Vincent Joseph Perez - Design@USC

There are a few things that come to mind when thinking of the overall journey that we are now wrapping up. First and foremost, it is a journey. There are paths we don't expect to take, insights and beauty that just make sense, enemies of the success of the process, and overall know that this journey is just that; it’s a process that's different for everyone. 

As it relates to this class however, I think there are methods and questions that we can successfully evaluate ourselves and other teams, but again, this will be different for everyone. Immediately the following questions come to mind, 

How well does the solution solve the problem statement?

Teamwork

How creative is the solution?

Presentation clarity & engagement

Viable / Desirable / Feasible

Throughout the entire process, I feel that we truly stayed within each step of the  journey, which helped us stay focused. Though we occasionally jumped ahead, we always allowed ourselves to run a bit free so we can get our thoughts and ideas out in the world so we can effectively come back to the task at hand. When looking back at the methods on how we will ultimately solve the idea we are addressing, I think it was easier to play on our strengths to save time. Though playing on our strengths, I think we did a great job ensuring we delivered on an idea that we were satisfied with that answered the problem statement above. At times it was a bit frustrating because the process felt a bit slow, or felt off, but ensuring we stayed within each step allowed us to creatively focus. 

Visual communication will be key to convey the proposed solution to our big question, “How might we change consumer behavior to reduce food and plastic waste?”

We went through a few exercises during our implementation phase, but broke out into individual work and came back and regrouped to show what we thought would be best. We had each member tackle a different portions of the solution; The business model canvas, app prototype, operations, brand, education, and business process. 

ASSIGNMENT: PROCESS JOURNAL: SELECTION Reflect on the methods and techniques that your group used to select the most appropriate idea to address the problem you have defined and summarize those activities in a new post in your process journal. How did your group come to a consensus on what ideas to select? What were the discussions and debates over ideas?

When reflecting on the methods and techniques, I feel a bit hopeful yet deflated. We first began by taking the 5 choices we had below and polling to our colleagues which idea they thought was the best. That being said, we landed on Idea 1 as being our starting off point. Based on feedback, it was best that we do not proceed with the Smoothie/juice cart idea as that idea has already been conceptualized and may not warrant the result we are looking for as it relates to innovation. 

IDEA 1: Local Source Marketplace & K-12 Nutritional Program “EDUCATION”

IDEA 5: Recycle/Reuse programs “CAMPAIGNS”

IDEA 4: Revitalize /inspired WIC “SHOPPING & COMMUNITY”

IDEA 2: LA Smoothie / Juice Carts “PRODUCT”

IDEA 3: Revitalize CSA-esq “APP”

Our group first started out by generating as many solutions as possible individually. The idea was to get as many ideas down as possible in a group document so we would have a repository of solutions to comb through as a group at a later time. We then came together and went through each idea individually and attempted to give more context to each idea and applied a short-code for each solution like EDU for education or COM for community. Once we had classified and effectively scrubbed through all the solutions by removing the too outrageous or too difficult ones, we then placed them into individual slides where we sorted them via short code. Once in individual slides were sorted we then arranged the ideas in a matrix of High-Low Impact to Easy-Difficult to implement. One we came to the consensus on where each idea fell on the matrix, we then selected ideas that were in the upper quadrants. 

Though we had many contenders, we realized that a majority of the ideas we had, though high impact, would be difficult to implement as it related to policy, infrastructure, or urban development.

Our top 5 ideas were: 

LA Smoothie / Juice Carts “PRODUCT”

Local Source Marketplace & K-12 Nutritional Program “EDUCATION”

Revitalize CSA-esq “APP”

Revitalize /inspired WIC “SHOPPING & COMMUNITY”

Recycle/reuse programs “CAMPAIGNS”

For our group, it was important to conceptualize our own ideas based on the research we have done to create personal problem statements. From there we read a highlighted phrases and words that were important to the group from each problem statement. We then determined high level buckets that these words and phrases could fall under to finally create a group problem statement that reflected the group as a whole. 

During this process, we effectively had an open dialogue about what was important to us during the process and sometimes we went on targets to discuss metrics, additional findings, and even ideas that could align with this problem statement. Though it was important to stay within the objective of defining the group problem statement, It was just as valuable to get these other ides down on paper so we could focus on the tasks at hand so we can capture these ideas to solve the problem statement, but in a productive manner that we can pull from in the future when we come into the ideate phase. 

Conjunction junction is an exercise to make me rethink the way things are written as the meaning can be changed with a single word. Below are some examples that utilize the conjunctions “but” and “and”. 

Where have you sought out research material? 

When researching our topic, we primarily gather our information from personal experience and self referencing data. Granted, we have done a little bit of googling and general web surfing, but just going out and looking first hand on the grocery shopping experience has been our primary mode of research at this time. 

What kind of interesting things have you discovered? 

I have learned that through this process it is almost impossible to have a waste free experience when shopping at a grocery store (like totally impossible). For example, if I wanted to make a simple salad at home, most of the vegetables I would purchase coming wrapped in plastic or in some sort of plastic receptacle. 

Another item I thought was fascinating is that due to FDA regulations, stores must provide you with plastic containers or goods that must be provided or purchased from the store in order to be compliant. For me this serves as an issue because they don’t immediately give you options for plastic alternatives, but with a bit of digging, I have discovered that there is hope for a plastic free experience when buying in bulk.

Lastly, when thinking about the shopping experience, it isn’t great. It is banal and uninspiring and doesn’t spark and means of joy even though unknowingly we spend lots of time purchasing food just to survive. We do because we have to, and we do it at convenience, not because we want to have a better experience or enhance the experience of others.

What sort of insights are you able to gather through your research so far?

There are a lot of variations of stores. There are a lot of regulations on the sale of goods as it relates to waste. 

This topic aims to address the relationship grocers have with shoppers, evolving from one that’s often a dreaded transaction, towards one more experiential and educational. How might we reframe the relationship grocers have with their users, and create a space that becomes a destination for social interaction, for the communities they operate within.

GenXGrocer is a human centred design study to develop a better store model with user experience and a social impact at the core.

Imagine a grocery store where people can’t wait to visit. They’re greeted to an environment that caters to the relatable experience of being in the family kitchen. A store that’s branded with an image they identify with - one that reinforces a community connection. Present are relatable activities to engage all interests, and inform on better habits. The integrative raw, whole, and food packaging options that reduce the environmental impacts, lead to changing consumer attitudes towards how they interact with these stores, regard their nutrition, and can change their world.

Team members:

Bardia

Jesse 

Neilda 

Vincent

Norms to live by:

Clear deliverables

Project Management - Vincent

Briefing of goals before meetings

Use Google Drive to organize

Keep it loose (not too serious)

Time to get to know one another (Check-ins not work related)

Free to ask questions (no bad questions)

Understand your limits. what are your capabilities and the collective capabilities of your team?

My limits are more in the realm of knowledge and time. I can only do so much with the information I have which can be and is not limited to the team or the subject matter.

My capabilities are finite, but can be pushed contingent on what I need to learn and what needs to get done. I think collectively we have the capability to give each other space, understanding, support, and respect

I am capable of being a facilitator / mediator and an organizer. I’m a learner and can do whatever (Im scrappy). I’m a great researcher and good with data (data person). Good with interaction and experience design. Good instigator and devil’s advocate

Establish reasonable and feasible goals and standards. What are your and your team’s intentions and are they in line with your abilities. Where does your team have gaps and how will you mitigate that? Be strict and consistent. Do not promise what you cannot deliver. Talk with your team on how to stay within scope and meet and exceed expectations with within your collective means.

Goals / Mantras:

Get the assignment done within the team timeframe if possible

Don’t let the work fall on one person

Be respectful of time

Time management is critical, but being flexible should not be frowned upon

Collective understanding?

Reward yourself. What incentives do you and your team value when you meet your goals and, conversely, what is agreed upon and accepted “consequences”

What would accomplishing your goal be like? 

Accomplishing the goal is like being able to walk away from this project and then thinking “what next”. For me its not necessarily getting to the finish line, its the next journey I want to anticipate in order to achieve my next goal, and so on. 

What would be the immediately expected results of the best-case scenario? 

The immediate expects results or the best case scenario is that we get great feedback and a passing grade, but I get to grow closer with my classmates and learn how to work with them better in the future.

Who will be benefiting from your success? 

I will be immediately benefitting from my success, but also my class mates as my success is their success. Also a bit removed would be the professor, the program, USC, and the community at large. If I can truly understand and execute this project with my teammates effectively, our success can translate into future success. 

What positive impact will you be making locally and globally through your success? 

If we achieve something tangible with this project, we could potentially create an understanding on consumer behavior and change how one purchases items at the grocery store. At least for me, it has made me seek out and really think about resources and goods that I procure on a daily basis. 

What kind of rewards could come from the success of your undertaking? 

I think the rewards are subjective to what I am trying to accomplish, if its for self, better practices with consumer behavior and making conscious decisions that can make a large impact. If It is at a community level, we could reduce footprint on a city scale. The reward would be knowing that we are creating lasting and impactful change. 

Do you expect to get a product back from this undertaking? 

I am unsure if my team would get a physical product back from this endeavor, but I expect us to have a tangible plan that could be utilized immediately whether its an educational program, a product, addressing an issue with consumer behavior, or event affecting policy; I expect something , I just don’t know what it is yet. 

Will there be some monetary reward?

This could lead to a monetary reward, not in the immediate sense, but being able to take a problem and create a real solution could lead to a larger business impact in my career. If successful, this could serve as an example of an accomplishment and a tangible narrative to showcase to employers of my ability to ideate and solve problems which can lead to a monetary increase (either now or in the future). 

How will this aid in furthering your career? 

Being able to understand a problem and tackle it with many stakeholders is going to teach me valuable skills on working with experts, novices, hobbyists, by taking their understanding and ideas and being able to navigate and facilitate the needs and wants of a group in order to get to a common goal. 

What are your motivating factors for succeeding? 

A motivating factor for success is not only to build social capital with my cohort, faculty, and school, but to truly get the ROI I am seeking as this program has a large cost. I want to see the value and only I can get that return back, if I put in the effort. 

What makes you interested in the problem in the first place? 

Trash and waste have been on my mind a lot in the last few years. I have constantly questioned my attachment to objects and really questioned if I needed an item or if I could find something a bit more sustainable. Obviously there is a real world threat to our behavior correlated with the environmental situation we have globally. Ultimately, I want to be progressive so the young minds my family is bringing into this world can thrive, just as I have. 

What do you think is compelling about seeing the problem-solving endeavor to its end result? 

There is always something gratifying about making an idea come to life; seeing the movement of an idea and growing into a final entity is comforting. 

What level of investment do you have in the solution succeeding? 

If the solution succeeds, then I know there can be more done where I can make a change today to benefit the greater good. I am not financially invested (yet), but my time is very valuable to me, and IF I dedicate time it does not dictate the success of the solution, but rather how much time will I need to invest in order to see the solution succeed. 

How will you and others benefit along all of these different measurements of success? 

Defining the key metric is going to affect the overall success of the project, but just getting across the finish line with my team mates and completing a project around a project we chose will be beneficial to our group dynamics, effort, and even social capital across all subjects. 

Also think about the potential benefits that you might accrue if you become involved in this project. Reflect on the subject matter that you and your group have chosen and how accepting the undertaking will benefit you personally.

I think effective understanding and having a personal action plan on addressing the topic we have will have a direct benefit on me. I have already seen the benefits of questioning consumer consumption as it relates to grocery shopping and has made me question store norms (like asking for no plastic, taking paper instead of plastic, buying from the deli instead of prepackaged etc.)

Alison and I met during our undergrad where I was her RA in a Science and Technology Themed Community. During this time I watched her develop into the person she is today and have cultivated a lasting relationship both personally and as professionals. Alison now works at a state prison in New Jersey where she is working on her internship post her P.h.D in Psychology and in the process of writing her dissertation. She is focusing on assessment which is a process of testing that uses a combination of techniques and tools to help arrive at some hypotheses about a person and their behavior, personality and capabilities. Sometimes this is referred to as a psychological battery.

Brynn is a dear friend and colleague of mine at my place of work, roOomy, where we work very closely together on the marketing team creating creative assets for white label apps, creating sales enablement pieces of collateral, to even just executing on the not so glamorous banal work like data entry. She is another #girlboss that I love working with because she is on it, she gets it, and she's invested. That being said, Brynn’s primary function is PR and Comms for the entire company where she has to interface with clients, PR agencies, Press, and internal stakeholders to effectively deliver consistent messaging across the company. Below is a little about what our company does:

roOomy’s patented technology is paving the way for Real Estate professionals, Home Furnishings retailers, and anyone interested in Interior Design to better visualize their space and products through our ability to convert simple 2D imagery into assets that can be leveraged across 3D, augmented and virtual reality platforms at a scale and efficiency unavailable until now.

Jackie and I became friends back in our undergrad at San Francsico State  University where we were both RA’s in Residential Life together where we focus on programming around Sexual Health, LGBT issues, and Inclusion & Equity / Diversity & Social Justice. Jackie primarily works in public health (currently the 360 Positive Care Program Coordinator at UCSF Medical Center), but I decided to pick her brain in regards to her side hustle / passion project, “Alahas Ni Mayari or "Mayari's Jewelry". Her jewelry business is fueled by her passion to connect to her roots and encompass’s native filipino culture through her jewelry and compilation folklore and mythology utilizing various materials from the Philippines, local bead shops, and markets to pay homage to her roots and American upbringing. 

https://www.alahasmayari.com

Defining Creativity 6.2.2

Creativity is to play. 

Ask yourself, when was the last timed one “played”? That then begs the question of, “what is play,” or, “who gets to play,” or, “why play at all?” Play is a means to discover and unearth new ideas; a naïve train of thought correlated with being a juvenile action. We often forget and lose the ability to play as we progress through life; we must remember, play does not equate to a specific place, age, or circumstances. 

Play is thought. 

Play is to live.

Play is like taking a hot shower on a cold day. 

It is discovering you can touch the tip of your tongue to your nose and showcase your newfound abilities to your friends.

Play is to discover new ways to learn and show others how. 

To play =/= a specific place, age, or circumstances. 

Play is applied to the work I create. 

Play is how I interact with my colleagues.