Stephaney, a 32-year-old business student, balances her studies with work, expressing stress over exam pressures and a desire for practical knowledge application. She values her education for career advancement but struggles with time management and feels ambitious yet anxious about her future. Despite challenges, she is determined to succeed academically and professionally while seeking a more personalized educational experience.

1. Problem Statement
Empathy Map&

2. Meet Stephaney. She is 32 years old.
She combines studying and work.
She is studying for a BA in Business at a
university for a few years now.
She owns her own flat. She has a BF.

3. - "It's very stressful to study when you are working"
"I don't like the pressure before test“
-The studies give me more knowledge and power at
work.
-"I cram before the exam, I get a good grade – but am
not likely to remember the details“
- Talking about the material with BF and people at
school or if I say it out loud helps me remember what
I've learned.
Stephaney says…

4. - You understand you have to do shortcuts. "Work
smarter – not harder". (example: I can't do summaries
anymore) You have to choose what's right for you.“
- The soft skill courses really helped me – like learning
how to give a presentation.
- Career centers are good, not helpful all the time.
Stephaney says…

5. - She was repeating the stressful situation.
- She was differentiating between herself and the
"younger" students that didn't work ("they allow
themselves to get distracted with girls, parties etc")
- She gets annoyed with students that are not serious
with their work.
- She really lightened when she started processing and
thinking in an overall look.
Stephaney does…

6. - Succeeding in school and work are important.
- She doesn’t have enough time for everything she
wants to do.
- She is thinking of the future – getting married, having
children. Will she be able to live the life she wants?
- She is ambitious.
- When she stops the 'rat race' to think and look at
things in an overall look it really helps her get a
perspective.
- She is learning to prioritize, and to let go of "being
perfect“.
Stephaney thinks…

7. - She needs to prove herself at work.
- She has no life when she's studying – if she chooses
one thing, the other suffers.
- Work experience is most valuable.
Stephaney thinks…

8. - Succeeding in life is important to her. Succeeding in
work and having financial security.
- She's tired of the long years of study – but she is
willing to put in the work because she believes it will
help her future.
- She sees the importance of the study but wants to
"live" and enjoy life.
- She feels she needs to prove herself at work – she
feels insecure.
- She feels anxiety and stress and yet a sense of
accomplishment.
Stephaney feels…

9. - Getting good grades but not remembering the details
and how to implement them– is something to look at.
- Stephaney had no expectations from the school
learning process, she takes it as it comes, no criticism.
(That repeated with other interviewees, no one was questioning
the system – only the students and their attitude.)
- She is very ambitious and is willing to work.
- Can studying in university be more personalized to
Stephaney's needs?
- The work world is constantly shifting and changing.
Insights!?

10. Stephaney is combining studying for a degree and
work. She needs a way to harness the things she learns
in university to her work and career path because she
wants to “succeed in life”.
(Success for her is living her full potential and getting
recognition in form of status and money)
Problem Statement