The task was to keep a group of middle school students entertained for 2-hours, show them what we do, and teach them something during the process. Our team decided we would use the opportunity to introduce them to the 5-step UCD process in an interactive and fun way, while also using the opportunity to gather some informal feedback about our product. The workshop was structured as a combination of whole-group discussion and breakout sessions. 

First, the whole-group was given the task of designing a way to submit an assignment online. We took this task through the first stage: Empathize with an activity called Wind In My Sail. The students told us what came easy (the sail), what their pain points were, their challenges and struggles (the anchor) when it comes to submitting an assignment online. Students also used post-it notes to record their responses. 

Next, we led the group through the second step: Define (or Reframe) by sorting the post-it notes and identifying patterns. We then used the patterns to frame a Guiding Statement, "We need a way to submit assignments online that is simple, creative and efficient."

For the Ideation stage (step 3) students broke out into smaller groups (2-3) and we're paired with a designer to begin brainstorming solutions. During this stage the students also created wireframes & lo-fi sketches. After a few minutes (we only had 2-hours total!) we came back together as group to share what ideas everyone had come up with. Even in the short time we had, the students came up with some great ideas and coming back together as a whole group helped the groups that were struggling to come up with even more solutions. 

For the next step (Prototype) the students went back to their small groups and were given paper UI kits, scissors, tape, glue, colored pencils, etc. to begin building paper prototypes. We spent the last few minutes sharing the prototypes. 

We used the second hour to introduce them to the Testing phase of the process. After a quick tour of our user testing setup (lab, observation room, and activity room), we broke them up again into smaller groups which rotated through each area. Before the workshop, we had prepared a protocol/testing script and a set up a testing environment for them to interact with our digital product. While our moderator was with one student in the testing lab user testing, others were in the observation room to note-take and learn about the technician role in user testing. 

In the third room (the activity room), students had the opportunity to create a name & logo for their assignment submission tool (for the chance at a prize!). We also provided a VR headset, design books, pipe cleaners, and legos to keep them entertained. We explained to them that since we tested lots of young users, keeping them entertained and relaxed was an important element of the testing process.

Our team received lots of great feedback about the workshop. The students enjoyed the experience, and adults/teachers were impressed with the amount of information we were able to present in such a short time, while also keeping the students engaged throughout. Our workshop was featured in an article in the local paper as well! 

Austin Statesman article featuring HMH Round Rock.