an innovative solution to improve wayfinding on campus by creating an easy-to-use QR code system that features an interactive map of campus buildings.

 

This system aims to help students, professors, and visitors to locate their destinations quickly and efficiently.

 

The group performed ideation activities to generate and evaluate ideas and then created high-fidelity prototypes of three user flows for the QR code system.

 

The prototypes relied on visual rhetoric and utilized the brand identity of the university to to provide familiarity. The effectiveness of these designs stem from their stylistic and structural choices.

Course Mapper

DESIGN TEAM: The Innovators 

GROUP MEMBERS: Janna Dominique Carroll-Woolery, Lindsey Sara Kwon, Benjamin Lauckner, Ethan Eetienne Low, Neha Munje, & Brendan Kunho Yeung

BRIEF: Course Mapper is designed to neatly organize a student’s program requirements and track their progress to ensure they graduate on time.

 

The platform uses symbols and colors to communicate context, has minimal text, and features a modern sans serif font. The solution also includes an AI-integration feature for course suggestions and a clear communication process to guide students through program transfers.

 

The proposed website/app, Course Mapper, aims to streamline the university experience so that no student graduates late or feels overwhelmed by course selection.

ACCESSIBILITY CLUB

DESIGN TEAM: The Visioneers 

GROUP MEMBERS: Alivia Schill, Amira Taneja, Hemika Roy, Julian Lee, Shuaib McDoom, & Tanya Jessica D’Souza

BRIEF: AccessAbilityClub is an idea of improving current accessibility services at the University of Waterloo which can provide accommodations to students with disabilities, including those with physical impairments, mental illnesses, and more.

 

A lack of social media presence and website accessibility makes it difficult for some students to learn about the services. This revision is empathetic with students who need accommodations as they have an instagram which can be easily accessed: @AccessAbilityClub. 

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A coordination between rhetorical components, observational data, WCAG approved colours and typeface successfully creates an innovate improvement to a crucial service. 

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