Gain stronger insight to what issues our target users are facing being in quarantine through external sources with online journal reviews that have been measuring students' performance metric levels since start of remote-learning.

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Competitive Analysis

I conducted an assessment on strengths and weaknesses of current and popular mobile applications / tools being used for task management/productivity/time management in order to identify core features and missing features that could enhance the user experience. The focus was on understanding their use of task prioritization, mindful goal-setting, and habit development and tracking.
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Surveys

I surveyed 47 students through quantitative and qualitative surveys in order to understand their backgrounds more and identify their issues and needs.
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The vast majority of students have found scheduling to be more hectic with remote learning. 

Despite this, I found that students tend to plan ahead and set times and deadlines for their tasks.

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Students were asked what are the downsides with working from home, which results indicated could be lack of motivation and more distractions. I asked if there was anything in their routine that helps them better concentrate, and the responses we’re meditation and a developing a routine. There was discussions on how they manage their time or prioritize their tasks, and the responses ranged from making to-do lists, keeping track of due dates, updating planners according to what they work on in that day, and also blocking out specific time for tasks and goals.
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The survey had students rate how important specific features are to them, with 1 being the most valuable. What this data told us was that customization, to-do lists, and keeping track of goals, plans, and dates are an integral part of the digital experience to keep organize and develop healthy goals overtime.

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In-Depth Interviews

I conducted 10 interviews with university students (Drexel University, University of Pennsylvania, Temple University, and Penn State University) to determine the best pathway to a solution using the collection of data to drive my process.

• Contextual research include a walkthrough a students' daily remote routines
• Competitive market research and analysis
• Qualitative and quantitative surveys

For analysis, the data needed to be further examined and organized in a way where it can be used to drive decisions. Therefore, I took the time to create affinity diagrams and site-maps in order to push the project to the next stage in the design process.

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Affinity Diagram

I used Miro to categorize the raw findings from the interviews and surveys through crafting an affinity diagram.

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Major Findings

• Student’s schedules have become more hectic/difficult during remote learning because of distractions and motivation being harder to achieve.

• Students need a motive/incentive to combat the feelings of loneliness at home.

• Remote-learning decreases levels of self-care and motivation, goal-setting mindsets, and efficiency in getting tasks done.

• Individuals that work/study from home need a method to manage their time effectively while contributing to productivity in their leisure time in order to improve their mental and physical wellbeing.

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User Personas

I used the organized data from the affinity diagram to create personas of our target audience so that we could better understand as a team who are core users were and their needs and frustrations.

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Storyboarding

I created a character that students could relate and empathize with as well as devise a plot that they would more likely remember. Stories motivate us to do certain things and can act as a persuasive communication tool. This is where I applied my background in psychology to expand on the psychology of motivation in attempt to develop a feeling of connectedness. How do we motivate users to stay organize in this newly remote world and feel excited to create healthy habits for themselves?
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Use of Gamification

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Dimensions and Packaging

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Takeaways

Summary

CarroTask was a unique experience because this project was something created from scratch. Often times it becomes difficult to separate your home life with your work life, especially during turbulent times such as COVID-19 it can impact your sense of division in life. The hope for the design of Carrot Buddy to help you keep organized with your priorities but create and maintain healthy habits for yourself that can be fun and new!

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Challenges

This was my first time working with a physical product especially in product design, but I think due to my interdisciplinary background it allowed me to step out of my comfort zone in order to grow as a designer. Through trial and error, I managed to understand the product design process and material design more in-depth as well as how to apply what I already know to problem-solving.

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Lessons Learned

• Product design is similar to user experience design but for product and material design there is a more expansive process because it includes measuring certain components, ensuring safety for certain materials, and patience when the product outcome is not what you imagined it to be from the beginning...but to pivot and improve on the ideas.
• Focus on the initial processes and steps and listen to your core users early on.

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