A Human-Centered Approach to Designing a University Innovation Ecomap
Background
At a university the size of UNC, the democratization of knowledge and resources related to design, innovation, and entrepreneurship requires a systematic, multistage process to engage key parties across 13 federated schools and the community beyond. We started with the challenge “How might we create an ecomap that is user-friendly and connects users to next steps on their founder journey?”, and led the year-long development process of a tool that supports faculty, staff, students, and the North Carolina community to better understand the resources available to support their work. The tool is set to launch publicly on Tuesday, September 24th 2024.
Approach
Process and co-creation
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Differentiating outdated data from current data
Navigating overlapping offerings between different schools and their programs
Importance of indexing to convey content AND responsible host
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Key personas identified:
Faculty Founders
Student Innovators
Community Changemakers
Curious Citizens
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Faculty need to better understand mechanisms to access existing resources
Students want a defined pathway to find opportunities for involvement and funding
Community changemakers and curious citizens want a clearer understanding of how UNC resources are available to them
Methods for co-creation processes
Interactive Workshop
Brainstorm and prioritize the greatest facilitators of effectively guiding users on their innovation journey
Generate strategies/solutions to advance facilitators
Sketch low-fidelity prototypes of possible solutions
Facilitated Sessions
Rapid Prototyping
Working with our hands stimulates creativity
Early feedback tells is if we are on the right trac
Methods include: Journey mapping, role playing, modeling
Crazy 8s Design Sprint
“Regions with the highest levels of local connectedness accelerate all their entrepreneurs twice as fast in quarterly revenue growth.”
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Content
Populated with existing sources
Indexed, organized, and confirmed by organizing partners
User Experience
Human-centered design framework
Identification of key persona groups
Interviews with key community stakeholders
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Compile data using Notion for input into compliable, indexable tool for complex data (Ecomap)
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Identify programming and opportunities related to innovation, entrepreneurship, and design on UNC schools’ websites
Connect with the school representative for an individual interview to receive feedback on identified resources
Iterate and update the data according to feedback