The document describes two prototypes created to equip students with career tips: 1) A redesigned vending machine that dispenses drinks labeled with career tips and QR codes linking to online resources. Testing found it may not reach all students and only provide one tip. 2) Career tip decals placed in high-traffic campus areas like libraries and cafeterias, also with QR codes. Testing showed decals were more effective in libraries than cafeterias, and QR codes were not obvious enough. The reflection notes prototypes made assumptions that did not match reality. Further iterations are needed incorporating user feedback to better meet their needs and perspectives.

1. Prototype & Test

2. Problem Statement:
How to equip students to
adjust and excel better for
the workforce

3. Selected Ideas:
2 prototypes were created
for the problem statement.
These prototypes evolved
around creating awareness
among the students with
practical career tips
through their daily lives on
campus.

4. Prototype 1: Re-design a vending machine with different
drink labels based on the job students are interested in.
The dispensed drink will contain a career tip of the day
wrapped on it. It will also contain a QR code for student to
access a website or video to know more about the career
tip on the drink.
QR Code linking
to website for
career tips /
videos
CAREER TIPS
Career tips label on the drink
“Get prepared for
your first day of
work”
CAREER TIP OF THE DAY
“Getpreparedfor
yourfirstdayof
work”
CAREERTIPOFTHEDAY

5. • ‘Re-dressing’ of the vending machine
caught the user’s attention.
• The different career tip for different can
drink appealed to user.
• Get students to complete a career training
video online. Upon completion, the
students will be issued a barcode for them
to obtain a free drink at the vending
machine with another career tip. Using
reward to motivate them.
• Will be useful if the career tips from the
can drink can be peeled off and stick on
elsewhere for recycling purpose since the
cans will most likely be discarded after
drinking.
• How about students who are not
interested in getting drink from the
vending machines? They may not be
accessing the machines.
• This may not be the most impactful as not
all the students will be reached.
• How to motivate more students to come
forward to purchase the drinks to get free
career tip.
• User may use the vending machine once
only and may get only 1 useful tip, which
may not be sufficient. Need to find a way
to lead them to more resources to sustain
their interest.

6. Prototype 2: A series of Career Tip Decals to be located at
high traffic areas within the campus (e.g. Study tables in
the library, Canteen table) to provide useful quick info/tips
to help student adjust better for the workforce. There will
be a QR code on the decal where students will be
directed to an online video portal to view more about the
tips.

7. • Quick & bite-size info - user found it easy
to remember the key tips from the decal.
• User also found it easily accessible since
it is in high traffic locations such as library
& canteen
• Tips is found in the canteen – pretty
unusual for career tips to be located, thus
it caught the user’s attention
• QR code is not very obvious, thus it not
prompt user to scan the code using the
mobile phone.
• Access to the online video is slow after
scanning the QR code, thus affecting the
user experience.
• The decal worked better in the library
than in the canteen as user then to focus
more on eating than exploring the tips on
the decals.
• Would be better if the useful tips can be
stored in the mobile phone for future
reference.
• Student without QR code on their mobile
phone may not find this convenient to
use, thus may miss out many more
information which cannot be found on the
decals.

8. Reflection:
What you learned by testing your prototypes
There seem to be gaps between the assumptions made in designing the prototypes with
the reality check on the ground. For instance, I thought user might find the vending
machine idea useful but not all will buy their drinks from vending machines. As a result, it
has a reduced impact since I would have missed out some of the students.
Prototyping has helped me to fail earlier and learnt quicker to see from the user’s
perspective even in designing the prototypes. I found this process very insightful and
helped me to challenge my own assumptions more. What I thought would work actually
might not worked very well on the ground. Very humbling experience I must say but also
enriching and motivating as it keeps me wanting to work till I found the right solution to
the problem I identified.
What you would do next if you were to continue working on the project.
I would continue to work on the feedback I gathered from the user and relook at the list
of ideas generated earlier. I might reselect a different set of solution, incorporating the
feedback from the users and work on an improved prototype before I go out to seek
feedback for the 2nd
time, 3rd
time, etc till I get it right from the user’s perspective.