Week One Reflection
Through this program I hope to explore more STEM fields that use design thinking and prototyping, so that in the end I in collaboration with a team can create something that would be beneficial to the recipients. I also hope to explore career options dealing with 3D printing.
A specific skill that I hope to gain in this program is to prototyping and 3D printing.
As a team member I hope to gain a new perspective on collaborative projects and to collaborate creatively with my teammates while helping the greater good of our community.
This week I worked on creative confidence, Human design Centered Design and the Design Thinking process. I watched videos on these subjects and focused on how I can use these when trying to complete future projects. I took notes on all of the denoted videos for future reference.
Three things I learned was creative confidence and how to believe in an idea when other may see no hope, I learned the importance of empathy when dealing with people and prototyping. I learned the importance of design having steps, and how important it is to follow through on what you do because there are always consumers on the other end waiting. I also learned that designing is more of process it's a mindset.
Challenges that I faced this week were time management and navigating through notio
A piece of wisdom I would like to share is “Love the life you live. Live the life you love.”― Bob Marley
Next week I plan to work on better time management and planning of my week, 3D printing, and collaborating more with my group.
WEEK TWO REFLECTION
“Don't let anyone rob you of your imagination, your creativity, or your curiosity. It's your place in the world; it's your life. Go on and do all you can with it." -Mae Jemison, first African American woman astronaut in space
This week I had the pleasure of meeting with my team for the first time,Team Koala Kare. We took this meeting as a chance to really get to know one another, along with discussing our community project. Our community project consisted of developing an app, creating accessible virtual realities, and much more. I also took the time this week to do my weekly assignments, and learned the importance of empathy. Empathy consist of putting ourselves in the shoes of other people and being willing to explore the lives of other people. I also learned more about design thinking in the inspiration phase and was able to apply the knowledge when helping come up with community projects. It helped inspire ideas that would truly help out community while also considering the constraints around the ideas that we had come up with. I also explored some projects that I may want to do on my own, such as learning and using virtual reality software, the use of the cnc machine, and working with micro controllers.
Three beneficial things that I learned this week are the importance of empathy, the importance of the logistics/constraints of a project when in the inspiration phase, and also the importance of team building and it's many components, such as the communication strategy, meeting times, and also being open and allowing all thoughts. I also thought it was really important that in my group we set a boundary that no idea is too large or not ideal, there usually is some part of the idea that can be built on.
Challenges that I endured this week was managing stress and not allowing it to interrupt my inspiration phase when trying to brainstorm ideas for my community project on my own.
Are there really ideas that simply could never could off of the ground?
Do you think UVA would be open to the idea of a virtual reality, and creating a version of it in the meta verse?
Next week I plan to develop the community project with my team and 3D print an object. I also plan to explore more maker space technology and toggle with how it could be integrated within our community project. I also plan to explore virtual realities and how they can be made more accessible for all aspiring young girls in stem.
I also have really been looking into virtual realities and how they are connected to the meta verse, which is a global marker that is full of opportunity for girl's in stem. I read this really cool article on virtual realities and how they are changing our world.https://www.geospatialworld.net/blogs/why-and-how-virtual-reality-is-growing/#:~:text=Virtual%20Reality%20(VR)%20has%20witnessed,with%20a%20real%2Dworld%20view.
Week Three Reflection
This week I explored research methods and worked with my group to analyze and pick which methods best fit our project. I also completed the maker mindsets, and figured out that I have a growth mindset in the area of intelligence. But I do have a fixed mindset when it comes to criticism on something that I have worked on. This week I also completed my 3D project, which consist of a 'shark comb'
Three beneficial things that I learned this week were research methods and there benefits, the state of my mindset and where I can become more open, and learning to be flexible when in a group as far as timing and the setting of meetings.
This week I didn't have any particular challenges, things were pretty smooth sailing. The biggest thing I was worried about was the object I 3D printed and it turned out pretty good. My team did I have some challenges with scheduling but we ended up switching over to zoom for this weeks meeting.
“Now is the accepted time, not tomorrow, not some more convenient season. It is today that our best work can be done and not some future day or future year.”- WEB DuboiS
How long should the research process take?
Should we make our research methods strictly online? or try to do in person interviews?
Next week I plan to take the team lead role, and with my team continue to develop our app. This will include collecting the data needed from our research methods. I also plan to work on the next weekly task along with starting my second personal project.
Week Four Reflection
This week I learned the reasoning for interviews and how they are beneficial for both the interviewer and the interviewee. I learned how to make an interviwee more comfortable, and how to ease into an interviewer by stating the purpose of the interview and then starting with broader questions that then have follow up questions that are more specific. I also learned the importance of learning from failure and how you can't implemenent things until there is failure that you learn from. I also learned the importance of using failure as a motivator for the growth mindset. I learned how to take good notes and the benefits of not seeking approval from peers and people of authority. This week I also helped my group come up with interview questions and figure out how we want to get feedback on our problem. We decided the problem we want to find out about is accessibility to dining halls and the hours of the dining hall. This week I also helped aid my group by observing my english class where we are currently discussing problems at UVA and coming up with soliutions.
Three things I learned this week were how to put myself out there and fully immerse myself with my peers and be an open and active listener to their problems. Another thing would be neuroplasticity and how we as humans have the ability to improve our skills as long as cognitive effort is involved. Lastly the third beneficial thing would be to stop seeking approval as this enables a fixed mindset.
Challenges that I faced this week were just really finalizing a problem and really having question that were opened and leaving more specific questions for the follow up questions.
"It's only when you risk failure that you discover things. When you play it safe, you're not expressing the utmost of your human experience." ― Lupita Nyong'o
Next week I plan to conduct interviews that would give feedback for my community project. I also plan on completing the VR challenge and my personal project which is related to VR.
Week Five Refelection
This week in collaboration with my group we worked on revising our questions for the user interviews, and we put together questions for one of the confirmed expert interviewee. I also had the opportunity of completing the VR challenge, that was my first experience with VR and I loved how I felt fully immersed in the virtual world. I also read the synthesis reading and gained some tips on how to synthesize the research we collect through interviews, observations, and analogous experience. I also had the opportunity to reach out to my peers and schedule user interviews. I did also have the opportunity to listen to the podcast by the CN Podcast.
Three things I learned this week were learning how to synthesize the research we collect, learning how to learn from failures as far as our interview questions but collaborating with my group to come up with better questions. The third beneficial thing I learned was working the VR system.
Challenges that I faced this week were coming up with expert questions for one of the experts relating to facilities. I also struggled with making time for things as I had a lot of overlap in my schedule due to midterms. I also felt a little discouraged this week.
I was taught that the way of progress was neither swift nor easy." - Marie Curie
Once you have mastered time, you will understand how true it is that most people overestimate what they can accomplish in a year - and underestimate what they can achieve in a decade!" -- Tony Robbins
Next I plan becoming team leader and staying organized. I plan completing my second challenge and doing user and hopefully an expert interview.Week Six Reflection
Week Six Reflection
This week in collaboration with my group , we were able to pick our three favorite ideas from the brainstorm and think about how these ideas will carry out our accessibility problem. We also were thinking of how a solution to our problem will help the University student community. This week I also had the chance to complete my final makerspace project using Tinkercad.I was able to follow the tutorials on Tinkercad along with watching some YouTube videos and put together something that I am proud of and hope to improve upon. I also had the chance to read about the ideation phase and how taking the themes from our interviews and brainstormed ideas for our how might we question in order to design something that answers our question. This week I also took the role of being team leader.
Three beneficial things I learned this week were persevering through a busy schedule and not giving up when stressed, I learned how to design through Tinkercad and how to apply what I have learned to future projects. Lastly I have learned about the ideation phase: synthesis and how to know analyze our finding s to design something that will be beneficial.
Challenges that I faced this week were designing while using Tickercad intially, but eventually I figured it out. I also felt overwhelmed this week, but preserved and made it through successfully.
We always hope for the easy fix: the one simple change that will erase a problem in a stroke. But few things in life work this way. Instead, success requires making a hundred small steps go right - one after the other, no slipups, no goofs, everyone pitching in.” ― Atul Gawande, Better: A Surgeon's Notes on Performance
In the next week I plan to lead my team in our small group meetings, complete weekly projects, and focus more on synthesis.
Week Seven Reflection
This week I learned about mini-pilots, and how they work to revolutionize the prototype, and really allows the product to be tangible. I also learned and worked on using the growth mindset since I know we are working on a timeline, and it can become discouraging. This week I also completed the workshop training for tech girls. I also got the chance to get together with my partner about the Girl's Maker space camp.
Three things I learned this week were how to remain disciplined and completing task even when on break, I learned about mini-pilot and how it will help to revolutionize our idea and product, I also learned time management.
Challenges I faced this week just making sure that everyone could meet and trying to accommodate everyone's schedule during break, and also just really staying disciplined while on break and doing work and assignments.
Knowledge comes, but wisdom lingers. It may not be difficult to store up in the mind a vast quantity of facts within a comparatively short time, but the ability to form judgments requires the severe discipline of hard work and the tempering heat of experience and maturity. Calvin Coolidge
In the next week I plan to meet again with Kha and work more on our tutorial for the Girl's Camp and I plan to help move along my teams prototyping along with attending an app prototyping seminar next Wednesday.
week eight reflection
This week I learned about Design Justice Principles and how Community led practices build the world we need. This week for our community project we were able to make our wire frame and figure out some general functionalities for our app. I also was able to work with my partner on doing a test on 3d printing the UVA souvenirs. I also had the chance to complete the maker career development assessment.
Three beneficial things I learned this week were how to make a wireframe, using figma, and how to work well under time sensitivity. I also learned how to compromise in my group especially on app features.
Challenges I faced this week were working on a time crunch while balancing other tasks. I also was a bit challenged with dealing with multiple time sensitive task at once but in the end it worked out.
“These small wins matter more because they are so much more likely to occur compared to the big break-throughs in the world. If we only waited for the big wins, we would be waiting a long time. And we would probably quit long before we saw anything tangible come to fruition. What you need instead of big wins is simply the forward momentum that small wins bring.” ― Hendrie Weisinger, Performing Under Pressure: The Science of Doing Your Best When It Matters Most
Next week my group plans to have a digitized version of our wireframe, and we plan to get some user feedback. Kha and I plan to 3d print souvenirs for the girl's maker-space camp.
WEEk NINe Reflection
This week I learned the importance of the iteration process by planning feedback interviews, facilitating good feedback and how synthesizing that feedback to develop our app. I also helped my group work on a more detailed version of our prototype. My group was also able to start the mid fidelty prototype on figma, and I was able to give feedback and help to curate the design and functions. I also had the chance to make our presentation
Three beneficial things I learned this week are the importance of staying ahead on work in case of emergency, the importation the iteration process, and effective communication.
Challenges I faced this week was not being able to physically contribute in the ways I wanted to due to me being, and just getting on once accord with my partners, especially for the 3d printing.
“Feeling challenged is an inherent performance steroid—your body releases more adrenaline than noradrenaline, which means the smooth muscle in your blood vessels dilate, as do your your lungs, and now you have more oxygenated blood going to the tissues that need it. Your body has more energy and your brain can think more clearly.” ― Hendrie Weisinger, Performing Under Pressure: The Science of Doing Your Best When It Matters Most
Next week I plan to help my group further digitize our prototype and work with Kha to finish printing out the first batch of souvenirs. I also plan to revise the presentation. I also plan to help with more user interviews for feedback on our app.
Week Ten reflection
This week I was able to gather a new user interview from my TA in my chemistry lab, I was also able to help with the completion of my teams community mid fidelity prototype. This week I also had the chance to meet with Kha at the RMC, we were able to walk through our class, modify the slideshow, and finish the printing of the souvenirs. I also had the chance to go over iteration, and the idea of being optimistic when creating a prototype. This week I have definitely learned to be more open minded and more patient with myself when creating.
Three beneficial things I learned this week were working under pressure with a strict deadline, the importance of planning ahead, and learning to be more open minded when collaborating with a group.
Challenges I faced this week were working under pressure and strict deadlines. I also had a little challenge with figma and figuring out how to do a drop down window.
No lifetime, no matter how successful, will be truly rewarding or happy if you cannot learn to love yourself and be yourself. -Gerad Way
Next week I plan to help my group with prototyping, and teaching the 3D printing workshop to the girls camp.
Week eleven Reflection
This week I worked with my group to improve our prototype. We went through and fixed certain features through your suggestions. We made the color more neutral and checked their contrast ability, we also incorporated illustrations and made other changes to our app. This week I also took part in using more optimism with our community project. I went in this week with the goal of getting a product we all could be proud of.
Three beneficial things that I learned this week is that things that you really want do not always come easy, I learned how to work on little sleep, but also again the importance of doing thing little by little each day instead of waiting until the last minute.
Challenges I faced this week were figuring out how to do the drop boxes on figma.
“Humans are allergic to change. They love to say, ‘We’ve always done it this way.’ I try to fight that. That’s why I have a clock on my wall that runs counterclockwise.” – Grace Hopper, pioneering computer scientist
Next we plan on finalizing our app and preparing for the final showcase.
Week Twelve Reflection
This week I was about able to help my group finalize the prototype and implement the mini-pilot. I worked on the canva poster for the community project and worked on my portion of the design project. This week I also 3D printed souvenirs for the final showcase. I also slipped into my role as team documenter and documented notes for the week.
Three beneficial things I learned were juggling multiple time sensitive tasks and assignments at once, being a documenter for a group, and working and pushing through when tired.
Challenges I faced this week were figuring out how to do a drop down box on figma and finding the time to get most of the 3D printing done.
Don't stop when you're tired; stop when you're done. Perseverance is the hard work you do after you get tired of doing the hard work you already did. Don't Stop when you are Tired. -Marilyn monroe
Next week I plan to complete my portion of the design process, finish any 3d printing, and help to finalize the mini-pilot. I also plan to present at the final showcase!!!
WEEk ThirTeen Reflection
This week I had the opportunity helping of helping my group to create out design document and put the final touched on our app. I also had the opportunity to go over the final showcase with my team to ensure that everything goes smoothly. I also did our final documentation for our weekly notes.
Three beneficial things I learned this week were how to relax while doing work, the importance of working together with new people, and the benefits of working in collaboration with a group of people.
Challenges I encountered this were inputting pictures into my learning journal and the design document.
You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing you cannot do. - Eleanor Roosevelt
This program has been absolutely amazing, and I have learned so much from my peers and Fang. I just want to say thank you so Fang for seeing my potential. This program has taught me lessons that I know will be vital in my future, and I am so glad to have met the wonderful ladies that I have worked with. -Jade