Definition
For my personal journey in defining our chosen problem, I reflected on some of the methods and techniques we learned in our lectures.
I started about thinking through some of the key issues in the space of consumer purchasing power.
As consumers our purchases don’t always align with our values
There is a lot of information out there but it isn’t usable or easy to find, and often exists in the form of long PDF’s, charts, databases, etc.
Companies get away with things consumers might not agree with in the name of profit and don’t make the most ethical decisions
Individuals want to make an impact but their monetary or influential power are small and they don’t know how to make impact without those things (they feel they have limited power)
Consumers want to be able to drive change
I then started to think about our priorities within this problem, and some of the key measurable objectives that would help us know we achieved what we set out to do.
We want to make something usable (simple, fun, functional)
We want to make something where people can clearly and easily find the information they are looking for
We can measure how often people use our solution to make purchasing decisions
Are people able to find the causes they care about/the information they need to make a buying decision and to sort based on their personal values
From here I started to compare this problem to other similar issues that consumers or consciously minded individuals face.
People investing in companies that align with their values (investment apps that do this)
Deciding what to eat and what is best to put into your body
Deciding how to act and treat other people in a way that aligns with your values
Going to the gym because you care about your health
Wanting the best for the people in your life, wanting to leave a better earth and planet for your children
Similar to all the ways you try to be the best version of yourself on a daily basis
When we really boil it down and try to get to the core of the core, there is too much information to sift through and a person wants to make a decision quickly and with some sort of convenience when you’re making purchases. The moment to act and make a decision is fairly small, and the amount of time it takes to make an informed purchase decision is too long.
The audience we’re really trying to solve for are consumers, and especially conscious minded consumers. These consumers are activists, whether lifetime activists or newly “awakened” activists. There are many people in the millennial and Gen Z age groups who are deeply passionate about making a difference.
The final problem definition I came to was:
Consumers want to live out their values and to drive change at a corporate level, but today have to sift through masses of information that are not easily accessible and not often reachable or top of mind in the moment of purchasing. How might we create a simple-to-use and empowering product for conscious consumers and change makers, which allows them to make purchasing decisions that support the companies that stand up to their chosen, highest-priority values.
What was incredible was that when I came together with my team, we had all used different techniques but really all came to the same core definition of the problem. We used the keywording/highlighting technique to filter through our four definitions and put together a final definition.
Our final problem definition as a team became:
Companies hold a considerable amount of power in a consumer-based capitalist society. Left unchecked, these powers could have negative social, political and environmental impacts globally. Socially conscious consumers have the power to use their voices and their wallets to halt unsustainable business practices and force global transformation. The purchasing power of millions of people sharing the same values can apply pressure to companies, demanding that they become socially responsible. Consumers want to live out their values and to drive change at a corporate level, but today one has to conduct actual research and analysis to do so. Because of the effort and education required, most people don’t do this. How might we create a simple-to-use and empowering product for conscious consumers which allows them to make informed purchasing decisions that support the companies that align with their values. Consumers would hold the power on which companies strive or disappear, resulting in a democracy for the people.
