I'll Go If You Go
Spark fun & meaningful family conversations
I Own
User research
Ideation
Fast prototype
Product design
Cost analysis
Teammates
Deliverables
Timeline
Eron Chang (SI)
Kartik Raju (MBA)
Kelly Miller (MBA)
Sally Lee (Art)
Product webpage
Jan 2019 - Apr 2019
3 months
Before We Get into Detail
In an interdisciplinary team, we need to deliver a real product within 3 months which helps teens from age 9 to 12 to establish healthy habits – from scratch to finish and sell the product.
It's a great chance to work with people across functions and practice skills in design thinking, market research, physical prototyping, digital making, and product engineering.
Product at a Glance
The Problem
After doing user research, the root problem we found is that guardians and kids are not aware of problems until they result in damage. Guardians want to know more about kids but they would tend to start with the question "how's your school today?", which is a dull question and kids usually have nothing to tell. Therefore, the problem we are trying to tackle is that how we can spark engaging conversations so that guardians and kids are more aware of things happening.
The Solution
Our product -- I'll Go If You Go (aka IGIYG) -- essentially a storytelling prompt dispenser that helps families to engage a conversation without asking the dull question "how's your day".
1
Press the button to receive a new prompt on demand
2
Everyone answers
the question (not just kids - parents, too!)
3
App for ordering questions tailored for your child’s age and specific life circumstances
The conversation goes to both side. I'll go if you go! It's not just parents asking kids but kids would get a chance to know more about their parents. By sharing stories, they can build trust between each other.
Prompt Questions Categories
Reflective
Retrospective
Confidence Booster
Concern for Others
Pure Fun
Social Impact
The device I'll Go If You Go essentially solved the root problem that impacts kids health -- kids and parents are not aware of problems until they become very apparent when it would be too late to fix it. Promoting fait conversations between parents and kids would help them to be aware of problems, build trust between each other through story telling so to solve problems together. In the end, kids can be more independent with the guardian's guidance.
Most importantly, the question printed on the paper would be a sentimental product. It's a memory in your life that could be put into the wallet and bring with you. Every time you open your wallet, you would think of the good conversations you have with your kids.
Business Impact
By tracking anonymous data of what are the favourite questions, we can analyze customers behaviour so to understand American families better. It could make the product better in terms of prompting better questions, and also be helpful for certain educational studies.
Initial Research
Panel Talk
We started from listening to talks from the professional who has studied on kids physical health and mental health. Several highlights from the talk:
1. Kids aged 9-12 will experience mental health issues but they just are not aware of it.
2. They start realizing social norms. They tend to compare themselves with peers.
3. They are learning to be independent.
Participatory Design
We invited kids to come over the event and interviewed how their life goes and what struggles they have. Kids at the event made the road map of their days from waking up to sleep at night, made posters of what a healthy life means to them and built prototypes with us to solve their problems.
Initial Findings
Throughout the interview and observation, we realized they are some things kids all have in common:
1. They are super busy with a very packed schedule of many after-school sports classes.
2. They are very self-initiative. When they have a thought, they really go for it without hesitation.
3. Kids love rewards.
Brainstorming
Divergence
We started with an affinity diagram to collect and analyze information we had. In the end we have:
Categorizes of problems kids commonly faced
9
15
"How might we..." statements to initiate our thinking
100
Brainstormed ideas to response "How might we..." questions
View detailed affinity diagram
Convergence
After looking at the affinity diagram, we realized that there are four dimensions that have most problems and findings.
Busy schedule
Guardians Engagement
Budding Independence
Increased Tech Use
Concept Testing
Four Concepts
To address problems in these four dimensions, we had the four concepts by combining some ideas which were feasible and potentially attractive.
Gathering Feedback
Surveys & Interviews
We surveyed 50 people who are guardians or interested in helping kids to establish a healthy life.
Interviewed 12 people in person who have been with kids on regular bases.
From these 62 responses, 70 % would buy concept 3 I'll Go If You Go storytelling device and 55% would buy concept 4 Link wearable. Only 20-30% would buy concept 1 and 2.
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We presented 4 concepts to stakeholders who initiated this project, they have a strong preference towards concept 3 and concept 4. They thought these two concepts addressed the real problems -- increase guardians engagement and helps children to grow independently.
Stakeholders
Family
We tested concept 3 and concept 4 with parents and kids.
Feedback on concept 3 -- I'll Go If You Go storytelling device:
The device sparked engaging conversations - it's just goes on and on
Kids are curious to learn more about their parents
People loved physical cards (instead of an app-based interface)
Feedback on concept 4 -- Link wearable:
Kids are very engaged in interacting with Link.
Favourite features: earn badge (reward), check schedule & decide what to eat
Parents wonder if Link will be allowed in schools, since many have a no phone policy
Kids may want more features like social gaming or music - which might lead to more screen time
Common feedback
Parents and kids both love to customize: They want their feedback and preferences incorporated into the product.
Need to be fun!
Customer stickiness: The product should NOT be something people just use for the a few days then forget about it.
Competitive Analysis
Competing products with IGIYG
Similar prompt storytelling concept.
However, competitors lack:
Kid-friendly story prompts
Card dispensing capability
Requirement that parents share stories
Competing products with Link
Features we all have:
Tracking steps/activities, reward, call/text with parents, parental app, gps locator
Features we don’t have:
Parents set to-do list, force to pick up the call, customized ringtone, set timer for screen-out.
Features only we have:
Choose food, calendar/schedule, send mood in color, mood tracking
Iterations
Iteration 1
Question Card dispenser
Iteration 2
Question Card dispenser
+ Set a schedule when the question is dispensed
Iteration 3
Question Card Printer
- Set a schedule when the question is dispensed as parents' and kids' schedule is highly flexible.
+ Thermal printer to print the card as it's more feasible, more exciting and more faire (prevents anyone from pre-filtering the questions)
Iteration 4
Question Card Printer
- Set a schedule when the question is dispensed.
+ Thermal printer to print the card
+Wooden box to fit family decoration and make it more sentimental
+App for purchasing new questions, gathering users preference and tailor the questions
Reflections
Validate product in a trade show
We hosted a trade show after finishing the product with other teams also working on improving teen's health. It's exciting to come to the this final stage and validate our design. From talking to customers face to face and seeing how they were using our product, we felt very proud and also further validated our target demography.
In addition, we find our product can not only help teens but also adults. It has a broader demographic than we ever thought.
