The document discusses two potential solutions for helping architecture students learn about the real world professional experience: 1) Running a one-year simulation within the online virtual world SecondLife and 2) An "Adopt your Pregraduate" program where professionals mentor students. For the SecondLife simulation, interacting and getting feedback was difficult. For the mentoring program, the meetings between a student and mentor were very helpful and insightful for both parties. The document recommends structuring the mentoring conversations and helping students find jobs through the mentor's contacts.

1. DESIGN THINKING
Erick Sosa
Testing and prototyping

2. MY FAVORITES
My two favorites solutions

3. RUN A SIMULATION FOR ONE YEAR
(AT LEAST)
• There are many programs that simulate real life now like
www.secondlife.com; the idea, is that the student must create a person in
this “world” that simulate a pregraduate student (architecture). This person
must survive and create some branding around his name to learn how the
things in the real world can be.
• You are going to be evaluated by income, prestige and by the type of work
you are doing

4. “ADOPT YOUR PREGRADUATE”
PROGRAM
• The idea is that every professional in the country can adopt a pregraduate
as his assistant for six months at least. With this, the student can learn some
abilities, tips and tricks about the job in the real world.
• If you are a professional and adopt an student, the government can give
you, as gratitude, a redemption of taxes.
(not exactly like this type of
goodfather but you got the
idea  )

5. TESTING
My two favorites solutions
Run a simulation for one year

6. RUN A SIMULATION FOR ONE YEAR
(AT LEAST)
• I’ve created a “person” within SecondLife, the profile is the following:
• Name: ArchitectTest
• Years Old: 22 yo
• Characteristics: New Architect in town, is the new kid in town and wants to learn
everything about the profession
• In order to test it:
• I’ve shared the profile with a architect student and I’m running the second life
profile.

7. SOME SCREENSHOTS

8. SOME SCREENSHOTS

9. SOME SCREENSHOTS

10. RUN A SIMULATION FOR ONE YEAR
(AT LEAST)
• Some Important things to notice
• Very hard to get going and understand the software
• Once you have your profile loaded, you have to convince other to interact with
you and most people is running away from their real life so, pretty hard to
interact
• We are getting a lot of request for other type of activities within that world, like
sports, games, adult related activities, etc. So, is not easy to propose an activity
like interact around architecture.
• Requires a lot of time to know people, tell them your intentions within that world
and not to say that most of them are there for many other reasons.
• Finally, I found a group interested in art and architecture so I was able to
interact, get their feedback and recommendations, but I don’t know them, so
I’m not sure if I’m getting the right feedback

11. RUN A SIMULATION FOR ONE YEAR
(AT LEAST)
• Final reflection
• Despite the fact that I enjoy games, and this is pretty much like a game, I’m not
enjoying SecondLife at all, so, I’m thinking in not continue with this experiment,
honestly, is not working.
• Now, when I found a community that was interested in art and architecture (in
fact, they created a world that emulates Paris mixed with London); it was very
interesting to listen their opinions so, I came with several conclusions that may
help in other cases
• SecondLife didn’t work, but the sense of a broader community that help you with
some tips and tricks about the real world when graduate is very useful.
• You can adapt this idea and create a kind of worldwide community that give you
some advice and parenting with questions of how to present and sell your ideas, also
with some financial advice.
• I will reframe my idea, and I will try to adapt my observations, the sense of
community between students and professional could be worthy.

12. TESTING
My two favorites solutions
Adopt your pregraduate program

13. “ADOPT YOUR PREGRADUATE”
PROGRAM
• I didn’t find an architecture student and professional so I run this test as
myself as the mentor
• I got this idea from one of my youngest brother’s friends so I volunteer as his
grandfather before graduate.
• Notes:
• Student name: Daniel Ochoa
• 22 years old
• He is going to graduate from computer science in 2014
• Two meetings in the last week

14. “ADOPT YOUR PREGRADUATE”
PROGRAM
• Some Important things to notice
• This idea was very nice.
• The student was very open and thankful for my time talking about my
experience and giving him some advice
• At the very beginning we just talked without any structure, so, it was very weird
but as we continue talking, it was very nice
• We plan for one hour meeting and both meeting were 2 hours longer at least.
• He was very interested in the subject and actually is asking me for additional
meetings so I’m planning to do an additional two and invite him to my office.

15. “ADOPT YOUR PREGRADUATE”
PROGRAM
• Final reflection
• This idea worked great, it was very nice and helpful for me too.
• It was very useful conversation, not just for him but also for me, we were
discussing about work but also around some trends.
• As my final relection, this idea is very nice if we can take it to the next level and I
think that we can add the following point
• Help the student to find a new job by talking with contacts and friends that the
grandfather has and making some recommendations.
• Give to the talks some structure, In order to cover all the topics. At the beginning of
my conversations we were very random, no structure, so, in the second one, we
figure it out an agenda and we cover all the topics.
• The students are not clear about how to work or the money the should as for, this is an
important topic that I discovered and that should be covered in their courses, the
value o their time.