Class 03_Homework_January 30th

Dear students,
Today we discussed what it means to work in a collaborative team and you were introduced to the prompt that will start our exploration into the design thinking process.

That prompt is:
The photography department is in need of a more effective and efficient checkout system that includes a reorganization of equipment in the existing space where said items are stored. This reorganization of space and implementation of procedure should be cost-effective and a benefit to both the faculty and student body of MCA who access it [Refer to handout].

You have worked through the Design Thinking process once in a workshop. The time provided to do this was very quick but yielded interesting results. Now imagine what your results might be with extra time! You will have approximately 4 weeks to work through the Design Thinking process again to solve for the prompt above. This time you will be working with others in a collaborative team to investigate creative ways to solve this complex question. You will also be investigating each part of the process in more depth and detail.

Tonight, you will begin the EMPATHIZE phase of the process by conducting external research. See details below.
Best,
Team IPC

c03_a1
Research Articles & Annotations
Due Thursday, February 1st 
Format: Goes in the LOGBOOK HOMEWORK section of the binder with a heading. Printed articles, annotated with the proper heading in the left-hand corner of each article.

Getting started
At this point, do not think about possible solutions for the prompt. Instead, think broadly about what this prompt means and investigate general information that will help your team make decisions later during the process. Articles are great, but some of the information you run across may not be in article form but contain a lot of informative writing. You can include this as an 'article' as long as it is detailed and it refers in a productive way to your original question. Please consider that research is a divergent process.

Some questions to think about:

1. Traditionally, who is the photography community at a college? 
2. What kind of equipment do photographers use? Be specific and thorough. 
3. What are the handling requirement and issues associated with specific photography items? Be detailed and thorough for each item named. 
4. What are other school photography departments doing about photography storage? Find some examples?
5. What are some closet or shelving examples of storage at other institutions?
6. What are some reasons that students should have access to photography equipment they do not own?
7. What is a typical system for checking equipment out at other colleges?
8. How do checkout systems impact students?
9. How do checkout systems impact professors?
10. Are there any penalties for not following checkout procedures at other institutions? If so, how do these penalties help or hinder users and professors?
11. What are some user-friendly systems for accessing equipment kept in a closet or locker employed at other institutions? What are some examples?
12. What kind of access hours should be available for this kind of checkout based on other institutions and their policies?

To-do
Each team member must locate, print-out and read at least two articles relevant to the prompt provided today. Consider the questions above to help direct your article searching. If you are struggling, be sure to ask the librarian how you might find resources for your inquiries. As you read your articles, make notes in the margins of the article [annotate] to identify important information, document insights, and findings, useful facts, etc. that feel relevant to the project as we discussed in class. When we come together on Thursday, you should be prepared to debrief both articles to your teammates.

Members of the team should focus on different research areas related to this prompt. By doing so, you ensure a breadth and depth of research for the time and effort exerted.