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Process- REFLECTION

Going through the creative problem-solving process so thoroughly was a surprisingly impactful journey for me personally. I’ve always known that the process is multi-step and iterative, but I can’t say I’ve ever given each step it’s due diligence. That said, I don’t believe I would remove any of the steps outlined in this coursework. Our group project evolved in some way or other because of each measured step-- everything from “Accept” to “Evaluate” played a role.

I think the most important step for our group was “Define,” and I think for all future projects this will be the one that I really hone in on. As we moved through the rest of the steps, we continually referenced our definition of the problem to make sure our solutions were appropriate. This step for me is like the thesis of your research paper where each progression towards conclusion has to ladder up to the original, main goal. Being able to clearly define our problem/solution allowed us to focus and be strong in our understanding of the product, making it much easier to support.

The other step in the process that I now know I need to spend much more time in is the “Ideate” phase. I am typically not one to entertain divergent activities while trying to complete a project because to me it feels (or at least it used to) like it was taking too much time and moving us away from the final goal. After this class as well as the residential, I see this as an essential step to improve the quality of the end product or idea.

One self-reminder to improve the “Ideate” phase, but also the whole Creative Problem-Solving Process, in general, is to make sure that I stop trying to analyze and create at that same time. My first instinct is to create an idea and then over analyze it. Instead, I see the merits of making space to continue creating so that new, potentially better iterations are not stifled.

C O N C E P T U A L I Z E this

Team Memory presents Kapture with Sekure Kapture technology to help you experience the best of both worlds-- Do it for the gram, sure, but instead of thinking about that, live your best life and enjoy the moment.

A little background…. The advancement of technology has greatly influenced the way humans create and recall memories. And while technology does not affect the actual information we receive, it does affect how we perceive it and store it on our memory. Relying on technology to remember information, including visual information about events and experiences, decreases the strength of the memory and how well we will be able to retain that information in our brain. A director of the Memory Disorders Clinic at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, said that not paying attention causes the memories we make to be “messy,” which makes it hard to remember that memory.

Enter Kapture.

Knowing that the advancement of technology is not slowing down and that asking people to limit their device time is an uphill battle, we present a solution that frees a users’ brain to create memories on its own (as it was designed to do) while still capturing the experiences for sharing and archiving.

The Kapture camera device will be integrated into a fashionably-designed wearable-tech jacket that can be worn during a variety of activities. With different selectable modes (video or photo) a user will be able to take their mind off taking photos and instead experience the people and surroundings they are interacting with.

All footage will be uploaded and stored in the cloud and encrypted with Sekure Kapture technology to protect strangers privacy. Faces and audio of anyone but the user and approved relationships will be distorted until permission is granted.

Our partnership with Levi’s Jeans and Google Photos will set us down a path to create a strong marketing campaign that will be propelled by word-of-mouth and influencer endoresment.

Check out a prototype in action here - http://bit.ly/2BUoN2U Read some survey responses about general memory capture via phones here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/results/SM-MQDPCPB9V/

Process Journal- Evaluation

Watching our group’s initial theme and early concepts evolve through the creative problem-solving process has been interesting, unexpected and insightful. When I think back at what we started with-- this overly broad topic of memory-- I am quite pleased to see how we’ve journeyed to this possible solution. Some of the methods and techniques that I fell our group used to get here include:

Measured Achievements: Our group has been very good about keeping each other in check when it comes to sticking to our problem statement. It is easy to start adding on new ideas that take us down different paths but if this starts to occur we pause to think about if that new rabbit trail still lines us up for success in addressing the problem we set to solve.

Soliciting Feedback/Jury of Peers: I think this has been one of the key components in evaluating our proposed solution. Between the feedback we have received from our class, and the feedback we gathered in a survey, we have been able to talk about how to refine the experience our product provides.

Pay as you go: This method of accountability and essentially project management of our team goals was key. Our group has done a great job of defining expectations on a weekly basis that direct the progression of our product development.

Overall, the process has been very smooth I think because of our careful contemplation of the creative problem-solving process. Instead of rushing over steps that could serve to slow us down, we took advantage of those convergent activities and talked about what we should be getting out of each step of the process. Our team dynamic has been enjoyable and productive and I think that has led us to create a product we’re excited about.

Process Journal: Implementation

Diving into the Business Model Canvas was a very effective tool to structure our conversations and begin to see the skeleton of our project take shape. I think it is interesting that the customer value proposition is at the center of the conversation because it forced our team to keep circling back to the customer and sort of work backward from there.

In continuing with the “customer first” theme of the business model canvas, I think the customer is also where the effectiveness of our pitch to stakeholders will rest. Our product is largely centered around the emotions of our customers. If we can create empathy among stakeholders by telling a story that is both practical and poignant we’ll have an easier time getting them to buy into the idea.

Some methods that seem likely to complement this particular plan include:

Advocate – Our product is realistic and exciting and relevant. The concept is easy to pitch because it has an emotional element to it that many people will relate to.

Leverage Brand/Name – We’ve decided to call our wearable tech ‘Kapture’ as an attractive name the communicates its purpose.

Provide Performance Specs – We can break down our product into the technology and fashion benefits it will provide as well as talk about the byproduct of improved memory of a given experience.

When it comes to visual representation, our pitch will include mockups/demos of the product as well as a multimedia presentation that highlights the product while also inherently representing the integration of tech and visual media.

Business Model Canvas

See a more detailed explanation of these key questions in our team’s Google doc here.

Process: Solution

Ah! “Solution” sounds so final and committed but here we go!

Interestingly enough our solution changed pretty drastically after last week’s class session. The feedback we received from the class after presenting some of our many ideas caused us to shift our focus slightly and look towards wearable tech as a solution to the way society addresses/supports memory recall and retention.

One of the first ideas we came up with in our ideation phase was using smart appliances (mirrors, refrigerators, etc.) as a platform to initiate memory recall and I honestly thought this was our most solid idea. But after gauging the reaction of our class, we decided to entertain the idea of wearable technology further.

With this avenue, we decided there were two ways we could go: 1. Wearable tech that aid with memory capture ie. the idea we presented in class. 1. Wearable tech that could aid with memory recall eg. smart glasses or smart hearing aids.

There was a lot of discussion and debate between the three of us as well as research to support this new direction. One main concerns were 1. Whether the privacy issue that was brought up in class was something we could tackle and After some research and creative thinking we feel confident that the privacy issue is something that technology is already starting to address. Especially because market trends are predicting wearable tech to double by 2021.

Technology is moving that way, so might as well figure out how to use it in a positive, lasting way. I think the “why” for the wearable tech idea we have is our strongest motivator for choosing this solution. It harkens back to early ideas about how to encourage people to spend time away from the screen. This article also makes a pretty good case for this direction. A professor of psychology Linda Henkel said, “When you take a photo of something, you’re counting on the camera to remember for you,” Henkel said. “You’re basically saying, ‘Okay, I don’t need to think about this any further. The camera’s captured the experience.’ You don’t engage in any of the elaborative or emotional kinds of processing that really would help you remember those experiences, because you’ve outsourced it to your camera.”

Choosing a Solution

In working with Austin and Cameron, the following big ideas have been top of mind in terms of creating criteria.

Does the solution….

Serve a defined target audience? (in this case, Gen Z/Millenials)

Have an emotional component driving its necessity?

Connect to social media culture?

Help aid in memory recall?

Our selection process was done as a group in 3 phases:

Take a poll: Last week we compiled a lengthy list of possible solutions and grouped them into three categories- Smart Appliances, Memory Testing/Evaluation and Limiting Device Time. After presenting to our class, one idea seemed to stick out to them which was “Wearable tech that captures an experience automatically to allow users to live in the moment instead of worrying about capturing it for Instagram.” This tally of interest from the class was very valuable because it did cause our group to shift focus slightly.

Debrief and debate: Taking the information we gathered from the class, Austin, Cameron and I started a conversation about the options, each of us expressing that we still liked what we thought was our strongest idea (smart appliances) but that the excitement over wearable tech was worth exploring. We discussed whether it still fit our problem statement and what some of the implementation challenges might be (notably privacy) and did some light research into this concern. We each presented our thoughts, Cameron played a little devil’s advocate to challenge our frame of reference, even moved back to the ideation phase for a second to consider an idea from Austin about muscle memory as opposed to general memory. It was good to have this open conversation so we could see ideas flowing naturally and more importantly what we kept circling back to.

Nominate a decision maker: The three of kept coming back to the idea of wearable tech but as a final solution, we had varying interpretations of what that would look like. I was nominated to have a final call (no pressure!) and we have decided to focus our solution on wearable tech that facilitates memory creation via experience capturing. Cameron and Austin back this choice. Here we go!

Group Brainstorming: Team Memory Style

Problem Statement: Technology has revised the role of memory creation and recall, but society is not taking advantage of this evolution.

My group first generated some “How Might We?” statements to lay several ideas out on the table in a stream-of-conscious fashion.

How might we….

Use smart appliances in the home to facilitate memory

Create a benchmark memory test that you would repeat regularly to assess memory health

Limit technology to jog your memory (eg. give you hints at an upcoming task)

Crowdsource memory creation/recall

Use a physical object in your home or workplace to capture memories

Create an app that would enable memory creation & recall

Create an app that takes everyday things (passwords, directions) to improve your memory

Use technology to prevent or curb memory loss

Use technology to teach kids to memorize

Use memories captured with technology to reverse memory loss

Biohack memory creation and recall

Sleep train to improve memory

Use technology to optimize your daily schedule/cadence

Use VR to train your mind

Use light therapy for improving memory health

Revolutionize how society teaches memory creation & recall

Use technology to create real-world prompts that boost memory recall

Implant chips in the brain to restore the ability to form memories

Use electrical signals to retrieve memory for Alzheimer’s patients

Create an event to teach recall tactics

"Leverage technology to scroll through your memories like your Instagram feed, to perfectly recall everything you’ve ever learned” (https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/5355ed/memory-editing-technology-will-give-us-perfect-recall-and-let-us-alter-memories-at-will-v24n1)

Use “on this day” prompts from your life to facilitate memory

Utilize technology to improve communication in the workplace

From there, we grouped some of these ideas together and came up with 3 buckets that seemed most interesting to all of us. For this second round of brainstorming, we moved our ideation process to a Trello campaign that allowed us to organize by topic.

Collectively we’re leaning into the idea of using smart appliances to facilitate memory. Specifically, we’re interested in understanding how can technology assist those that begin suffering memory loss. We’re excited to see what this leads to in next week’s assignment.

Ideation- Process Journal

First and foremost, our team used the technique of BRAINSTORMING to circulate ideas around our topic. We used both types of brainstorming (individual vs. group) which contributed to some great discussion about the project. Another tactic that we employed (somewhat involuntarily) was the TAKE A BREAK method. Given our work and personal schedules, we naturally had to spend some time on our own but this proved invaluable to the process because we were able to present informed findings about the topic in an efficient way. The WHAT IF ideation technique was probably the method with the most momentum in terms of how we were able to riff off each other as we brainstormed using questions such as: What if a physical object in your home could assist with memory recall? What if smart appliances could help? Lastly, we did allow ourselves to venture into CRAZY BRAINSTORMING which was a fun approach. We talked about a device that is implanted in your brain that allows you to review your memories and even alter them which sounds kind of scary actually. But throwing it out there is as an option was a good exercise in not holding back or allowing logistics and reality limit our creative brain dump.

After talking through our large list, the following ideas floating to the top, with the first being highest:

Use smart appliances in the home to facilitate memory.

Create a benchmark memory test that you would repeat regularly to assess memory health.

Limit technology to jog your memory eg. give you hints at an upcoming task.

#ProcessJournal5

Def-i-ni-tion (noun)

Process Journal

I've identified the following methods/techniques as tools for helping our group define our problem.

Translate thoughts into written words: Our group has nice rapport where we are able to spout off our ideas (even if not fully-formed) to each other. Putting them in writing through text messages, comments in shared Google Docs and 2U posts has helped us digest and jump off to other ideas.

Bridge the gap: We pose big questions, oftentimes ones we don't have enough information to answer, so we do research into the topic to fill in the blanks. This information opens up new thoughts on memory and helps us think ahead to possible solutions.

Changing negatives statements into positives: Rather than frame our questions in terms of how technology and social media might negatively affect memory, we were able to flip that lens and look at the problem in a positive light.

Keywords: This for me is huge. I do this every time I try to define a story whether, for a brand, an article, a website design, and I think it has been a very useful tool for us as we tried to pair down memory into something digestible. We've been able to repeat words such as retention, recall, and creation.

Through these methods and also just general discussion, we were able to look at the big picture and all the divergent concepts to help us hone in on a more focused topic.

#ProcessJournal4

Problem Definition

Under the auspices of the very large topic of memory, there are so many avenues for us to explore. I've personally identified the problem as relating to memory recall and how that influence's people's actions and engagement with the world. If we look at how people are participating in society (with more and more dependence on technology) we have to ask what that is doing to our ability to remember things.

Are we out of practice because our phones and computers can store information and look up anything we might want to know? For instance, when was the last time you had to memorize a phone number? I couldn't call my best friend, my dad or my brother at this moment without looking at my phone. I also don't think people remember things in the same way as they once did. Instead of linear, repetitive exposure to information, technology and social media seem to have influenced the way we digest information. I see this when teaching younger students who need to be stimulated by many, short and diverse tasks in cycles versus a more focused step-by-step path.

The common trope of explaining how bad social media and technology are and how we should limit screen time etc. seems to be an almost moot point because we're not going to stop technology from progressing and social media is definitely here to stay. With that in mind, I think our problem becomes finding a way to positively employ technology or social media to aid memory recall and the creation of memories.

Group Response After discussing the above with Cameron and Austin and hearing their similar thoughts, we decided on the following two avenues of exploration for our final problem definition.

1. What are the ways in which social media positively affect the modalities of memory: learning, mental health, new memory etc? Our demographic for this problem statement would target Gen X and Millennials, preferably those who are growing up in tech-savvy environments. 2. With technology constantly at our fingerprints (ie. doing the remembering for us) what is the revised role of memory creation & recall? And how can technology assist those that begin suffering memory loss? Our demographic would not be restricted to age but rather those who begin suffering memory loss at any age.

After discussing each statement at length, we’ve decided to focus on problem #2. We feel passionate about the topic and believe there are many potential solutions in this space.

Conjunction Junction

What’s your function?

MY BOOKCASE is tall and it can hold a lot. The lower portion has cabinets and doors that hide the organized chaos of miscellaneous items. The shelves are varied heights and accommodate many sizes of books, magazines and DVDs. My bookcase is tall but it can hold a lot. The lower portion has cabinets but the doors hide the organized chaos of miscellaneous items. The shelves are varied heights but accommodate many sizes of books, magazines and DVDs.

MY IPHONE is compact and goes with me everywhere. It allows me to stay connected to friends and family and it allows me to get work done. The iPhone is low on storage and in need of an upgrade. My iPhone is compact but goes with me everywhere. It allows me to stay connected to friends and family but it allows me to get work done. The iPhone is low on storage but in need of an upgrade.

MY BEST FRIEND is both a friend and a colleague. We worked together before we became friends and we still work together although not directly. She is a PR rep and I am a journalist and our paths cross often. My best friend is a friend but a colleague. We worked together before we became friends but we still work together although not directly. She is a PR rep but I am a journalist but our paths cross often.

MY CAR is extremely useful and it also has one of my favorite body style of cars. It has 4 seats and a decent-sized trunk that I use to haul costumes and props. My car is white and it has black racing stripes on the bottom. My car is extremely useful but it also has one of my favorite body style of cars. It only has 4 seats but a decent-sized trunk that I use to haul costumes and props. My car is white but it has black racing stripes on the bottom.

MY PARENTS’ HOUSE is one story and it is fairly large. It is situated on a 2.5 acre lot in the middle of nowhere and there is lots of space for my dad to hoard way too many boxes of old junk. The house has 4 bedrooms and an open floor plan that connects the dining room, living room and kitchen. My parents' house is one story but it is fairly large. It is situated on a 2.5 acre lot in the middle of nowhere but there is lots of space for my dad to hoard way too many boxes of old junk. The house has 4 bedrooms but an open floor plan that connects the dining room, living room and kitchen.

MORPHOLOGICAL ANALYSIS GRID

Since the above image is tiny, view Google Sheet below:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/12EJ01RqQDC-OXdzLQisLGTXz9ix6t7q4N0yRhIw0U-M/edit?usp=sharing

Analyze This

We really dove into our analysis process last week beginning in class by developing the framework of our morphological map. Still focusing on the topic of memory (so broad!) we found ourselves ideating in circles just a little bit as we tried to come up with the best way to categorize a problem relating to memory.

Taking this global perspective and allowing all kind of ideas to flow in from the various corners of our individual experiences was a little haphazard, but also extremely interesting. It brought to light some things that we hadn’t considered such as instead of focusing on memory in the positive, could we also look at it in terms of forgetting? It’s a two-sides-of-the-same-coin kind of thing.

So while we may at first have created more of a mess for ourselves, breadth of information allowed us access to possibilities we might not have seen had we tried to laser focus from the start.

The vastness of the morphological map did prove to be a bit of a challenge for our team because we got hung up on how we were going to present the information in terms of defining labels on our X and Y axis.

Other analysis methods that we employed individually and as a group included an Idea Dump, Attribute Listing, the Look It Up method and Sensitivity and Common Sense.

Our Idea Dump started during class last Thursday and this is where we were able to throw out everything from every which way. Allowing ourselves to ping-pong off one another helped us start to see crossover and similarities about potential topics.

This led us to Attribute Listing for the broad topic of memory and urged us to define subcategories and conceptual themes.

We also used the Sensitivity and Common Sense method, although I’m not sure I would identify this as a completely separate activity from the other above two methods. When we set team norms we all agreed that choosing a topic that we are passionate about or have some connection to is important to us. I think while conducting out analysis, Cameron, Austin and I all had a sensitivity to our emotions and existing experience with respect to certain subtopics connected to memory.

The most comfortable and useful method of analysis for me is the Look It Up technique. There is SO much information to synthesize about memory that I feel like the more you know, the more you know, you know? Not to mention, some aspects of memory are very technical, like, brain science technical, so “looking it up” is a very real requirement. Researching is a tactic of brainstorming and analysis that has led our team to circle back to certain salient points such as how culture (travel, experiences, upbringing, social media) affect memory recall. One article in particular that we liked was “How immersion and exploration will make you more creative,” by Tanner Christensen. He talks about how our brains are always firing. He says they are “processing signals and sorting, prioritizing, and carrying them through our neural networks automatically.”

He goes on to say later that “After a while of immersing yourself in a certain type of atmosphere (and after regularly providing certain stimulus to your brain) your own ideas will start to reflect the environments and inputs.”

Looking forward to more analysis as we move towards defining. Let’s go!

#ProcessJournal2 #Analysis

Picturing Success

My hope, in regards to the outcome of this project, would be to land on a solution or to make a statement that will benefit others. If our group exploration of the topic of memory generates something of note, something that could potentially spark other innovations and re-framed approaches, I would deem that success. Essentially, putting something useful out into the world.

In theory, that could result in our team being looked as experts or originators for having a distinctive way of thinking about a vastly-studied topic. I also picture success as being able to reference this project in my day-to-day, developing a new working knowledge to base my decisions at work on. It would be great if this project opened new doors for all three of us--- individually, or you never know, maybe we’ll move these ideas out of theory and into practice!

On a process level, success would be maintaining a positive working environment and an even-tempered team dynamic. Now that we have discussed team norms and strengths, I am visualizing us frontloading the work for this project into a detailed outline with goals, deadlines and other mile markers so that we stay on track. If we make it through the project without being sick of one another that is a testament to a successful collaborative effort.

#ProcessJournal1 Acceptance

Contingency Management

In working on this group project for the next several weeks I identify the following as potential points of tension in our workflow:

Limited time to connect: The three of us all keep busy pretty busy schedules and have different times set aside to work on assignments.

Too large of a subject: Currently, our topic is huge. This leaves a lot of room to come up with a unique idea, but we need to be cautious about trying to tackle too much.

Ideating in circles: With so many avenues of our topic to explore, there is an opportunity to spiral into endless cycles of brainstorming before narrowing our focus.

Workload distribution: Given the busyness of all of us we need to make sure that we fairly and effectively divide responsibilities among the three of us.

Treading too carefully: When a decision has to be made it is important that we keep in mind that points of contention can be good and that it is something to take personally.

From our group discussion:

What are our team’s limits? Where are there gaps?

Collectively, we have defined “time” as a potential sticking point for progress with us. We have already set up several processes to help us communicate asynchronously so that when can connect we are making the best use of our time. A group text thread, a team drive, and a group on 2U have so far been great modes in which to share notes, documents and come up with a plan.

How do we stay within scope?

We have to monitor each other for when we get too in the weeds about a particular task. If something is proving to have too many roadblocks, it may be best to reevaluate the approach. Keeping an open dialogue about our progress even though we all seem to be the type to “figure it out” will be important for our efficiency.

Incentives/Consequences

Honestly, this is the least of our concerns. At some capacity we all have already worked with one another, giving us a leg-up in building a rapport with one another. Kaitlin + Cameron in the residential, and Kaitlin + Austin on Unit 7 in the Processes and Perspectives class. We all take our work very seriously, whether it’s individually or as a group; there’s a trust that we all will work to the best of our capacity. So far, we have done a great job of creating multiple avenues of communication and establishing a healthy level of honesty and respect for one another, so if things were to go off the rails we’re confident that we can discuss our issues and work to get back on track. We’ve also have done a great job acknowledging the little things each member contributes to the work, and these positive affirmations are healthy in keeping morale up.

What’s In It For Me?

I all but completed a minor in cognitive science in college because this topic is so intriguing to me. I look forward to the opportunity to ask big questions and ideate with teammates that can bring a totally different perspective to my trains of thought. Additionally, I believe some of the research that will come out of this project will inform the way I teach and interact with my students as well as how I implement marketing strategies. Understanding more about memory and how it affects the way a person learns and socializes is invaluable information for interacting with people.

Outside of exploring the topic of memory, I know I can learn a lot from Cameron and Austin and welcome the chance to grow in my ability to work in a team and problem solve as a collective unit.

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