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Process Journal #9: Process Reflection

Reflect on how you can make improvements to the structure of the creative problem-solving process to improve the outcome of each phase in order to get better overall results and summarize those ideas in a new post in your process journal. What stages can be removed, and what stages need to be added? What methods and techniques are mandatory for each stage of the process?

I think for our group, we could have evaluated our currents state of solution a bit further.  Our solution through the features of self-realization, commitment, engagement, rewards, and reflections, could have been compressed and focused more on the engagement (bringing back real social engagement instead of being on our phones). Rewards could have been removed. If we have more time, our team could have explored a different solution. A route that was less focused on gaming our app, but creating more engagement opportunities. 

Testing through the iterations of our wireframes is a creative process we should have spent more time on. As a team, we could have each focused on a specific solution (wireframes) and tested within our own friends and family. With results, we could share within our group and see what worked and what didn't. 

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Process Journal #8: Evaluation

Reflect on the methods and techniques that are most appropriate for evaluating the performance of your groups implementation and summarize those thoughts in a new post in your process journal. How do you assess the outcome of the various phases of the creative problem-solving process that your project has gone through?

I feel that our group could have spent more time on our project. In my past experience working as a designer, professionally, and problem-solving as a design student on various team projects, meeting in person and working with each other is still the best way to approach solving a problem. Based on the circumstance, whether it is a job, personal life, working remotely, or obligations, I feel our team approached our project the best way we could. In our first a few weeks of this course, we learned that our environment is an important factor in the way we work and collaborate with the people around us. Our online group meeting has not been kind to our design process. In many cases, one members internet will lag causing un-audible meetings. Other times, members will not show up for an arranged meeting, due to time differences or personal agendas. The only member I feel I can evaluate is myself, considering I am able to compare my current design process to past ventures. That being said, I would also be accountable for how our group approached our tasks. Since I do have the knowledge and experience in design problem solving, I should have guided my team members early on instead of taking the initiative in the last 4 weeks. I see this project more of a learning experience for myself as a designer and an introduction to project management. Despite how our members have been facing our projects, I still feel confident that our presentation of our research, analysis, and prototype will come out successfully. 

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Conceptualize It.

Our team started to create a first version of our wire frames. Based on our feedback from our instructor, our wire frames became too focused on the incentive, but not the relationships between users. During the weekend I sat down with a few members and began incorporating feedback and realigning our our initial solution back into the app. We need to keep in mind of Engagement process more then the Incentives.

https://app.mural.co/invitation/mural/processesandperspectives5842/1532653529734?sender=adamucho5110&key=8ad59452-4fdf-4fef-a8e2-5e35e2c63c1d

Feedback Notes from Sue

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Process Journal #7 Implementation

Reflect on the methods and techniques that your group plans to use to communicate the ways that your project should be implemented and summarise those thoughts in a new post in your process journal. How do you most effectively pitch your idea to various stakeholders? How do you visually communicate the objects, environments, systems, processes, and interactions involved in your project implementation?

We plan to create a prototype using the Marvel App. Our plan is to create a task for the users and have them go through the process of creating better engagement with other users of our product. We think creating ice breaker questions during the blackout phase while giving user “rewards”, can keep the users on track of their goals. We want to create a deck that includes marketing strategies, cost breakdowns, user personas, competitors analysis, task analysis, and user test feedback. 

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Business Model Canvas

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Process Journal #6: Selection.

Reflect on the methods and techniques that your group used to select the most appropriate idea to address the problem you have defined and summarize those activities in a new post in your process journal. How did your group come to a consensus on what ideas to select? What were the discussions and debates over ideas?

Our group heavily relies on Gooogle Hangouts, Docs, and Murals to help choose a solution. The 3 sacrificial concepts laid out on Mural has been our focus. We have talked about the pro and cons for each concept. I think our decision to go for our first concepts out of the 3 presented in last weeks class discussion, was heavily decided by the reaction from our instructor, guest speaker, and classmates. Our selection by no means is our finalized solution. We decided to focus more of our efforts and research with our first topic. As we have not entered the phase of creating a task analysis for our selection, I feel our team will find opportunities to add into during our final development stages. 

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Choosing a Solution

Using the ideas generated during the ideation phase, work with your team and use one or more of the decision-making methods and techniques to select an appropriate solution to your problem. Consider the best criteria to use to select the solution. How do the pragmatic and logistical concerns around implementation affect the selection of your solution? How do you deal with compromises and coming to a consensus regarding the solution decision?

At this stage, our team has decided to go with a minimum viable product of “Syncing, Blackout Stage, and Reward”. Our main idea is to have 2 or more people sync their phones when they are about to start their “blackout” durations of their phones. During the blackout stage, a timer is set between the users. As the time stops, the duration of the blackout stage is exchanged for points/currency. The points/currency can be used to receive discounts from activity websites that create more engaging relationships between user. During our team discussion, we realized there also opportunities to add “Ice Breaker” activities in order to engage people. By narrowing down our sacrificial concepts to our first idea, we want to start focusing on how our MVP can be feasible. Based on our current ideas, I do not think we have any concerns, except to find funding if this was to become a reality. Our team is still ideating within our selected idea such as the “syncing” portion could be used by geotagging or proximity sensors. As this is a direction towards a final solution, our group is still flushing out the specifics in order to create a viable task analysis for a seamless user experience.

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Team Mural Ideation / Brainstorm

https://app.mural.co/invitation/mural/processesandperspectives5842/1530840001204?sender=adamucho5110&key=e9608b15-98af-443c-aeea-fe663b2ed2bc

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Process Journal #5: Ideation. Process Book, Unit 11

- What was your brainstorming process? Did you do it remotely? What collaboration software do you use? Are you writing, drawing, or something else? How did everyone feel throughout the process?- What were the standout and favorite ideas and discussion-points that came out of the debriefing session?

Our team used Mural for most of our brainstorming session. We would choose a day during the week and to meet up via google hangouts and share ideas and thoughts towards our solution. I would say Mural has made the brainstorming session a lot easier, considering 3 of us is scattered across California, and one in Canada. Fortunately, I had a chance to meet with one of my team mates in San Diego while I was there on a business trip. We met up at a bar and started drinking and sharing ideas for solutions. Though having resources such as Google docs and Murals, are ways to collobrate remotely, working with someone face to face is still the best option. In my opinion our best ideas came from having a one to one discussion and sharing a beer or two helped as well ; ) 

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5 Why’s Root Cause Analysis on Project Topic

Do a “5 Why’s” root cause analysis on what you see as the key problem that your project topic is trying to solve for. Start by articulating the surface issue, then ask and answer a series of “Why’s” to see what they underlying factors are. For more details and examples read this article: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/use-5-whys-find-root-causes-peter-abilla/

Questions: Why is smartphone addiction an issue and Why is it affecting us?

Overuse of your cell phone or smartphone can result in a number of different physical problems that may cause permanent damage or be difficult to treat, including:

Physical Effects of Addiction

Digital eye strain.

The pain and discomfort associated with viewing a digital screen for over 2 hours.

Eyes begin to burn and itch.

Blurred vision.

Eye fatigue.

Digital Eye Strain can cause headaches.

Neck problems.

Also known as “text neck,” which refers to neck pain resulting from looking down at cell phone or tablet for too long

Increased illnesses due to germs.

1 in 6 cell phones has fecal matter on it.

E. coli bacteria, which can cause fever, vomiting, and diarrhea, is found on many phones.

Phones have been found to be contaminated with MRSA.

Causes painful abscesses.

Life-threatening infections in bones, joints, surgical wounds, bloodstream, heart valves, and lungs.

Car accidents.

Many people believe that they can multitask and use their phones while driving, but this causes significant impairment and puts the driver and others on the road in danger.

Research has revealed that texting and driving can be just as dangerous as drinking and driving.

Male infertility.

Preliminary studies have revealed that cell phone radiation may decrease sperm count, sperm motility and viability

Psychological Effects of Cell Phone Addiction

Sleep disturbances.

Cell phone addiction has been linked to an increase in sleep disorders and fatigue in users.

Using your cell phone before bed increases the likelihood of insomnia

Bright light may decrease sleep quality.

Smartphone use could increase the amount of time it takes to fall asleep.

Light emitted from the cell phone may activate the brain.

Depression.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

Relationship problems.

Offline relationships may suffer as a result of neglect in favor of excessive cell phone and social media use.

Anxiety.

Research has found that college students who use their cell phones the most are more likely to feel anxious during downtime

Question: Why are people addicted to their smartphones

Answer: From Quora

1. They make us feel happy and productive - Many people need — yes, need — their phones to access the Internet, according to Pew’s survey of U.S. adult smartphone owners, published Wednesday. About 7% of respondents said they required their phone to go online since they did not have broadband or any other options for Internet access. The most “total smartphone-dependent” Americans, as Pew termed this category, tended to be in low-income and non-white groups.

2. For you, your phone is one of the most important experiences that you treasure - If you are a phone addict, then you would most likely crave being on the phone a little too much your phone will thus be one of the most important experiences for you, and you will most likely treasure those experiences. It is also likely that you will treasure these experiences more than the actual events that are happening around you.

3. The false contentment - Email, in particular, gives us satisfaction due to what psychologists call "variable ratio reinforcement." That is, we never know when we'll get a satisfying email, so we keep checking, over and over again. "It's like slot machines," Greenfield says. "We're seeking that pleasurable hit. Smartphones, of course, allow us to seek rewards (including videos, Twitter feeds, and news updates, in addition to email) anytime and anywhere.

4. We think that it provides real happiness, but in reality it doesn't - when a cell-phone user experiences feelings of happiness and/or enjoyment from a particular activity (e.g., a funny, six-second Vine video sent by a friend), the person is more likely to engage in that particular activity again (positive reinforcement). The use of a particular cell-phone activity may also operate under the principle of negative reinforcement (reducing or removing an aversive stimulus). Pretending to take a call, send a text, or check one’s phone to avoid an awkward social situation, for instance, is a common negative reinforcing behavior practiced by cell-phone users. Any activity that is rewarded can become addictive. The rewards encourage higher involvement with and more time spent in the particular behavior.

5. Addiction to text messaging - The mobile phone messaging system is very popular since it gives us the possibility to use a cheap and written (and therefore preservable) method of communication that is indirect, just like a letter. In the past, those who could not express themselves verbally could do so through a post card or a letter. Today, this is possible via emails or, even quicker and available to everyone, through a text message.Soon enough, the need to say a lot in a ‘short message’ led on to the development of a synthetic language made up of abbreviations and codes and which is now common among young people. However, there is a real risk of becoming addicted to text messaging, especially during adolescence as this synthetic language can heavily influence cognitive and emotional functions when developing, which causes the creation of a synthetic type of thinking too.

6. The real reason people are so addicted to their cell phones is all rooted in psychology and evolution. Evolutionarily, humans are social animals. As humans evolved, they depended on their social connections. Those who had stronger connections with other humans had a higher chance of surviving, because they had several people to support them. Smartphones provide us with a platform to carry out our innate need for human connection. In fact, the most addictive smartphone functions all share a common theme: they tap into the human desire to connect to other people, according to a new paper published in Frontiers in Psychology by Dr. Veissière and Professor Stendel. These include notifications from social media, messaging apps, and others. And why are these social functions addictive? They cause the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that makes you feel good. The more you receive social notifications, the more you become addicted to this feeling. Here’s what happens:

Question: Why aren't there any solutions to this problem?

There are several solutions to overcome overuse of a smartphone. Ironically there are apps available to monitor, prohibit, and control usage either by limiting the amount of notifications or collecting data to show awareness to users what apps are being used the most. Ideally, there are ways users can limit phone use within controlling ones settings.

1. Turn off notifications

2. Uninstall apps

3. Activate Airplane Mode

4. When you arrive home at night, put your phone on silent and leave it in a drawer

5. Don't use your phone as an alarm clock

6.  Make a to-do list of real things you want to do during the day — and don’t check email, Facebook, or Instagram until it’s done

7. Unsubscribe from all of the email newsletters

8. Don’t bring your phone to work meetings, or to class

Question: Why haven't I see this before?

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Process Journal #4: Definition

Reflect on the methods and techniques that your group used to define the problem and summarize those activities in a new post in your process journal. How did you come to a consensus on what characteristic of the problem needs to be addressed?

As a team, we spent Saturday afternoon on google hangouts to discuss narrowing our problem definition from an overwhelming topic of solving the problem of phone addiction to asking: how might we increase mindfulness around the amount of attention we feed into our interpersonal relationships. We created post-its via Mural and brainstormed different ways of approaching problem. We even created advertisement slogan to spread awareness: Decrease phubbing, increase loving !

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Problem Definition

“How might we decrease phubbing to increase loving”

How might we increase mindfulness around the amount of attention we feed into our interpersonal relationships

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Process Journal #3: Analysis

Reflect on the methods and techniques for analysis that you have used this week and summarize those activities in a new post in your process journal. Where have you sought out research material? 

Most of my research found was through google searching “Smartphone addictions in relationships” 

Is your smartphone ruining your relationship? https://www.today.com/video/is-your-smartphone-ruining-your-relationship-1191172163507

How your cellphone could be ruining your relationship http://www.thisisinsider.com/what-is-phubbing-how-looking-at-your-phone-affects-your-relationship-2017-6

Don’t Let Smartphones Ruin Your Relationships https://www.moneytalksnews.com/how-smartphones-ruin-relationships/

Is 'phubbing' ruining your relationship? https://www.cnn.com/2016/12/14/health/phubbing-phones-relationships/index.html

Married to Their Smartphones (Oh, and to Each Other, Too) https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/30/style/smartphones-iphone-marriage-husbands-wives-technology.html

Is Your Child a Phone ‘Addict’?https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/17/well/family/is-your-child-a-phone-addict.html

What kind of interesting things have you discovered? What sort of insights are you able to gather through your research so far?

Researchers from Baylor University in Texas found that this habit of snubbing your partner for your phone — dubbed "phubbing" — is on the rise and that nearly 46% of people in romantic relationships have been "phubbed."

We check our phones 150 times a day on average — roughly every four to six minutes 

Of the 46% of people who say they've been "phubbed," 22% say the behavior has caused strain in their relationship. 

“We feel like we’re left out. Particularly when it’s with our romantic partners — the people that we love.”

Study based on surveys of more than 6,000 people — parents and their children ages 8 to 13 — in nine countries including the United States. More than half of the children surveyed — 54 percent — by online security company AVG Technologies said their parents checked their phones too often. Just over a third of the children surveyed — 36 percent — said parents allowed their phones to distract them from conversations. And just under a third of children surveyed — 32 percent — reported their parents’ cell phone use made them feel unimportant.

72 percent of adult internet users reported that the internet has had “no real impact at all” on their marriage, of those that did see an impact, 20 percent said it was mostly negative. A quarter of respondents said that partners were distracted by their cell phone when they were together. But therapists say it’s not that smartphone use leads to divorce, just that it strains existing tensions.

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Morphological Analysis

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What’s in It for Me?

Based on our team project to the of phone addiction, I feel there will be a huge opportunity to not only help in my own relationship but others as well. I personally experienced the effect of phone addiction in a relationship and brainstormed ideas on how to limit the use when spending valuable and limited time with another person. In today's world of constant notifications, social media feeds, and communication platforms, it is difficult to push aside our urges and focus on personal matters. I hope to find a solution and apply it to my own life, resulting in an improved relationship where there is better communication between me and the people around.  

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Contingency Management

Contingency Management. (group) Create a new post in your process journal and identify the project’s contingencies, real or imaginary, that may impede progress, that seem outside of your control, and or issues that need to be resolved before you can move forward. Respond individually at first, and then share and discuss with your team the following “behavioral modifications” or rules of engagement: ● Understand your limits. what are your capabilities and the collective capabilities of your team? ● Establish reasonable and feasible goals and standards. What are your and your team’s intentions and are they in line with your abilities. Where does your team have gaps and how will you mitigate that? ● Be strict and consistent. Do not promise what you cannot deliver. Talk with your team on how to stay within scope and meet and exceed expectations with within your collective means. ● Reward yourself. What incentives do you and your team value when you meet your goals and, conversely, what is agreed upon and accepted “consequences” for you or your team members not contributing or behaving poorly?

Potential to impede progress/roadblocks Smartphones are a necessity nowadays. Overuse is so generally accepted. Professional tools are integrated into phones. Financial transactions are based on smartphones (NFC Payment) Many social interactions are based on apps like Instagram or Facebook. Phones are only growing more and more integrated to our lives. Boredom causes smartphone use

What are your capabilities and the collective capabilities of your team?  Establish reasonable and feasible goals and standards. Critical thinking Empathy Imaginative / creative Social Research Designing

What are your and your team’s intentions and are they in line with your abilities? Our intention is to get people off their phones and build interpersonal communication skills

Less depression from a false sense of social interaction that comes with phone use

Better time management skills gained from the ability to only use the phone during certain times / increase productivity

Where does your team have gaps and how will you mitigate that? Be strict and consistent. Do not promise what you cannot deliver. Talk with your team on how to stay within scope and meet and exceed expectations with within your collective means. We need a developer - outsource Need more concrete data Time difference (Jason is a gap) Test groups.

Reward yourself. What incentives do you and your team value when you meet your goals and, conversely, what is agreed upon and accepted “consequences” for you or your team members not contributing or behaving poorly? Incentive: Group video shots Consequence: Solo video shot

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The Destination and Journey

I should be part of this because I understand how difficult a relationship can be when excessive use of smartphone becomes a problem between 2 people.  I don't consider myself as a person who is addicted to my phone, however, I do have experience being on the other the end of a relationship. If our solution to our a problem is to deliver a product, being hardware or app related, I will be able to help develop either the design of the hardware or create an app that integrates seamless UX.