Project type
Coursework assignment
Coursework assignment
Tools
Figma, FigJam
Figma, FigJam
Time
February 2024 - May 2024
February 2024 - May 2024
Design field
Service design
Service design
The challenge
Design students at NTNU are passionate about their field of study. However, there is little to no awareness or reflection about sustainable design among the students. It is rarely mentioned in their curriculum, and students are not incorporating sustainable design choices unless it is part of a mandatory assignment.
The solution
The solution is a digital reflection tool with gamification elements that makes it easier and more engaging for students to learn about and reflect on sustainable design choices. Most central in this solution is LoRe the Cat — a lecturer figure who must be “fed” with student reflections. Aside from this, the tool also includes a forum for students to connect, share reflections, and track progress through a leaderboard.
The design process
Insights
Through insights from in-depth interviews with several students, the group discovered that the main issues behind the problem revolved around lack of information and "triggers" that prompts them to do perform tasks related to sustainability.
It was later revealed that the lecturers themselves were also provided with few tools and resources to teach students about sustainability. Therefore it was now essential to also include them in the project.
Personas
Two personas were developed to represent the students and the lecturers: Jonas and Anne-Lise. These personas represent the needs, behaviors and challenges that they face.
Idea development
Through several iterations during the ideation phase, we explored different ways to encourage student engagement and make reflection a more natural part of the learning process.
This led to the decision to include a communication system that strengthens the connection between students and lecturers, allowing for easier sharing of feedback, questions, and reflections. In addition, we developed a reward system centered around the character LoRe the Cat - a playful, lecturer-like figure that adds a sense of personality and motivation to the experience.