Design Thinking - Fall 2013 - Assignment: Empathize and Define

1. Description of
Stakeholder
Say/Do (from the
Stakeholder)
Think/Feel Inferences
(Educated guesses about
how the Stakeholder
feels/thinks)
Insight(s) Problem(s) Problem Statement
34-year-old
university
graduate who
worked in both a
corporate and
start up
environment for
5+ years.
"If students are on
financial aid, they
become dependent
on it."
"This makes the
transition from
school to work
difficult because not
only are they not
getting financial aid,
they also have to
start paying it back."
* Difficult to teach
students about financial
matters, eg saving, paying
back loans, etc
* Lack of effective
resources to teach
students how to pay back
loans in time
* Lack of widespread/well-
known resources to teach
students about loans
* Need for more
scholarships (that
students don't have to pay
back)
* Need for longer payback
time for loans
* Need for less interest on
loans
Students
don't know
about all the
resources
that are
available to
them at
schools and
online.
Students need
a way to
understand
resources
available for
their transition
into the
workplace
Schools need a
method to
understand and
meet the needs of
students who will
be transitioning into
the workplace
because there still
exists a time gap
between graduation
and attaining a
related job.
Had a desire to
more concretely
give back to the
community, so
because an
academic
counselor at the
local community
college.
"School often times
prepares students
academically, but
not with proper skill
that are desired in
the workplace."
"In other words,
many students don't
graduate with the
skills that are in
demand, which
means there's little
need for the skills
the students come
out of college with."
* Lack of courses on "real-
world" skills
* Need for "real world
scenario" courses in the
education program/degree
* Lack of communication
(of skills needed) between
colleges and businesses
* Need for
restructure/reorganization
of current educational
requirements
Students
graduate
without much
preparaion
for the skills
needed in a
work setting.
Education
systems need
to have a
method to
understand the
skills needed in
the workplace,
and to address
those skills in
their
curriculum.
Meets with
students
regularly to aid
in registration,
course
selection/scheduling,
and transition to
work
"These days, many
students are non-
traditional, meaning
they are married,
have children, or
already working 2-3
part-time jobs."
"In order to
transition effectively
to the workplace,
they have to at least
complete a
certificate or
degree."
"Often times, this is
very challenging to
do while balancing
their other
priorities."
* Need for resources for
students with diverse
backgrounds (eg little/no
English skills vs in poverty
vs time constraints, etc)
* Need for a
degree/certification that
actual does contribute
skills used in the
workplace
* Need for
stakeholders/board of
education to make getting
a certification easier on
those who are not
academically adept, but
can contribute greatly to
society (eg why does a
carpenter need mastery of
US History 101?)
The student
body is now
more diverse
than ever
before.
Both schools
and workplaces
should have a
method to
address
diverse
student/employee
populations
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2. Involved with
local non-profits,
notably the
Austin chapter
of Room to
Read (which
aims to improve
literacy and
gender equality
in education)
"Most schools don't
teach the skills
needed for effective
job searching (ie.
resume writing,
interview skills,
etc.)."
"Therefore, many
students with the
proper skills cannot
find or effectively
land jobs that
they're qualified
for."
* Lack of person-to-
person resources for job
searching
* Lack of affordable
quality resources for job
searching
* Lack of education on
discovering jobs that
students are qualified for
Students are
unaware of
job openings
for which they
meet the job
requirements.
There needs to
be a easy way
to connect
qualified people
with available
jobs.
Eagle Scout
(Boy Scouts of
America) whose
father served in
the Air Force
and whose
parents are
immigrants who
attended college
in the US
"Many students
today feel entitled."
"They want to make
$60,000/year
without having to
work their way up
the system."
"They also want
strategic jobs, etc.
and few (if any)
companies are
willing to give these
experienced jobs to
people fresh out of
college".
* Lack of
internships/coops to
expose students to
understanding "the real
world"
* Need for
instruction/courses on
discipline, responsbility,
negotitation, working hard,
etc
* Need for positive role
models for students to
better understand how to
get jobs they desire (eg
mentors, a big
brother/sister for
graduates)
The "real
world"
unfortunately
comes as a
surprise to
many
students.
Realistic
information
needs to be
conveyed to
students and
upcoming
graduates
somehow.
Do: Has a lot fo say
about both college
requirements,
student feedback,
views from an
employer, etc.
* Clearly very passionate
about the education
system in the US, as well
as the transition of
students into the
workplace.
There are
stakeholders
already in the
education
system who
would aid in
development
of programs
for school-to-
work
transition
Do: Calm
demeanor, but
succinct and well
versed.
* Must be patient when
dealing with students and
the education system.
Academic
advisors
could be one
of the intial
points of
contact for
students who
want
information
about how to
tranition into
the workplace
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3. Do: Enjoys using
hand gestures to
emphasize points.
* Excited to discuss
issues in the school to
work transition
Academic
advisors may
be great for
relaying
problems in
the school
system to
students,
schools, and
businesses
Do: Answers
questions from
walk-ins and well as
responds to student
emails during
downtime
* Open to learning new
resources that can
address student concerns
Roles of
those in the
education
system could
be even more
diversified
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