2. Stakeholder – first jobber preparing to go
back to school
Stands out in the crowd, has a distinct style
slight attitude but very affable, stylish yet very
casual, liberal arts background but working in
a technology company which he loves .
Sharp and incisive with a love for theatre. Has
set up a theatre production house as well.
3. The problem statement
“Our multifaceted cool dude needs a
way to alleviate his tensions so that he
can transition smoothly from work to
school ”
4. The context - need to fulfill his desires and
address his worries
Exposure to thought leadership
New learning
Futuristic learning
Opportunity to network
Great human interaction
Specific skills gained so better
job
Desires Worries
Mindset change – salaried to
student
less money- loss of financial
independence
Worry of it being waste of time
Loss of access to contemporary
technology
Loss of comfort zone
5. My 3 favorite ideas
Idea 1
Give a ‘real’
sample of the
class to the
student for an
interim period
before he joins
Create a pod in
the work place
where you go for
2-3 hours
everyday – school
class being held
Idea 2
Create a flawless
experience by using the
best team from a
hospitality industry
Here the focus is not on
just the physical comforts
rather it is the mental &
emotional issues which
arise
The designer can
understand each step
and the dissonance &
happiness connected
with each
Easy to implement as
long as you get the right
talent.
Idea 3
Using technology to
look into the future
and then decide
what works best–
While it requires a
certain amount of
serious thought yet
it is doable with
today’s pace of
technology
It will help the
student feel more
secure and also
able to rehearse
the future
6. I have worked with two prototypes of
idea 1
“Give a „real‟ sample of the class to the
student for an interim period”
Prototype 1 was built & tested with the
same student( who faces the problem) &
his younger brother (who is in grad.
school).I used slides 7,8, 9 &10
to explain the prototype.
Based on the feedback, I built an
improved prototype .
Prototype 2 is that improved design on
which I also have got feedback
7. The worries this idea plans to address
“Worry of it
being waste of
time”
“Mindset
change –
salaried to
student” “Will I really get what
I want in the course-
thought leadership,
chance to learn the
right skills”
“I have spent so much
money and if this is
not what I wanted,
what will I do?”
8. So why not allow the student to
straddle both worlds for an
interim period to ease his way
into school again
• This is an option which can be taken at admission time
• 3 months before he has to join, while he is still working, he goes to
school for 3 hours at his workplace itself in a pod
• If he does not like the class, 90% of his money will be refunded
• Either early morning or late evening, he gets into the pod and starts
his class
• The pod is soundproof, links him straight to the classroom
Prototype 1
9. Certain assumptions
1.Linkage between school and
employer
2. This option will be
communicated in HR policy
2. The school has to have a
curriculum which understands the
importance of dealing with this
conflict and hence has the right
empathy as well as challenge
3.This can only work in a job which allows
adequate time – there is work life
balance
4.Extremely
good
communicatio
n technology
& connectivity
Prototype 1
10. So how will it work?
The school ships the pod
which is light weight. They
have an arrangement
with a courier company
At time of
admission,
student has
specified
need for this
option
4 months
before,
school
confirms
address and
other
aspects
Student
links up
with office
administra
tion.
The student sets the pod in
the place next to his desk
and at the allotted time,
gets into the pod and works
undisturbed Prototype 1
11. What worked
Questions
What could
be improved
Ideas
• Sampling a class for 3 months really
allows the student to allay his fears
• No wastage of time as pod in office
• The technology of the
pod needs to be cutting
edge so that there are no
interruptions
• Company can leverage
building a reputation if it
offers more
• What is the difference between using
a company conference room to this
pod?
• If the technology of the pod differs
with the company technology , there
will be conflict. Also, there could be
problems of data security – company
firewall ?
• Apart from content, what is the
difference between an online course
and this option?
• What is the economic impact on the
student – does he have to pay
anything? Prototype 1
Feedback received
On an overall basis
– intuitively, they
liked it but felt it
needed a lot of
thinking through
12. Prototype 2
A pod offered by the employer which
allows the student to really experience a
class – virtual class
Hence, I worked on
this prototype
13. A virtual class in a pod
offered by the employer
• This is an option which can be taken at admission time
• 3 months before he has to join, while he is still working, he goes to
school for 3 hours at his workplace itself in a pod
• If he does not like the class, 90% of his money will be refunded
• Either early morning or late evening, he gets into the pod and starts
his class
• The pod is soundproof, links him straight to the classroom, there is no
technology snag as the office wireless/ equipment can be used
• The class can see him, talk to him, he is in a virtual class with the
experience as close to real
Prototype 2
14. Assumptions modified
1.Linkage between school and
employer is very strong. The employer
really believes that academic inputs
add a lot to the personality of it’s
employees
2. This option will be communicated in
HR policy
2. The school has to have a
curriculum which understands the
importance of dealing with this
conflict and hence has the right
empathy as well as challenge
3.This can only work in a job which allows
adequate time – there is work life
balance
4. The
technology of
the school &
employer is
compatible &
there is no
conflict
Prototype 2
15. So how will it work- modified from
Prototype 1 ?
Aligns class timetable
with Pod’s availability.
May require a certain
amount of coordination
At time of
admission,
student has
specified need
for this option
4 months
before,
school
confirms
address and
other
aspects
Student links
up with
office
admin.
At allotted time, student
gets into the pod and
attends his class
Prototype 2
16. Other mechanics
• Employer charges student
for space and technology
usage at nominal rates
• Also a salary cut for flexi
time
• The school has logistics
geared to deliver on the
above in terms of
technology in classroom
etc
Prototype 2
17. What worked
Questions
What could
be improved
Ideas
• Sampling a class for 3 months
really allows the student to
allay his fears
• No wastage of time as pod in
office
• Win win for a forward looking
company as it generates
goodwill as well as may help in
employee retention
• Let the student choose a credit
course –it will be 3rd semester of
the course so let him sample it
• Instead of independent pods,
let there be a docking station
where the student books time-
also pays a nominal fee for it.
Rest of the time, it can be used
for multi location meetings for
usage
• It can only work in a company
which is very technology savvy
• The company has to have a lot
of young people as they would
really be interested in further
education
• Fear of misuse of this option –
many students will sample and
leave
Prototype 2
Feedback received
Overall, they were excited
about the reality of a virtual
class and felt it could be a
winner
18. a. What i learned by testing my
prototypes;
b. What I would do next if I were
to continue working on the
project.
19. What i learned by testing my prototypes;
I thought I had had a winner idea and I was really
defensive when I tested my prototype the first time.
However, I understood that if I divorced myself from the
idea, I would be open to inputs
I was happy that I worked with a bare bone prototype
first – clear enough to explain and allows builds
Every time, I go back to the prototype, I see scope for
improvement- so I realize design is iterative
I also related this to my own business which I am building
with my partner – instead of deciding on all aspects
before we meet, I develop prototypes and seek
feedback. Believe it or not, but we have managed to
come up with great stuff now!
20. What you would do next if you were to
continue working on the project.
What I have understood is that the idea has potential and
hence, I do not need to go back to the drawing board.
So, I would first seek feedback from 3-4 more similar people
and make modifications.
I would then invite 2 students, one parent, one counselor,
one employer to evaluate the prototypes
Based on their feedback, I would refine the prototype.
In parallel, I would examine see the practicality, cost benefit
analysis.
Having done that, I would develop the concept and
commission formal research to be able to ratify the above.
