reflection
No project is perfect; there are many aspects about the project I would change if we had more time. However, I’m proud of my team and what we accomplished throughout this course. Upon reflection, I learned…
![black down arrow](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/616fbb8916f5efbbce3aa4ec/63610350e0286a251363e42b_down%20arrow.svg)
![black up arrow](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/616fbb8916f5efbbce3aa4ec/636103514e8002b38d867b1f_up%20arrow.svg)
Research and validate assumptions before committing to a solution
As a designer, it’s easy at times to start generating ideas for solutions before completing all the research necessary for understanding the problem and users. Unfortunately, this was a mistake that my group and I made with Hypnos. We made the assumption that positive reinforcement would be an effective way to change habits. Our literature review invalidated that assumption, but it was too late to modify our solution to better address our users' needs. Hypnos may have been totally different if I had advocated for checking our assumptions sooner.
![black down arrow](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/616fbb8916f5efbbce3aa4ec/63610350e0286a251363e42b_down%20arrow.svg)
![black up arrow](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/616fbb8916f5efbbce3aa4ec/636103514e8002b38d867b1f_up%20arrow.svg)
A great team dynamic makes a HUGE difference!
When working with a team, people are bound to have differences and disagreements, which can be problematic and uncomfortable if those issues are not resolved. Fortunately, this was not an issue with my team. With strong communication, I was comfortable addressing and resolving disagreements, providing and receiving constructive criticisms, and offering support as needed. As a result of our great team dynamic, we were incredibly productive during meetings, we completed a cohesive product, and we became friends along the way!
next steps
If we had more time, I would have liked to do the following:
- Conduct user interviews with people from our target population during our research phase. I think this would have revealed more specific pain points that I could have pursued further.
- Test, test, test! I would have created medium-fidelity prototypes for usability testing to determine if this solution is indeed viable for our target users and to uncover potential usability and accessibility gaps.