Research Findings! · Approach Interviews • Each of us interviewed 3 NUS students each from multiple levels, faculties • Open-ended answers • Centred around the 3 main research

Research Findings!

Leos

on

Jasm

ine

Nguyen H

a Jan

Lepak: Work Less, Do MoreScheduling

Team Communication

Project Management

Team Productivity

Territory Map

Departments

Systems e.g. IVLE

Lecturers/TAs

Product

Project Leaders

Project Members

Commun

icatio

n

Sche

dulin

g

Set m

eetin

g loc

ation

Check

mile

stone

s

Note-ta

king

Send

docu

ments

Busy Tired

On the move Multi-tasker Organised Responsible Irresponsible

Lazy

Commun

icatio

n

Remind

ers

Rece

ive do

cumen

ts

Book roomsLesson Plans

Timetable

?

?

?

?

Initial AssumptionsOther apps studied

Flow, Trello, Slack, Wunderlist, NUSmods, Whatsapp

Interface Design

• Minimal • Metaphorical Design: Calendar, Post its, Lists, Folders, Boards • Project centered to do lists

e.g. one list for Project A, another for Project B • Clear hierarchical structure when it comes to task creation



Features that support Team Communication

•Easy delegation of tasks to different individuals •Communication between members is afforded within the app •Able to see team member’s calendar and to do lists •Search with context (Slack)



Features that support Organisation and Productivity

•Colour coded labels •Drag and drop tasks easily •Hashtags and labels •Due dates, reminders •Flagging, subscribing •Attachments •Calendar used to show overview and not details of tasks •Power of archives (e.g. Wunderlist’s Completed Items, Trello’s archive feature) •Incentives (e.g. Quest, Milestones, Flow’s Like button)



Features that support Scheduling

•Reminders •Due dates •Scheduling meetings using polls, voting e.g. Doodle •Calendar e.g. NUSmods

Initial AssumptionsStereotypical Viewpoints: Projects

Scheduling meetings is tedious!

Everyone procrastinates…

Delegation of project tasks sometimes brings resentment between members

Project milestones are difficult to follow

Initial AssumptionsStereotypical Viewpoints: Productivity Apps

No habit to keep opening the app and use it

‘Organised chaos’

Manually input task details

Annoying and stressful if there are constant reminders, but useless if urgent tasks are not in your face

Research Questions

What are some problems NUS students face when doing group projects?

Process

How do NUS students schedule their tasks?

What functions of existing collaborative/productivity tools are NUS students satisfied/unsatisfied with?

Tools utilised

What are the resources needed when meeting for a group project in NUS?

Resources needed

What are the resources needed to complete projects?

Approach

Interviews

• Each of us interviewed 3 NUS students each from multiple levels, faculties

• Open-ended answers • Centred around the 3 main research question topics • Walk us through the process of managing a project

• Interviewed about task management and team productivity

• Only revealed our idea for an app that works as a collaborative tool towards the end of the interview so as not to influence their insights • Interviewees to brainstorm ideas for us as well • Asked for their opinions about our idea - potential pros and cons

FindingsProject Management Process

Scheduling meetings • Huge headache especially for the very first meeting, or for big group • If unable to schedule, meetings will be online but are often unproductive • All members to type available timings on WhatsApp and someone has to help

arrange a meeting • Use NUSmods to compile everyone’s timetables

Procrastination • 2 types of projects

• No choice, has to commit to the module • ‘Last minute, chiong everything a week before submission!’

• Procrastination as a group • Procrastination as a member of the group, pulling the group behind

FindingsProject Management Process

Tasks • Presentations • Reports • Discussions • Debates • Experiments • Calculations

Project Flow • Task delegation during meetings • Share ideas during meetings • Meet again to update one another on progress • Rehearsals for presentations • Meet up to finalise report, presentation

FindingsResources

• Discussion rooms in library • Rooms in UTown • Power socket • Wifi • Air-con • Laptop • Free time • Responsible team members

FindingsExperiences with productivity tools/apps

WhatsApp most commonly used for group communication • Convenient as everyone has it • But messy, simultaneous communication • Cannot search for important information • Suggests flagging important messages

Productivity Apps • Organised • But tasks are hidden, user has to manually open app to check • Desktop post its are popular as the tasks are ‘in your face’ • Calendar as metaphorical design is not useful as screen size is too small;

not much information can be shown • Unable to cultivate habit to continue using the app

FindingsExperiences with productivity tools/apps

Physical Planners • Still popular, especially among girls • Customisable • Bigger surface, hence calendar becomes useful to show overview • Diary + Planner

• Planner includes small notes to self to encourage greater productivity

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Opportunity Statement

A mobile application which can facilitate efficient scheduling of meetings and setting up meeting agendas, to help NUS students, so that they can be productive when managing group projects.

Design ImplicationsSleek, minimal interface

Encourage usage by providing visualisations of milestones reached

Projects are essentially meetings-centred; we can play with this idea

Reminders are essential, but should not be annoying

Feature to help schedule meetings more efficiently

Feature to promote responsibility, and reduce procrastination e.g. overview, milestones, timeline

App links to resources in school e.g. discussion rooms, Lesson Plan, NUSmods

The End!

Leos

on

Jasm

ine

Nguyen H

a Jan

Research Findings! · Approach Interviews • Each of us interviewed 3 NUS students each from multiple levels, faculties • Open-ended answers • Centred around the 3 main research

Documents