#prototype documentation

Title of prototype

Opposite Pen Pals

Thesis area of concern

Facilitating interactions between strangers who come from different racial backgrounds. I am exploring ways in creating a space where people can discuss race, racism and identity to build a vocabulary for constructive conversations. 

Thesis concept thus far

My prototype connects strangers who share a mutual friend and have them interact with each other for one week through a series of prompts. They start out not knowing what the other person looks like. The prompts start out pretty neutral but towards the end they get harder to answer. 

Prototype interaction

Everyday both participants exchange a picture of their life based on the prompt. An example of a prompt would be, “Take a picture of your breakfast” or “Take a picture of an object that best represents you”. The last prompt asks both users to reveal themselves.

Summary of what worked well, and what didn't

Good

Users were curious enough to engage with each other

Wasn't too disruptive in their schedule

Low barrier to entry

Not too confrontational

Felt safe 

Bad

Prompts weren't enough to get a sense of their pen pal's identity

No opportunity for other types of communication 

No way of measuring success

Takes commitment

Forget about prompt so I have to send out reminders

What you learned about your intended users from interaction with prototype

It's a fun experiment but the value of the surprise element quickly fades after they receive the image. I'm not even sure my participants still think about the experiment after its over. 

Things to work on next, if you continue with this idea

I want to still experiment with prompts to see how personal I can get without it being too intrusive. Also I want to think of ways to facilitate more engagement and communication between users. Have them explain the meaning behind their pictures or allow them to ask each other questions.

What the mobile version could look like

Currently testing through text messaging