thesidewalksurgeons

[thesidewalksurgeons]

The Last Sprint

Sprint recap-

This final sprint was very eventful for us, it was quite an enjoyable time. It started off with us having an online meeting with Susan who is the campus coordinator and Corey from university relations. Throughout the meeting we discussed what our progress was looking like, and both Susan and Corey got a chance to tell us about more ways to spread our message. Corey mentioned that she could contact us with VCU police so they could send out a geofencing message. This sounded very appealing to us and we decided to go with it. The meeting was very successful and informative for both the team as well as Susan and Corey. We proceeded to do the in-person polling session outside of the library, like we had discussed in earlier sprints. We set up our computers and asked people to fill out the survey and they were compensated with candy. This plan wasn't the best because we picked a very cold day and everyone, including us, wanted to go home. However, we pulled through for about an hour, although we didn't receive as much responses as we wished it was definitely a learning experience. A part from that, as a team we kept on putting up our posters around campus in hopes they would stay up for as long as possible. Below are some places we hung up our poster designs.

At this point we really just wanted to make our design visible as much as possible before the end of the course. I must say we did a great job at getting our message out. We got posted on Commonwealth Times Newsletter. Below is a picture of this post.

The VCU police posted us as well!

I think that by getting all of these connections we were able to reach as many people as possible. I think that having the VCU police post about our cause was way better than attempting to make an Instagram ourselves, since this is already an established social media account. Like I mentioned earlier, The VCU police began to send out an alert on the LiveSafe app that is encouraged to be downloaded by the university. This message would appear anytime people were near these following areas:

Cabell Library

The Student Commons

Harrison Street Cafe/Village Cafe area

Monroe Park

Cary Street Gym

Bowe Street Deck

This was definitely one of the cooler ways to get the message out, and it is all thanks to Corey and the VCU police. We felt very thankful for their contributions and interest.

As we kept on distributing our posters and we kept on being posted on social media, our stats on our Linktree kept on growing! Even though it wasn't hundreds of people a day, we felt it went better than expected. As of now we have 154 views! which is more than what we had on the day of our in class presentation, I am happy people really did start to take interest in our Linktree and cause.

Something I forgot to mention earlier is that we used Reddit to ask people if they had seen our posters around campus. We got a lot of responses on the post. Most importantly we wanted to hear what the people thought. The feedback we received was very helpful because we were able to print out a different design in addition to the ones we already had. People on Reddit mentioned how the poster lacked emotion, and it felt like we were trying to do the company's jobs in advertising for safety. We took this into consideration and used an earlier design which appealed to a more sentimental aspect of why scooter safety is important. This is the design below.

We decided to go with this design as well because we wanted the audience to know that it is important to put up your scooter because of accessibility issues. I think this was a great addition to our other designs.

In the end, we really did start to notice a change in the VCU community. The scooter problem has become a lot less problematic. People seem to actually be putting up their scooters! Susan even mentioned to us that she has noticed a significant change since the start of our project. She said we are magical, I thought this was very good feedback and it made me happy to hear that from her.

What I did this sprint-

For this sprint I really focused on putting up posters as much as possible in areas that I thought were popular. I also kept track of our Linktree to see if what we were doing was paying off. I would also go around and check to see if there were any physical changes, and there were, like I mentioned earlier people have really been propping up those scooters. I think that this sprint we really got to work as a group and we did a lot of group activities. Whether it was meeting with Susan and other officials or doing the in person polling or facetiming each other to discuss what was next.

reflection-

I feel very happy to have experienced this, I think I worked very well with the people in my team and I couldn't have asked for better. I've said it before, but I enjoy team work like this because of the different ideas that go around. My team was made up of very creative people that shared their thoughts freely. I was very comfortable with them and they inspired me to do the same as them. I am a bit more shy and I take some time to adjust to strangers but they taught me how to break that barrier and express myself in a group setting. I am always a follower in groups, I just listen and I won't make suggestions. However, it was different this time and I enjoyed it even more. I got to learn a lot from everyone in the classroom as well. I feel that as a team we grew a lot. Looking back to the beginning, we were all a bit shy and wouldn't really talk to each other but we did a great job at coming together and making the project succeed. I feel that we got a lot done in this semester alone, I can imagine if we had more time we would continue to do an even better job! Something that is really valuable to me was the support I felt in this team. Even when we reached turning point in our original plan, and we had to change the entire goal, we did an amazing job at redirecting ourselves and we made that transition rather smoothly. I can say I felt really proud of us for figuring that out. I am very thankful for the connections we made this semester, including Susan, Sylvia, and Corey. We couldn't have done it without them and their interest in our project. Which leads me to the conclusion that networking and creating connections is an essential part in making a project come to life. It is important to speak up and share your ideas with people, because there might be someone who is willing to help and give you resources you never knew you could get. Overall, this was a very lovely experience for me and I enjoyed the class and the group very much.

[thesidewalksurgeons]

Sprint number 4

sprint recap-

For this sprint we focused on finalizing our poster designs and printing them to get them out into the world so we could start receiving feedback. Lillie and Dalton really worked on contacting different print places so we could get the best deal at an appropriate time. I know Lillie had some trouble, which she expressed in our group chat. There was issues from the printing places, they kept saying that they hadn't received our poster design and it ended up taking longer than we wanted it to. Nevertheless, we were able to get ten posters printed. We started to brainstorm places in which we could hang them up at. We wanted to reach as many people as possible so we each got a general area in which we would try to distribute them at. After meeting up and each getting a couple of posters, we split up and started to hang them up. That was it for the physical distribution of posters, but we also worked on distributing them digitally. We were able to get it on the commons screen, so our poster is part of their playlist as of right now. We were also able to get VCU social media to post about our cause on their Instagram, every week until the end of the semester! so that is excellent news for us. This way we can reach a larger audience on an already established platform. We couldn't end up putting up our posters in the bathrooms or the GRTC busses due to specific regulations, and it would all take too long. We did get some feedback from Henry, he said he could help us out. He said we could pick 6 bus stops we feel have the most issues with scooters and he cane help us put posters up without having them taken down. He requested using zipties so no one takes them down. In terms of scooter companies, Lime and Bird companies did not answer us so that is a done deal. Aiden posted about our poster on Reddit, the responses weren't what we expected but we gained some insight and we are discussing changing our approach. A lot of people didn't seem to care about the scooters, they felt like they were being told what to do. There were a couple of people that mentioned that we should make our posters more sentimental. What they mean by that, is that we should emphasize how important it is to pick up scooters because of accessibility reasons. People suggested we add a person on a wheel chair to our posters so that it appeals more to the audience. We were chatting in our group and we decided that for the next round of posters, it would be a good idea to go back to an old design idea we had. Which incorporates mobility and accessibility issues. For most of this sprint we really focused on getting our posters acknowledged by the people around us. We have been keeping an eye out on anyone that wants to post our posters online as well. As of now, Susan messaged us asking if we could all meet after break. She will bring two other VCU connections with her and we will have a meeting on how they can further support our project and some of the common communication tactics at VCU. We are all excited for that and are hoping to hear some good news!

what I did this sprint-

I mainly helped with the Linktree again, I didn't like the way it looked before so I made some edits to the page and I think it looks a lot cleaner now. I made a logo on Canva and I enjoyed the way it came out. I also added our poster designs to the Linktree under the " how to park a scooter" tab just to bring more attention to our design. I also worked on putting up some posters. I put one up on a lamp post on Broad street because I always see scooters in that area. I also went down to Bowe street, and into the AFO building. I handed it to one of the front desk employees and asked if they could hang it up somewhere. I also decided to put one up at a bus stop near the library since there is a lot of scooters in that area as well. Sadly enough, one of the posters got taken down and the other one was placed somewhere where it is not fully seen. Good news is that the Linktree analytics seem to tell me that people are viewing and clicking on our page, so I hope it is useful to them.

what is next for us?-

As I mentioned earlier we are excited to have that meeting with Susan and her colleagues, I think this meeting will open up some more opportunities for us in terms of getting noticed by the VCU public. We plan on touching up our designs and we want to print more out of course. After leaving the posters up for some time, we want to work on doing an in person polling. We plan on bringing a foldable table with some sort of table covering, and a bowl of Christmas themed candy, along with our survey with a small list of questions. We were discussing printing out the survey, to have a physical copy of people's answers, but I am not too sure where we stand with that as of now. We will continue to keep track of people's comments and of the Linktree analytics.

reflection-

We are reaching the end of our project and I feel good about where we stand as a group. I think I have improved in the sense that I can share ideas more easily now, and if they are rejected I can move on easily. I feel that everyone else has improved in the same way. Working with my team has taught me that there are many different ways to problem solve in a group setting. It feels nice to be able to rely on my group mates as well. I feel a sense of familiarity and trust with my team, I am learning that it is an important aspect of team work. I feel like I can organize myself a lot more easily after taking this course as well. It gets me into the feel of how deadlines work and how important they are when you work in a group. Overall, this sprint was quite fun!

[thesidewalksurgeons]

Sprint number 3

Sprint recap-

This sprint was definitely the most eventful of the sprints. We came together as a group and started building our relationship as a team. After having the one-on-ones we came to the conclusion that we needed to communicate more and not be afraid to share ideas. After having a zoom meeting as a team, we laid out all of the things we wanted to get done together in a timely manner. We did a good job communicating our availability so that we could meet up. Aiden got into contact with Susan from the faculty management at VCU and asked if we could set up a meeting at the library to discuss our ideas on how we could bring awareness to the scooter problem around campus. Susan was nice enough to set up a time and she listened to our suggestions, and we took some of hers as well. I think having Susan as a contact helped us out a lot because it helped answer a lot of the questions that we had in mind. We were able to have a better understanding of where to place these posters and what parts to emphasize in the visuals. We took notes on this meeting and this helped us figure out our next steps. Lillie and Dalton came up with poster designs, since they are the most informed on graphic design, and we decided on a color palate as a team. As we were discussing our posters we thought of making stickers that could possibly be put on the scooters. Susan will provide us with contacts from the scooter companies so we can get an approval to place them on the scooters. I think that the communication we had going on as a group helped enhance our plans and it facilitated the rest of the steps. At this point there was a lot of ideas floating around, we wanted to do some research on how to correctly place scooters. We though of making a Linktree with quick and easy information. We have also created our QR code. Some of our teammates started looking into prices, so we can print these posters out as soon as possible. Someone suggested making social media appearances so our poster and Linktree reaches a larger audience. We though about how we could measure the effect of our posters, and for this we though of doing an in person polling station in front of the library, with candy to attract people over. overall this was very fun for us and we felt good about our progress for this sprint. I think that we really came together as a team and started to work together more often. We still do our own thing, but we are constantly updating each other and talking more in and our of class.

color palate:

What I did this sprint-

This sprint I focused on researching Bird and Lime scooters, just to get to know them a little more because I didn't know much about them. I downloaded their apps and explored, I also went on their websites to learn about the companies and about the way their rides work. I collected all my data and put them into a Ven diagram. I found out that the scooters pretty much work the exact same way. They have kickstands, their apps explain where you can and can't park, you get fees if you don't park them correctly, and you can report badly parked scooters. After collecting data and comparing the companies, I started to work on the Linktree. At first I just put in the links to their websites into the Linktree but after presenting the sprint, professor Shriver suggested to present all the information in a way in which it can be digested a lot quicker and easily. After some thinking I decided on making an infographic that is more fun to look and is straight forward. I used the color palate that our team chose to keep the posters, the Linktree, and the infographic consistent. I made a lot of adjustments to the Linktree just to make sure it looks good and it is legible. Aiden made a GIF showing how to kick the kickstand on the scooters to give the audience a visual, because sometimes it is better to see something happen rather than to read about it. I think the infographic turned out well! Other than adding the infographic, I added two more links which takes the person who clicks, to the report forms from Lime and Bird. This helps anyone who needs to report a scooter. They are quickly directed to the form so they can fill it out immediately. I am planning on buying candy next, so we can put it out at our in person poll station.

Linktree link:

infographic:

What is next?-

We are now getting ready to make the print purchase! Susan said she can't provide us with funds, but she did suggest a couple of print shops to check out. We will ask if they can give us a student discount. After printing the posters we will start to place them on campus, and on the bus, and the bathroom stalls. We will hold on to the idea we had of putting our poster on the big screen at the library, because we want to see how people react first. We will also see if we distribute stickers as well. Soon after that we plan on collecting data on Reddit, VCU Instagram accounts, and at our in person poll station. Overall, we are reaching a good point in which we can start distributing our product and collecting data on our prototype. I think we have improved as a team with the help of our professor. We took the suggestions we were given and worked with them! I believe this will go well.

Reflection-

After this sprint I learned that things can get done quickly in a team setting if you arrange yourselves and communicate your availability. I think it is also important to work with people that are responsible. Everyone in my team is very responsible and get their parts done in a timely manner. We are able to communicate with each other and most importantly we are able to rely on each other. If one of us doesn't think we can get something done in time, we will work together to fill in for them. I think it is important to build trust in a team setting. I feel that I can rely on them and that they will be understanding if I am falling behind. I have gotten better at sharing ideas with my team, and most of the times they agree with my ideas so that gives me the confidence to communicate my thoughts.

[thesidewalksurgeons]

Sprint number 2-

Sprint recap-

This second sprint was a bit of a roller coaster for us as a group. We definitely had to problem solve and get across some obstacles. We wanted to make the cathedral and sidewalk work out but it was far too difficult and would take us too long to complete in just one semester. Nevertheless, we were able to get into contact with people from VCU and we asked them if they could help us out with this project. After making some suggestions we were finally able to steer in another direction and keep the project going! This was definitely a little frustrating, just because we had our eyes set on trying to physically fix the sidewalk but it is alright in the end.

As to what I did for this sprint, I really wanted to make the whole church situation work but it just wasn't possible. I went a couple of times to try and see if I could speak to someone but the church is under construction and their schedule was a little hectic. They were only open for mass and no one seemed to be in their offices when I would swing by. We went as a group as well and they were closed. I also kept an eye out for the reddit post I made to see if I got anymore feedback.

What is next for us?-

Our next steps are very exciting, in my opinion. It is getting more creative! We have decided to approach this issue of the sidewalks by attacking something else that makes it difficult to walk. One of the people Aiden got into contact with said that we should bring awareness to the matter instead of fixing the sidewalk. They suggested we bring awareness to the scooters that people leave on the sidewalks instead. We are currently working on making some sort of visual to spread our message. We might go with posters but we were also discussing stickers. We are trying to figure out what is it that will gravitate people toward reading/looking at our visual. We are discussing design options and we want to specifically focus on cool looking font, definitely big font and fresh colors. We also want to use some sort of slogan. I am overall excited to see what we come up with.

Reflection-

Through out this process I have learned that I really like group work! it is very exciting to see how people's brains work. I have learned that I get quite anxious when things start to go wrong, but this is also why I love teamwork. My teammates have such bright brains and they have great ideas that we are able to figure it out. I think that being around creative and knowledgeable people rubs off on me and it makes me think more creatively, so that is really cool to me. This continues to be a very exciting process for me and I can't wait to see what happens next!

[thesidewalksurgeons]

The First Sprint

Sprint recap-

This first sprint was very fun for our team, we collected a lot of data and we each went our own ways in terms of coming up with research. We would share our findings and sometimes we would help each other in finding specific pieces of information. We all split up and decided to focus on different areas of research such as, who to call to get the sidewalk fixed, who the owner of the sidewalk was, what do people think of the sidewalk, Dalton observed people walking down Cathedral PL to get the full experience, we even explored other possibilities in case we can't get the city to fix the sidewalk. We did various forms of research such as interviews, Reddit posts, emails, and polls.

I decided to focus on what people thought of the sidewalk. I wanted to know if people cared in the first place about the condition of the sidewalk. I made a Reddit post and posted it to the VCU community on Reddit. In this subreddit I asked people if they were bothered by the conditions of this specific sidewalk and if they have had trouble walking through it on their daily routines. I got a mix of responses, some cared, some didn't, but it was exactly what I wanted, I wanted to know how people felt. There were a couple of people that shared their stories on the trouble they've gone through while walking on this sidewalk, which was very entertaining to read. In addition, some people commented some resources under the post which helped our team out a lot as well, so it was overall a great experience and research tool. Like I mentioned in class, I interview a couple of friends to get their opinions and experiences. I also got to interview the president of the catholic housing that is right in front of the church. He gave me some valuable information as well about how long the sidewalk has been in these awful conditions. Below are a couple of responses that I received.

What is next for us?

After discussing with the team we have decided that we want to go out and make our voices heard. We plan on going to the church and asking if they can do anything about the sidewalk, if they are the ones that own it, or if they would like to join our cause. We will go as a team and hopefully it goes well!

Reflection-

I learned a lot from this first sprint, mainly being that working in a team is a lot of fun and a lot less stressful than if I were to be doing all of this by myself. I think it is so interesting to see it all tie together and to share ideas with each other. I also learned that with every ambitious project there is going to be obstacles or things that may require you to steer a different way than the one you anticipated. I saw this not only in my team, but in other teams as well and I think it is an interesting part of the process, it says a lot about you as a person. As for my own personal findings, I found that I am a bit scared to talk to people because I do not want to feel like I am bothering them. I had this feeling come up when I wanted to interview people. I did get rejected by one resident that lives right in front of this sidewalk, and I felt a little awkward. I think it gives me some anxiety to be honest but it is necessary to face these feelings and just move on. I am thankful to the people I did get to talk to and to the people on Reddit of course. Something else I found is that I really like team work, I like hearing what everyone else is doing and what their own process looks like. Overall, I am enjoying the project and I am excited for what comes next.