1) The document summarizes insights from interviews with 4 HCDE students about how they learn about and engage with department events and resources. It explores their motivations, challenges, and goals. 2) Students are motivated to attend professional events but often find out about events through multiple platforms like Facebook and email, which creates too many choices. 3) Students want an easy way to find the right information at the right time with minimal effort. They suggested consolidating event information and having more exclusive alumni networking events.

1. I2: User Research
HCDE 318
Connect. Communicate. Collaborate.
Improving
Intradepartmental
Relationships within HCDE
___
By Catherine Zeng
Making Connections.Adapted from [1].

2. 2
Introduction
We are IDEATORS who want to explore ways to help all HCDE students relate themselves
more closely to the department, using different online resources platforms. To better
understand our students, we conducted semi-structured interviews with four targeted users, in
the school setting during regular school hours, as the sources of our exploratory research.
Insights
We gain insights fromuser research. Insights can help us to understand our users’ motivations,
pains, and goals.
1. Motivation
Professional events (i.e., opportunities related to jobs, internships, careeradvice, and
academic advice) are worthy of time investment.
2. Pain
People like to stay in their comfort zones, build on their existing friendships, and avoid
connecting with new people if possible.
3. Pain
Hosting resources throughmultiple platforms (e.g. website, facebook, email, and slack)
creates too many choices, which contravenes Hick’s Law.
4. Goal
Find out the right information at the right moment with the least amount of effort.
Interview Questions & Participant’s Responses
1. Background
a. What year are you in?
The class? I am in the class of 2020.

3. 3
b. How many quarters have you been in this program?
Umm, I got in when I was a sophomore. It was during winter. So it was my fifth
quarter now.
2. Events
a. What are some HCDE events that you can think of off the top of your head right
now?
Last week we had the “Game Night” that was hosted by HCDE student
association. I mainly learn events fromFacebook, or maybe posted by Alex.
b. Why are you interested in going to these events?
Umm, I do not always go to events. Last week I was planning to go to the “Game
Night”, but my friend asked me for dinner at the same time so I just went
straight for dinner.
Sometimes if events are hosted by the department, like barbecue social, I would
go but I would not stay for too long, because my schedule is very different. If the
event is huge, or if my friends are there, I would also go but not for too long
either. I like to see my friends during the events.
Capstones are also great events. They are very organized and well-prepared.
c. How easy is it for you to find out about HCDE events?
They are not difficult. If my friends mark “interested” of an event on Facebook, I
will get notified. Then I can also mark “interested” and save it to my list. I would
check online for big events, capstones, networking. Otherwise Alex or other
professors would send emails.
However, if registrations or tickets are needed, I sometimes miss these events. I
just found out an Airbnb’s event last night, but the tickets are all sold out. It
really depends on if I have checked my email or not.
d. What can be improved?
The problem is that there is not a lot of events. My friend in HCDE student
association told me that they are recruiting more people and plan to make more
events. But in the past the events were mostly department-hosted, not student-
hosted. You can also ask these people to see the results of events attendance,

4. 4
such as during last week’s “Game Night”. It really depends on what you want,
and whether the time fits. If students plan and host events but nobody comes,
they will be really disappointed.
As a senior I am hunting for jobs now, so it is really great to invite companies
like Airbnb to the school. There should be more events like these. The Design
department has a lot of alumni networking events which help design students
get job easily. We do have HCDE career fair but they are open to the public. We
should have more exclusive events and alumni networking. To include one-to-
one meetings at the end would be even better.
3. Technologies
a. What technologies do you use to find HCDE-related resources and how
frequently do you use them?
Alex has a mailing list for bachelor students. There is also a slack channel. We
also have slack channels for each class. There is facebook, and maybe the posters
on the wall [on Sieg Hall’s fourth floor] here.
I use emails more often because they are more formal. On Facebook there are
more student-created events. I think I mostly just use Facebook and email,
because you have to find the information by yourself. They are all over the
places. It would be cool if there is one hub for everything. Oh, and also we have a
calendar on the website, whichis helpful.
b. How often do you check your emails for HCDE events?
I read email everyday. Gmail is great because it is divided into categories, like
social, updates, and promotions. I would often check primary or what is new in
the inbox. Sometimes my email gets spammed which makes it hard for me to
find information.
c. How often do you check the department website for HCDE events [2]?
At least once a week. Or it really depends on the time. If I am registeringfor
classes, I would look at the course requirement and compare with myPlan. If I
am looking for events, I would go to Calendar. Sometimes there are links for
registrations or sign-up lists, but sometimes they are not available and are only
updated later on, which I will then forget and miss the events.

5. 5
I think the website is good enough. There are big titles, and you can search for
what you want. As a student, I do not need to know all the things, but only what
I would care and when I would check them. In the fall there are internship
programs and career fair, and if I am applying for grad school, there are a lot of
information sessions to look for. I am sure I could find what I want.
4. Connections
a. How connected are you with the students in the department?
I feel pretty connected. Actually all my friends are within the department. I do
not have close friends outside this department. My boyfriend is here, and my two
best friends in the upper class just graduated last spring. We lived together, so I
was able to get all things in the department up-to-date.
There are a lot of people not connected to the department and I do not know
why. Maybe they already have their own friends groups outside the department
before they get in. I barely see them, and sometimes I would recognize new faces
in class. This is strange, because we all have the same class standing. Some
people are also left out; maybe they are just not that outgoing.
b. How connected are you with the faculty members in the department?
This is something I want to improve more, because I do think that they are really
cool people. I do want to get feedback fromthemabout my career planning or
maybe class planning. I have never sent an email saying “could we meet during
this time,” but I should do that. Maybe I am not currently taking their classes
and I do not know how busy they are. But I amsure when I reach out they will
schedule a meeting with me. I am pretty sure they will.
c. How can we improve the relationships with our faculty?
Maybe they could have advisory hours for all HCDE students. I would not go to
any professor’s office hours if I am not in their classes. I would be more
encouraged to meet themagain only after I have taken their class. I would want
to talk with them, or even just chatting.
d. What else can be done to help HCDE students feel more connected to the
department?

6. 6
I think it is pretty subjective. Maybe not all students want to learn about all the
events. We all have different planning. If you want to get involved, you will find
ways to do that.
5. Closing
a. Is there anything else you would like me to know for this study?
I think our department is already doing a good job. The design school is even
better. Maybe the departments that are less “popular” have more areas to
improve. We should not push people to make friends because it is a voluntary
thing.
Also, I know some people who do not even go to career fair, because they already
know what companies they will apply for the internships. They already have
their plans so they do not care too much about attending it.
References
[1] C. Stappas, “Making Connections,” Making Connections, 20-Oct-2016. [Online]. Available:
https://www.msconnection.org/Blog/October-2016/Making-Connections?feed=BlogFeed.
[Accessed: 07-Oct-2019].
[2] “Human Centered Design and Engineering,” April 2, 2009. Accessed on: Oct. 7 2019. [Online].
Available: https://www.hcde.washington.edu