GROUP REFLECTION

As a group, we learned the value that information about your user group holds. The more you learn and discover about your user base, the easier it is to make smart design decisions with confidence. When our team hit roadblocks in our design, the research we had done was a very useful tool to get us back on track and think about what can be done in creating our product.

Our biggest challenge in designing the product was honing in and deciding on the main functionalities. The life of a mentor is very complex and can vary greatly from mentor to mentor, as most people who identify themselves as a mentor are not mentors as their occupation. They can be parents, counselors, company executives, volunteers on the side, and many other things. With all these variables in mind, it was challenging for us to go in a direction that would be beneficial to all mentors.

If we had more time, we would have loved to interview more mentors about their mentor/mentee relationship, as well as interviewing those who identify themselves as mentees. Our project focused on the mentor’s side of the fence and what would benefit them the most, but we are fully away that a mentoring relationship is a two way street. With more time, it would be very beneficial to talk to mentees and pay attention to what they experience in this relationship, as they are just as big of a stakeholder as the mentors are.

Overall, this project challenged us as designers and researchers, but in the end of the day we grew to become better UX designers and left with a greater understanding of the profession we are pursuing.